Briefly

  • IAT reminder: Take the test and post to discussion board during this week
  • Announcement: Exam two date is now April 7. It was initially scheduled for March 31, Cesar Chavez day.

Carl Jung (1875-1961)

  • Swiss psychiatrist, founder of analytical psychology
  • Worked with Sigmund Freud looking at the unconscious
    • Freud, dreams
    • Moved beyond Freuds' concepts after break in 1912
  • Idealized the spiritual as primary motivation in human behavior and interaction
    • Jung influences the formation of AA during the 1930s
  • Collective unconscious
    • Versus personal unconscious (unique to each individual)
    • Collective unconscious is universal
    • Predates the individual
    • Included concept of archetypes

Archetypes

  • Jungian archetypes are "preconscious psychic dispositions that enable a (man) to react in a human manner"
    • For Jung, these emerge as a unique form in consciousness through mental images
      • The original conception forms an archetype that allows concrete representation of a form
    • More broadly, archetypes can be the ideal form of a concept, often copied, imitated
  • Occur in different cultures and methods of communication
    • In folk culture, mythical figures, transferred orally
    • In modern mass culture, standard characters, transferred through electronic media
      • In both cases, archetypes help inform and organize human thought
    • As culture evolves, new archetypes are formed and sometimes articulated through mass media
  • Jung's foundational archetypes
    • Self -- unified consciousness, unconsciousness of an individual
    • Shadow -- unconscious representation of weakness; collectively weaknesses may manifest into a "raging monster"
    • Animus/anima -- the representation of the inner personality the other gender
      • Not without criticism. James Joyce: "anama anamaba anamabapa"
    • Persona -- the appearance one presents to the world
      • Examples: Professionally, socially, in media, as student, as boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.
  • Other archetypes mentioned by Jung -- no fixed number
    • Mother -- symbolizes nurturing
    • Child -- represents future, becoming, rebirth, innocence
    • Trickster -- clever, mischievous, disrupt existing order
  • Some of these are witnessed in the Star Wars film saga
  • Archetypes versus stereotypes
    • Archetypes are the ideal, original form; stereotypes are one form repeated endlessly
    • Stereotypes may originate with an archetype
      • Archetype = singular form
        • Archetype of a great basketball player = Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan or Larry Bird
        • Characteristics: skills, decision-making, physical acumen
      • Stereotype = repeated concept
        • Example: One sees most great American basketball players as black
          • During the last 15 years, about 75% of NBA players have been black
        • Therefore, blacks = Great basketball players
          • All blacks have the archetypal characteristics
          • An erroneous generalization
          • But a recent study noted the bodily differences between Western African blacks versus European whites that translates to athletics: running v. swimming
  • Modern media archetypes
    • Contemporary archetypes are not restricted to the Jungian forms nor an individual medium
      • With electronic communication comes new construction of archetypes
    • Cultural figures -- fictional and non -- fill archetypal forms
      • See Star Wars above; also, westerns, crime stories contain archetypes
    • And we collectively create archetypes to label concepts
    • Archetype 1: The slacker
      • Characteristics: rejects responsibility, work, underacheives
      • Has evolved during American history
      • In 1800s: Seen in literary form during industrial revolution
        • Melville's Bartleby -- "I would prefer not to" do office work in mid-1800s Wall Street
        • Whitman -- "I loafe and invite my soul / I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass"
      • Late 1990s: Seen in American film during information age
        • Office Space (1999) -- Peter's rejection of the modern corporate environment (clip)
        • Big Lebowski (1998) -- The Dude, slacker (clip)
    • Archetype 2: The White Album
      • The archetype need not be an individual; can be a concept
        • May also be a band, a song, etc.
      • The Beatles' White Album (or, The Beatles) has been referred to as an archetypal album
        • "It's like their White Album"
      • White Album archetype refers to an albums:
        • Diversity of voices, styles (unique contributions)
        • Represents brilliance (apex of career)
        • Represents the demise of creators' relationship (Yoko Ono's introduction, infighting)
      • Listen

Today's activity

  • Television programs depend on archetypal understanding on the viewer's part
    • Character archetypes
    • Archetypal shows
  • Since the wide introduction of sitcoms in the 50s, shows have established archetypes
    • Usually there is something unique in form or content
    • Simpsons, Beverly Hillbillies
  • Married With Children
    • Original premise: A dysfunctional family whose loathing and mockery is considered comedic
    • Controversial history: One offended woman writes advertisers after seeing an episode of MWC, succeeds in getting another potentially offensive episode cancelled
    • Today: We watch an episode of MWC that illustrates archetypes present in televised situation comedies
  • Question for brief discussion: What archetypes exist?
    • Character, family, relationships, the show itself

 

Matthew Blake, CSU-Chico Department of Journalism