Theories of culture, power & ideology

  • For our purposes, two ideological perspectives: Left vs. Right
    • Similar political ideologies
      • In politics, Left = Democrat, liberal, Green, socialist
      • Right = Republican, conservative, libertarian, nationalist
    • Perspectives seen in politics are often used in cultural studies (and other fields) when explaining how and why the world acts like it does.
    • Academics more often lean toward the left, as do journalists and creative workers -- which should be acknowledged by students of this field
      • Application of ideological perspectives may extend beyond political beliefs and judgments
      • There are occasional consequences to political allegiances of professions

Perspectives of the Left

  • Power lies with the "culture industry," a concept developed by Adorno and Horkheimer (1979)
    • Top-down model of control
    • The culture industry controls content, messages, stories, etc., and may be used for deception, belief manipulation, dulling of imagination
      • Commercial equivalent of propaganda seen in 1984, Hitler's Germany
    • The culture industry has usually been concentrated
      • Past: few printers, writers, composers, publishers, etc.; usually within large urban areas
      • Today's culture industry is largely represented by six conglomerates:
        • Disney, News Corp., TimeWarner, Viacom, CBS, and General Electric
        • Each own newspapers, television stations, film & music right
      • Industry concentration allows for control by economic elite
    • A concentrated industry does not benefit society because
  • This limited message may stifle the audience's development in the aggregate:
    • "It impedes the development of autonomous, independent individuals" (from leftist philosopher Marcuse)
    • Through manipulation and indoctrination, it produces a passivity among the audience
  • All of this, Marxists claim, is because the media is a capitalist instrument
    • Its chief goal is profit, at any means, even sacrificing societal benefit
    • The "lords of kitsch" (Macdonald, p. 29 of book) feed a passive audience valueless content that encourages their non-participation
    • The masses are not in control -- they are being manipulated
  • Contemporary example: "Jersey Shore"
    • Program is selected by economic elites in part because it does not disrupt status quo, yet is profitable because of audience demographics
    • Program does not inspire creative thought, political consideration or worthwhile instruction
    • It is simply a production of capitalists to distract the masses from the outrageous truth of our society, the leftists/Marxists might argue

Perspectives of the Right

    • Classically (1800s), class distinctions reflected a state of evolution
      • The aristocracy and middle class are more evolved than the lower classes
      • Class divisions are provide a "common basis of human nature" (Matthew Arnold, during 1800s)
      • This affects cultural creation and comprehension
    • Because very little is "culture" -- only "the best of what has been thought and said" -- few are capable of creating it
      • These individuals are mostly found in the aristocracy or middle classes
      • But, given the opportunity, the lower classes will digest, and perhaps enjoy, this material as well
    • This has been realized earlier in history, Eg. Shakesphere
      • Shakesphere was introduced, produced, reproduced by elites during 1500-1600s
      • Enjoyed by commoners and elites
      • Why enjoyed by lower classes? Because they were receiving their "amusements from above"
    • Contemporarily: The authority of the elite has crumbled, resulting in:
      • A bottom-up model of control
      • Popular taste establishing what is acceptable culture
      • Resulting in culture and civilization become antithetical
      • "Irreparable chaos"
        • No longer is it clear what is worthy, authoritative, instructive and what is not in culture
      • Cultural coherence is based on authoritative and hierarchial principles
    • Contemporary example: "Jersey Shore"
      • Very little TV would qualify as "culture," including Jersey Shore
      • The reason worthless programs like Jersey Shore exist is because of audience demand
        • Instead of the masses having a subordinate role in cultural selection, they are directly responsible
        • But, they are incapable of selection of worthy culture
        • Once the public determines cultural output, true culture is eliminated and squeezed out
      • This is known as Gresham's Law being applied to culture
        • Gresham's Law = Introduction of counterfeit money will overwhelm authentic currency
        • For culture = Introducing low culture overwhelms high culture due to market preference

Continued evolution

  • This debate continues among cultural and social critics
  • But new communication technology has changed the equation
  • Where there were previously narrow channels of distribution, there are now limitless opportunity for cultural creation and exposure (Web/Internet)
  • Nevertheless, the debate continues on TV, in print and in films, such as...

Today's screening: Idiocracy

  • Idiocracy is a commentary on the evolution of culture in the United States
  • Created by Mike Judge, it portrays a man who awakes 500 years from now in a dystopian society
  • Today we will watch about 45 minutes of the film and you are required to comment in 50-100 words on the Vista discussion board about the film.
  • I want you to answer the following on the Vista discussion board:
    1. Do you consider Judge to be taking the Left or Right perspective?
    2. Citing specific examples from the film, why do you belief this to his position?
  • Deadline for this discussion post is next Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
    • Some cultural forms Judge comments on:
      • Reproduction and social class
      • Trademarks & advertisements
      • Language use
      • Television programming
      • Institutional functionality

Contact

Prof. Matt Blake
Tehama Hall 339
530-898-3608
mdblake (at) csuchico.edu

 

 

Matthew Blake, CSU-Chico Department of Journalism