A2 Media EXAM - Marxist Theory

An explanation of one of the most important critical

perspectives you need to know for the exam and your research
project.

Karl Marx was a philosopher and was interested in who held the
power in society (society is the country's community)

He said that power in society came in two ways:

1. Economic power
2. Social power

Economic Power
He was against the economic power of
capitalism (capitalism is when privately
owned businesses produce goods and
services for huge profits, for example,
McDonald's, Apple, The Sun Newspaper, The
Daily Mail, The Telegraph

He was interested in how capitalism affected society:

Marx said that economic power (Capitalists) was in the hands of

only a minority (the very rich) because they had money to produce
goods and services. You know from your AS course that all media
texts are commodities (they aim to make a profit).
 Marx said that social power (Socialists) was in the hands of
the
majority of society (daily workers who needed to make a living),
however they did not have the money to produce goods and
services.

These days society has the power of social media (Facebook, Twitter).
What makes it powerful? We freely debate and exchange ideas. We
have the power to change points of view/perspectives.

The relationship between the majority and minority

The minority (rich) were dependent on the majority (poor)

because they needed their time and labour. They wanted
maximum profits.

The majority (poor) was dependent on the minority (rich)

because they needed their money. They had to accept they were
economically powerless.

Is this relationship still the same in 2015? How? Why?

Economic Power in Society

Marx believed that there are two ways economic power survives in
society:

1. Repressive Power the army, police and the legal system who
could act with force if rules are not followed

2. Ideological Power schools, religion, families. People that

influence the behaviour of others using a system of
strong/controlling ideas and beliefs
 What does ideological mean? Having a system of strong beliefs
and ideas

We can now add THE MEDIA to this ideological power. Followers of

Marx in the 20th Century believed that the media had the power to
construct ideas and values that supported Capitalism/the capitalists.

It could be argued that constructing is wrong because the media is

positioning you to think a particular way.

Are you a Marxist? Are you a Capitalist? Why? How?

So how is all this relevant to Media Studies? What the point?

Now, it is very important to know that Marx is DEAD he lived during

the 19h Century, but his theories are still very relevant today.
Therefore, when you use his theories to help you analyze a media text
you need to call it
A Marxist perspective:

E.g. From a Marxist perspective it

could be argued that Fox News is a
right-wing programme that has
strong beliefs in capitalism.

Marxist Ideologies
 1. From a Marxist perspective it could be argued that the media is
dominant and powerful

2. From a Marxist perspective it could be argued that the media

present values and ideas as the whole and honest truth when
in fact they construct ideas that supports repressive power
(schools, religion) and ideological power (capitalism) E.g. The
BBCs The Apprentice

The fact that Alan Sugar

has all the power in the
programme connotes his
superior position as a
capitalist. He has power
as he has used the system
to create wealth and he is
shown using this power to
provide a livelihood for the
winner of the competition.
Simon Cowell (Syco) takes
the same approach with The X Factor.

3. From Marxist perspective it could be argued that the media

operates in the interests of the rich and powerful e.g. The Sun
newspaper, Newscorp, Syco (Simon Cowell)

VERY IMPORTANT:

When using Marxist theory it is very important to ask

yourself this question: Whose interests is the
media text serving? Is it those with capitalist
beliefs or socialist beliefs? E.g. from a Marxist
perspective it could be argued that The Sun
Newspaper serves the Conservative Party this
support has been happening for decades.
What is Hegemony and how does it link to Marxist
perspectives?

Hegemony

Antonio Gramsci was a Marxist of the early 19th Century. He is

now DEAD.

He believed that having power meant having influence over

others He called it Hegemony e.g. THE MEDIA is able to control
audiences.

Today, Marxists believe that hegemony in the media has led

society (audiences) to totally accept certain ideologies.

It is interesting to note that Gramsci said that society (the public) often
accept to being controlled and actively agree to be under the
influence of more powerful organisations.

An example of this is The Daily Mails negative

perspective on immigrants seeking refuge in the UK
some audiences are strongly influenced
(hegemony) by the newspapers perspective. The
audience then forms a very clear point of
view/perspective. This has been shaped for them
by this newspaper sometimes its easier to
just believe what you are told!

Do you believe what you are told by the newspaper or do you

challenge what you read? Why?

Audiences in the media often resign themselves to the fact that we

are powerless to a degree. In fact, it is almost invisible in the way the
media influences and shapes our perspective or point of view.
However, some audiences will take a very different point of
view/perspective

Here are 4 texts that would

be very interesting to apply
Marxism and Hegemony to:

1. The Hunger Games Catching

Fire (Film)
2. Top Gear - BBC
3. Fox News - Channel
4. Banking adverts Lloyds TSB

Liberal Pluralism often seen as the opposite

of Marxism
An explanation of one of another very important critical
perspective you need to know for the exam and your research
project.

