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
    • It limits the number of voices,
    • stifles creative productions, and
    • limits ideological perspectives (eg., political radio)
• 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