TELE 3010 1nd Edition Lecture 16Outline of Last LectureI. Beginning of Issues in Media Representation Outline of Current Lecture I. IdeologyII. Ideological Analysis of Media Current LectureIdeologyIdeology is about a system of meaning, meaning that when we talk about values, how do all of those things work together as a system?- It helps us define the world- Judge the world- And explain the world We have constructed the world around what we know. For example: Capitalism versus Marxism — For the United States, we are used to a capitalistic society, and in our eyes that is the right way. Wethink this is how the world works. Marxists societies look at capitalistic societies differently because to them, Marxism is how the world works. Language itself is ideologicalThere is differences in meanings between words. For example — RIOTS versus REBELLION LA Riots movie (1992) — They beat Rodney King in the movie. What is the best way to discuss this in the press? From these riots came this discussion.- Property Rights — if someone breaks the window of your property in an act of political violence, your property rights have been violated. THEREFORE, it is sufficient for police to come in and protect the properties rights. It’s justifiable.- Equality of opportunity- Legitimacy of state violence- Open political systemVERSUS LA “Rebellion?” (1992)- History of racial repression and discrimination — argument for rebellion is that there is a history of this type of black oppression. - Inequality of opportunities and outcomes- State violence targets people of color- Political system is about (white) elite control — idea of police operating in the favor of the These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.white elites. The point is that depending on the word that is used in the news or media, there can be meaning and justifiable reason to defend each case and there is a different system of critique.Ideology helps us make sense of the world of experience, but also justifies action.Ideology is central to the courses of action that one is going to take. Karl Marx on Ideology- Ideology as a mechanism of social control by ruling classes. - Social classes based on material (control of resources) — who owns factories and industrial production? - Economic base - Maintain control through the “superstructure” (like religion, schools, media, culture). All of these institutions are controlled by how people think.Subordinate classes experience a false consciousness: that the worldview supports the interests of others and not their own class. Ruling class ideas serve the ruling class interests but are seen as “universal” (serves all interests)- The American dream for example: working hard and rising from “nothing”. We love this idea! But for lots of people, that never happens, but yet they still might believe in this dream. It’s a driving force for getting up every day. - Marx says that we have come to see the ruling class interest (that interest being “the american dream”) as something real, but for a vast majority, its not. Where did Marx go wrong?- The ideas that ruling classes have might not necessarily be false. It might be okay if we support ruling interest, even if it doesn’t benefit us economically. - connection between economics and interests is not straightforward - citizens don’t always have to think economically first. - The economic bases doesn’t always determine the superstructure in straightforward ways — just because we own the means of production, doesn’t mean that the superstructure is connected.Correcting Marx- We need to move from this “social class” idea to more “culture”. - Ideology is not determined but is a process, a negotiated relationship with room for opposition and contestation. Antonio Gramsci — Italian Marxists- Ruling groups maintain power through force and consent! He believe Marx didn’t get things right. - Consent as a much more efficient way of ruling society. Consent = legitimacy. Make our ideas seemlegitimate in your mind! - Ruling groups exhibit cultural leadership — their worldview is accepted as the universal way of thinking. Gramsci wanted to look at things like media and other news. In that process of cultural products, we will see our ideas as the universal idea of thinking.Hegemony- their might be dominant ways of thinking, but their are opportunities to contest that.- a process of domination (not an imposition of ideas) whereby people see ruling ideas as natural, common sense, and taken for granted. (property rights for example, are natural.)- it never final, always in the making- it allows for opposition and contestation — it does allow for opposing ideas to be present.- Incorporates opposing views into the basic ideological framework. Hegemonic thinking is produced:- In schools- religion- media- sites where we produce and reproduce ways of thinking about society. How does hegemony work with hip hop?- there is a bragging dimension. I made my money and now I’m an elite, I’ve become a capitalist myself.- bitches and hoes as “acceptable”.Ideological Analysis of Media1. Connect textual representations to broader historical, political, cultural, social, and economic factors to see what meanings are produced and which are preferred over others. When talking about rap and hip-hop — why do urban areas look the way they do? etc. 2. Concerned with power — ways in which systems of meaning are part of the process of wielding power. If you can get people talking about something, then you’re halfway home. That is how the capitalistic society dominates.3. Is Concerned with domination — ways certain groups have their interests accepted as the general interests of society. Media Texts- Sites where cultural contests over meaning are wages- Representing different interests with unequal power- Cultural sites where ideas of the powerful are circulated as truth- competing truths are typically marginalized or dismissed entirely. - Generally adopt the dominant assumptions and draw on common sense views of the world.- Reproduce basic stories and values that underpin hegemony.What we should have gotten from the films (Color Adjustment & Celluloid Closet) is that we saw historically these meanings.