Great Britain is a liberal democracy a

liberal democracy means that our society
values freedom and we have rights. As a
member of the public we have free
speech (the right to express opinions
without control) and we have an open-
government (we select the Prime
Minister, and choose the political party
we like based on our interests and their
interests). In general, the public and society accept our Liberal
Democracy as a positive thing because it gives us free choice. How
might you argue with any of these points I have made here?

A liberal democracy allows the media to work freely without

too much control from the government, therefore, this gives
media audiences a wide range of media texts to choose from
e.g. violent films, controversial documentaries, and highly-
sexualized magazines basically texts with a massive variety
of appeals.

So how does living in a liberal democracy create liberal

pluralism?

Liberal pluralism is the perspective/point of view that the public

should have a variety of media texts to choose from

Liberal pluralism is the perspective/point of view that the media is

free to construct what they wish within reason. The public can then
watch, listen and consume whatever they wish. Liberal pluralists
believe that this is right and should be accepted.

These media texts can give audiences lots of different meanings and
messages. These different media texts will come from lots of different
points of view. I.e plural = pluralism For example, the UK newspapers
reporting on the 2015 General Election they ALL had very different
messages for their audiences based on their strong beliefs and values
(ideologies). The Observer tended to support The Labour Partys point
of view, The Sun heavily supported The Conservatives point of view
and The Guardian mainly supported The Labour Partys point of view.
The day before the election their differing viewpoints became really
clear.

Liberal Pluralists believe that these media texts represent a variety

of perspectives/points of view that exist in society. They DO NOT
believe that there is one dominant perspective, point of view or
ideology. This is the opposite of the Marxist perspective.

Back to Marxism!
Remember that Marxists believe that the media present values and
ideas as the whole and honest truth when in fact they are
constructed ideas that support repressive power (schools, religion) and
ideological power (capitalism) E.g. The Apprentice, The X Factor, The
Daily Mail.

In other words, Marxists look at the media in a negative light. This

means that Marxists believe the majority of the medias texts will
suggest it is normal and right to support:

white people over ethnic minorities

men over women
Christianity over other religions
 the nuclear family over alternative family structures
capitalism over socialism or communism
middle-aged adults over all other age groups
heterosexuality over homosexuality or bi-sexuality
being able-bodies over any for of disability (physical, mental or
emotional)
Liberal Pluralist Views of Ownership and Control of the Media
Liberal pluralists believe that our society is made up of very different
social groups (different sexes and sexualities, religious groups, races).
This makes society very complicated and diverse society. Liberal
pluralists believe that the media represents all these differences.

For example, Marxists believe that the media represents white western
societies as the dominant one, whereas, Liberal Pluralists believe that
there are many ethnic minorities, which means that different views for
these social groups will also be evident in the media.

E.g. look at how the magazines below are targeted at different women
from different races.

Here are 4 texts that would be very interesting to apply liberal

pluralism to:

Gogglebox
Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe
Russell Brand's The Trews
Have I Got News for You?
Here are some suggested links to read further on Marxism and
Hegemony:

http://www.slideshare.net/andywallis/marxism-and-hegemony
https://prezi.com/jhfelwpkxyo0/stuart-hall-and-john-fiske/

Ms Brennans Marxism YouTube video this is brilliant and

should be used for consolidation after the students have been
tested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0fCGjyYHhE

Here is a suggested link to read further on Liberal Pluralism:

http://www.slideshare.net/andywallis/liberal-pluralism

Fiske
As Fiske puts it, 'Consent must be constantly won and rewon, for people's material
social experience constantly reminds them of the disadvantages of subordination and
thus poses a threat to the dominant class... Hegemony... posits a constant
contradiction between ideology and the social experience of the subordinate that
makes this interface into an inevitable site of ideological struggle' (Fiske 1992: 291).
References to the mass media in terms of an ideological 'site of struggle' are
recurrent in the commentaries of those influenced by this perspective. Gramsci's
stance involved a rejection of economism since it saw a struggle for ideological
hegemony as a primary factor in radical change.

Glossary of terms

Nuclear family: a heterosexual, married couple with their own

biological children living in a household together.
Alternative family structures: single-parent families, stepfamilies,
children in care or any other family that is not a nuclear
family.
Capitalism: also called free enterprise, an economic system in
which private business operates in competition and largely free
of state control.
Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organisation
that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and
exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a
whole.
Communism: a political theory derived from Karl Marx,
advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property
is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according
to their abilities and needs.
Heterosexuality: having a sexual preference for the opposite sex
(straight).
Homosexuality: having a sexual preference for the same sex (gay
or lesbian).
Bi-sexuality: having a sexual preference for both the same and
opposite sex.