Ideology: further reading and tasks

Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

2) What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?
It is quickly distinguishable that the dystopian world of the Hunger Games revolves around a society where wealth is unfairly distributed in a way that a small minority are extremely wealthy and powerful whilst the majority suffer in deprivation. The large group are being controlled by those with more authority because of their power. It is the epitome of a capitalist society. This links to a Marxist perception of the world. Marxists believe primarily that the less wealthy are under control by the more wealthy and will be punished if they disobey against their laws, this is pervasive in 'The Hunger Games' world. The 'Capitol' control the districts. This entire concept relates to real life as in today's society we are forced to follow strict laws and regulations set out by our government that if broken, will lead to severe consequences. Furthermore, Karl Marx's theory states that people will eventually always find a way to revolt and to resist power through rebelling and it is this very ideology that is shown throughout the film where the civilians do what they can to gain piece.

3) What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?
In terms of media within the film, it is evident that it portrays media as having an immense amount of influence and power of the consumers. it has the ability to create fear and overall a negative effect on the consumers of it even if there is empty threat within it. This is apparent through how Katniss and Peeta present themselves as having a relationship through media whereas in reality they were merely affectionate. However, media enabled them to stop the hunger games before it killed one of them. They did this through (plausibly) staging joint suicide.


Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

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

4) What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?
The French theorist provides a way of understanding how we are governed through ideology. His view was that ideology is the greatest material power and mediates our day to day lives through two key forms of control:

1: Repressive State Control, also known as ‘Repressive State Apparatuses’ (RSAs) :
These are forms of control through the major institutions of society – the Government, Army, Police, Courts, etc. They are dominated by the ruling elite. These state agencies regulate behaviour and repress the masses through operating on violence, punitive law, and fear.

2: ‘Ideological State Apparatuses’ (ISAs):
These are forms of control through things such as the Church, the media, educational institutions, the family etc. These looser institutions control and dominate implicitly through ‘common sense’ acceptance and social norms. These values, suggesting the importance of the individual, and self-fulfilment, are dominant in the West, and closely linked with the ideology of consumerism, which arguably dominates and drives society.


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!Personally, I do agree with this idea. I believe that our society is being controlled by those with more authority because of their power and often media is a tool they use to achieve this and further their agendas.

Ideology and Binary opposition

1) Watch this clip from BBC Question Time with Russell Brand and Nigel Farage. The BBC deliberately placed the two against each other and the episode resulted in far more people watching and tweeting than usual.

What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching this clip?

To begin, we could class Russell Brand and Nigel Farage as binary opposites. It appears that everything about them contrasts vastly. Moreover, in terms of mise-en-scene we could argue their attire is entirely juxtaposed. Nigel Farage can be seen wearing a formal, grey suit whereas Russell Brand is sporting a far more casual, laid back outfit. Another binary opposite I have identified is the political stand both these men support. Russell Brand makes it evident he is left wing whereas Farage is far more right wing. Finally, an interesting binary opposition is the age group both these men fall under. It appears the older generation support a more left wing approach whereas the younger population advocates a more left wing political perspective.

What ideologies are on display in this clip?

Within this extract, we can see both men supporting entirely different political parties. For instance, Russell Brand can be seen supporting a left wing, Marxist view whereas Nigel Farage takes a right wing perspective and advocates a far more capital, conservative view political stance

Ideology and your own choice of clip

2) Now do the same activity for a clip of your choice. Embed the YouTube video in your blog and answer the questions in detail:

What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching your clip?

From this clip I can identify several instances of binary opposites in terms of appearance, character traits, behaviour etc. To begin, the most recognisable binary opposite is the gender of the two characters. This is evident considering the  stark contrast of their attire, their voices and behaviour. Moreover, to elaborate on their behaviour, we can see vast contrast in their mannerisms and traits. The female character holds very feminine, exaggerated reactions whereas the male character shows hypermasculine traits such as dominance. To continue, a more implicit binary opposite is strong against weak. We can see the female character attempts to defend herself with a weapon but fails against the sheer brutal force of the male character.

What ideologies are on display in your clip?

This clip reinforces stereotypical gender roles through the male showing hypermasculine traits against the female who appear quite effeminate. 

Dominant and Alternate Representation of London

Dominant Representation

For my dominant reading of London, I have created a collage of several shots all filtered predominantly in the colours of the union jack: red, white and blue. In this, we can firstly see several stills of architecture which the area  is often well renowned for. In particular, its cathedrals. Also, I have included the London underground sign. London often is most well known for its superb transporting systems. To continue, I used shots of the iconic red telephone box and red busses. These are common conventions of London. Moreover,we can see shots of the narrow, cobble streets. Finally, we can see the Queen's guard, as London is also renowned for the royal family.

Alternate Representation 

This is my alternate reading of London. I have included several shots that depict a different reality than what other countries may see as us. For instance, I have included the British variety store chain, popular for its cheap products. As well as this, we have the well known attraction, known for being beautiful yet it is crowded. Moreover, we can see several stills of dirty walls with graffiti and mud. Along with this, we can see national gallery of London occupied overwhelmingly with pigeons. This is a common issue that often people outside of London are not aware of. Additionally, we can see the formidable issue referring to litter in London.  Finally, we can see the reality of a standard home in London. Rather than a glorified, glamorous house, the actuality is  "row-houses" or a "semi-detached home."