MIGRAIN: Ideology - final tasks

MIGRAIN: Ideology - final tasks

Our final key concept of this introductory unit to A Level Media is Ideology.

This is one of the trickiest concepts to get our head around as it encompasses politics and cultural studies as well as media theory. We've obviously applied our work on binary opposition to an episode of BBC Question Time in class but it's important to be able to apply ideology and media theory to a cross-section of media texts.

Media Magazine issue 52 has two good articles on Ideology. Today you need to read those articles (our Media Magazine archive is here) and complete a few tasks linked to them. Follow the instructions below...

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

The article is about the dystopian film Hunger Games and how theories such as Marxism can be applied to the film.

2) What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?

The capital city 'The Capitol' is inhabited by the wealthy and powerful, outside The Capitol are 13 districts where the poor live and are forced to work and provide for those in The Capitol and are payed on minimum wage. The poor struggle to provide for their families and are forced to break the strict laws that are in place by the rich to control the poor. Every year the Hunger Games takes place, an event which provides entertainment for the rich and keeps the poor under control.

3) What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?

The Hunger Games is a film that helps to suggest that media is in fact powerful and can be used to help influence people and even control them. Marxist theory can be easily applied to this film as the rich and wealthy people in The Capitol are considered the 'ruling elite' which control and construct a false identity of people which prevents the poor from challenging the powerful groups.

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

The article will attempt to unpick one of the most complex and difficult aspects of the Media Studies: the concept of ideology. It will explore the meaning of the term, how its related concept of hegemony and the work of three other theorists.

2) What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

• Money = Happiness
• Consumer goods = Fulfilment
• Marriage/Family/Children = Happiness
• Obedience/Work = Fulfilment

3) What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?

Gramsci's theory suggests that hegemony is an important way in which those in power maintain their control through consent rather than the use of force. He argued that the power of ideology derives primarily from ideas and structures which support, and thus serve the purpose of, an elite social group which is able to dominate through ideas rather than militaristic strength or fear.

4) What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?

His view is that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms: Repressive State Control and Ideological State Apparatuses.

5) Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite? 

These are the big questions of A Level Media!
Yes i agree with the idea that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media as the media selects specific titles which draw the audience in which influences them and their ideological beliefs. Examples of these are The Guardian and The Sunday Times which are two right and left wing newspapers which select headlines around their ideological beliefs. They would gain an larger audience by targeting specific social groups e.g. highlighting and mentioning ethic minority groups would attract this audience to their product.