Soc 118 Media Culture Society Chapter Five Media

Soc. 118 Media, Culture & Society Chapter Five: Media and Ideology

OVERVIEW ¢ What is ideology? l Ideology as normalization • Analyzing TV commercials ¢ Theoretical roots of ideology l ¢ Modern ideology and hegemony Advertising and consumer culture l History of consumerism • Modern advertising ¢ Case study l Women’s magazines • Video presentation: “Killing Us Softly 3” l Other cases • News (elites and insiders, economic news) • Film (the military and masculinity) • TV (the American family)

Media and Ideology ¢ Media representations of the¢ Broader system of meaning social world in the media l l ¢ Examining underlying messages l l ¢ Next level of analysis Focus on content l l ¢ Whose interests do they serve? What values do they reflect? Focus on the stories they tell l Not on effects of such stories Patterns of messages Specific content part of something larger Connection between media content, culture and society l l l How ideas are embedded in media How messages are constructed Change and challenges in content

What is Ideology? ¢ A set of beliefs that explains and justifies some social arrangements l l ¢ Basic ways in which the world or reality is defined Debates about the acceptability of messages l Because of the lessons they teach us about the social world Cultural contests about meaning are waged in media l l ¢ Related to belief system, world view or values l ¢ Often containing religious, moral, political and other ideas Distorts and misrepresents reality ¢ Debate about whether the media promote the “dominant ideology” l ¢ “Culture wars” Some ideas will have the advantage while others will be marginalized Worldview of the powerful Or whether the media includes contradictory messages l Contain the dominant ideology while partially challenging it

Ideology as Normalization ¢ Social norms are articulated in the media l ¢ Media texts imply what is normal and deviant l ¢ Cumulative effect through sheer repetition Presents narrow range of behaviors and lifestyles l ¢ Interactions, roles, social institutions Marginalizing or neglecting others Media normalizes some social relations and makes others unacceptable l Evident in what is presented as well as excluded

Super Bowl 2008 Analyzing TV Commercials

Theoretical Roots of Ideology ¢ Conflict theory (Marxism) l ¢ Classical sociological theory (19 th century) • Focus on power relations in society ¢ Social stratification social inequality l ¢ • But serves only the particular interest of rulers ¢ Domination subordination exploitation l Representing their interests Powerful mechanism of social control “False consciousness” l When subordinates accept ruling ideology • “Buying into” ideas l Ruling class imposes their world view (ideology) l Dominants rule by indoctrination l Disseminating world view that only pretends to describe universal experience The opposite of "revolutionary thinking“ • Needed for social change ¢ Ideology involves mystification, veiling, subtlety l Example of ideology and the “American Dream”

Hegemony Antonio Gramsci (Italian Marxist 1920 s-30 s) ¢ Ruling groups can maintain power through force or consent l ¢ People generally accept the current ideas ¢ ¢ Assumptions, taken-forgranted notions • “What’s natural, ” “everybody knows, ” “the way things are” Because they often conflict with real life Hegemony can never be complete or final l ¢ Seems uncontested Ideas must be continually restated and reinforced l Operates at the level of common sense l We don't critically evaluate these ideas and assumptions l Power exercised through “cultural leadership” l ¢ Consent must be won ¢ Struggle for definition Ideas can be challenged l l Attempts to undermine seen as threatening Ideas revised or retained

Advertising and Consumer Culture ¢ History of consumerism l American capitalists in 1900 s ¢ Culture of consumerism l • Mass production • Acquiring wealth and status • Consumption as a virtue and freedom Seek to make business profitable Advertising used to shape consciousness l More about creating buyers than selling products l ¢ • Stimulating new needs and habits ¢ Aimed at immigrants and urbanites l Consumption as “great equalizer” l Concept of the “good life” l Buying = participating in democracy • Consumption = citizenship Normalizes upper-middle class values l Elevates the individual over the collective • Buying and selling as the primary interaction/relationship ¢ Advertising tells us what the dream l Lifestyle all should pursue • Realized through the power of purchase • Whether or not we have the means

Modern Advertising ¢ What stories do ads tell us about ourselves and society? l One level is about products • Informational l One level is about lifestyles, states of mind • Emotional ¢ Case Study: Women’s Magazines l Gender-specific marketing • Consumption category with special needs • Woman = knowing what to buy, consuming certain products l Ads promoting consumer lifestyle make up bulk of magazines • Editorial content also contains “covert advertising” l Social problems redefined as personal problems • Beauty, sexuality, success, skills and social status can be purchased

Video Presentation

Media and Ideology: Other Case Studies ¢ News media Elites and Insiders l Economic News l ¢ Film l The Military and Masculinity • Back to Vietnam films ¢ TV l The American Family