IDEOLOGY Ideology Definition Ideology can be defined as

IDEOLOGY

Ideology Definition ■ Ideology can be defined as ideas that reflect a group, class or culture. ■ Belief systems and the principles inside these systems, even if these ideas are unrecognised and perhaps unquestioned, e. g. consensus or majority rule aren’t always factors in ideological constructs. ■ A world view which defines our concept of self and our relationship with the broader society and cultural groups around us, e. g. friends, family, the media, etc. ■ http: //public. wsu. edu/~hughesc/film_and_ideology. htm

Ideology Definition ■ If ideology is a set of ideas that reflect a particular group then obviously different groups will interpret the same messages differently, depending on the belief system and experiences from which they decode these messages. ■ Think of ideology as a lens with which we view films, and indeed all messages, around us. How we interpret certain messages will depend on past experiences, culture, etc. ■ Stuart Hall, when developing the media communication theory Encoding/Decoding Theory, claimed that media messages are encoded by the media creators, containing certain messages they wish the audience to receive, but those messages will be decoded and received differently by the audience, depending on culture, past experiences, prior knowledge, etc.

Ideology in film ■ Almost every film presents us with ways of behaving, both positive and negative, and therefore offers us implied or explicit morality or ideology. ■ Every film has a slant based on the director’s sense of right and wrong, e. g. an ideological perspective that privileges certain characters, institutions and cultures

Categories of Ideology ■ There are three main categories of ideology in film: neutral, implicit, explicit. ■ Neutral: escapist films and light entertainment with an emphasis on action, pleasure and entertainment. Superficial treatment of right or wrong. ■ Implicit: the protagonist and antagonist reflect conflicting views, but these values are not dwelled upon. The director will slant the message, but as an audience, we may accept the system of values, the world view, as normal or the way the world works. Various ideologies get played up without question, and thus, the film subtly serves the interests of the dominant classes and transmits dominant moral and intellectual codes. ■ Explicit: films obviously constructed to teach or persuade. ■ Most films fall into the implicit category, though some films can begin in the implicit category and fall into the explicit category, with the understanding that implicit presentations of ideas and values have increased potency.

Sample Ideology Exam Question ■ Media narratives can convey ideology through the selection and application of media codes and conventions. Analyse how media codes and conventions convey ideology in the media narratives that you have studied this year. (10 marks)

Ideology in Okja ■ What ideological lenses could be applied to Bong Joon-ho’s Okja, and how would this change the way the film is received? ■ Take 5 minutes to write down as many ideologies as you can think of, that you can could be applied to Okja and write briefly what interpretation of the film that would result in.

Ideology in Okja ■ What did we come up with? ■ Terrorism, veganism, capitalism, personas, respect of different cultures-ism, materialism, loyalty/companionship, relationships/love, respect, competition, ethics, power of money, morality, corruption, facades, purity, science-ism, idealism, GMO, power, control, nature vs mankind-ism, benefits of animal companionship, parentship, respect your elders,

The ideology of Youth ■ There is a belief that if significant change is to come in society, then it must start with the young. ■ This was evident with the recent same-sex marriage debate in Australia. ■ Whilst support for equal rights was polled as being at 79% in the 15 -39 age group, that number fell to only 50% in those above the age of 60. ■ http: //www. abc. net. au/news/2017 -08 -31/same-sex-marriage-who-supports-itand-who-doesnt-hilda-data/8856884

The ideology of Youth ■ This is again being shown following the school shooting in Florida. ■ Emma Gonzalez, one of the survivors of the shooting received international attention for her speech that included the repetition of the phrase, “We call BS!” ■ https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=5 c. K 9 ie 9 SFjk ■ During her speech, Gonzalez said, “To every politician taking donations from the NRA, shame on you!” As a response, a number of businesses have started severing ties with the NRA. ■ When the NRA (National Rifle Association) responded angrily to boycotts and stripping of their benefits from various companies (flight discounts, etc. ) they stated, “The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from standing and defending [America’s] individual freedoms. ” ■ In response, David Hogg, a student activist and Florida shooting survivor, stated, “You might as well stop now, because we will outlive you. ” ■ https: //thenewdaily. com. au/news/world/2018/02/25/nra-boycott-florida-shooting/

The ideology of Youth & Veganism ■ This same idea of youth driving ideas of change could be said of veganism. ■ According to information by Imaner (http: //www. imaner. net/panel/profile. htm), a vegan consulting company, 78% of vegans went vegan between the ages of 16 and 34 with the mean age of people turning vegan being 24 and the most common ages being 19 – 21. ■ Only 4% of vegans turned vegan after the age of 55. ■ 87% of vegans said they were vegan for ethical/moral reasons. ■ So what effect might this have?

The ideology of Youth & Veganism ■ Half a billion fewer animals were killed per year since 2007, despite the increase in the US population, because people are eating less meat, . ■ http: //www. collective-evolution. com/2017/11/27/half-a-billion-fewer-animals-were -killed-since-2007 -because-people-are-eating-less-meat/