MIGRAIN: Ideology final tasks

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

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

It shows the use of propaganda in the media and what ideological views are created in the capitalist society.

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

It suggests that there is a social structure based on class and the upper class have the power and dominance to control the working class as the marxist theory shows how the
ruling class keep the poor under control through civic means; armies of‘Peacekeepers’ are sent to control each district and to punish anyone who tries to defy the authority.

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

Since Catching Fire, much has changed in regards to power, society and the media. The lines
between the powerful and powerless are more blurred than ever, and although the Capitol still holds most of the power, it is slowly crumbling as people in the Districts begin to stand together and respond to the need to fight against the society that has been set in stone for all these years.

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

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

It explores what is meant by ideology and how it changes, looking at the way it influences us and how we as consumers are controlled and manipulated by it.

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

-Good should overcome evil
-Law is better than disorder
-Pleasure is a goal in life
-People should work hard for their money

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

Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci introduced the concept of hegemony, and its role in social control. Gransci defined hegemony as 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?

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

2: ‘Ideological State Apparatuses’ (ISAs), such as the Church, the media, educational institutions, the family unit etc. These looser institutions control and dominate implicitly through ‘common sense’ acceptance and social norms, rather than through fear. This echoes Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, by which ideology’s power derives primarily from consent as opposed to the use of force.

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?

I agree as i think that they use the media as a distraction, leading us to believe that we are in control of our lives, when in fact we are performing the way they want us to as we have to work and earn everything that we have. The media is also used to reinforce different beliefs in order to shape and persuade our perspective.

Narrative in advertising: blog task

1) How does the advert use narrative? Apply at least three narrative theories to the text, making specific reference to specific shots or key scenes in the advert.

The advert uses Barthes theory of action codes such as when the girl is being recorded, resulting in more people seeing her play which leads to the next narrative arc of the boy playing hockey. Propp's character theory is also presented as we see a number of hero roles, which would be the people playing the sports, as well as villains which would be things such as the girls family that she has to fight. There also a range of obstacles throughout the video that the sports players must overcome. Lastly we see Todorov's theory of equilibrium, such as the boy who plays hockey, as the equilibrium would be going about his day to day life, followed by the disequilibrium of having no team to play with or against, finishing with the new equilibrium of him playing as every role himself and leading to the next story.

2) Read this BBC feature on some of the people in the advert. How does the advert use celebrities and less well-known people to create stories in the advert?

The advert uses celebrities alongside less well-known people in order to convey the message that 'ordinary' people can become just like people that they might look up to when they buy Nike products. They also use celebrities so that there are familiar faces to attract consumers to the advert, as well as using less well known people so that the audience can relate to them. The advert intertwines some of these figures to show the similarities between them regardless of whether they are famous or not and highlight things that they share a common interest with.

3) Read this AdWeek feature and interview on the Nike London advert. How did the advert use technical codes (camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing etc.) to help create narratives that could connect with the audience?

'For the basketball scene, we used a 360° camera that allowed us to reframe the way we wanted in post and create some interesting distortions. It was convenient to represent how crowded is the place where he plays. For the dunk, we used three cameras to create a stereoscopic move. It was convenient to convey the feeling of hardship with all those balls around.' This shows how they used different angles and shots in order to capture the ambience of the setting and represent it on camera in a way that felt realistic.

4) What representation of London does the advert offer?

The advert provides an accurate, realistic representation of London as it shows different elements of life in London and each part of the advert is thought through carefully to make the scenes link to eachother while maintaining their relevance to how London is in real life. London is also represented as a diverse city as a number of people from different backgrounds are shown and includes people of different ages.

5) Why might this advert appeal to an audience?

This advert appeals to audiences because it is realistic, therefore making it relatable to a variety of different people who may be able to identity with one or more actor. Audiences may also like the fact that it is a true representation of London and represents them in a positive light.

Binary Oppositions and Ideology

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

-working class vs middle/upper class
-open country vs closed country
-racism vs anti racism
-disabled vs disabled
-civilians vs politicians
-freedom vs restriction

2) What ideologies are on display in this clip?

In this clip we see the ideology that the working class are at a disadvantage and are worse off compared to middle/upper class as the rich have more power where as the working class face more restrictions and are inferior to those that are more wealthy.

Ideology and your own choice of clip

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

-hero vs villain

-powerful vs weak

-supernatural vs human 

-safety vs danger

-security vs fear

2) What ideologies are on display in your clip?

There is the ideology of good and evil as there are a group of people (heroes) who have to protect and save the civilians from the villains, another ideology shown in the clip is the binary opposition of safety vs danger.

Representation Theory - David Gauntlett

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.

Collective identity is primarily based around a group (collection) of individuals who share a similar set of traditions and values and generally have a similar understanding of their surroundings. Groups may also share similar common interests and experiences.

2) Complete the task on the factsheet (page 1) - write a list of as many things as you can that represent Britain. What do they have in common? Have you represented the whole of Britain or just one aspect/viewpoint?

-The Queen / Royal family
-Red telephone/post box
-Fish and chips
-Union Jack flag
-Big Ben
-London eye
-Buckingham palace

3) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

It offers a nostalgic representation of Britain as they are from a certain time period meaning they are not used or known by children / the youth of todays society, so people who used to have these toys feel a sense of nostalgia as they remind them of the past and represent how things have changed over the years.

4) How has new technology changed collective identity?

New technology has allowed people to interact with people from all over the world and actively engage with the content of the culture around them and then go on to use it as resources for their own cultural productions. It also offers passive audiences the opportunity to voice their own opinions on platforms such as YouTube.

5) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity?

'identity is complicated and everyone; thinks they have got one'

6) What does Gauntlett suggest about creativity and identity?

Gauntlett argues that there is a shift from a ‘sit-back-and-be-told culture’ to a ‘making and-doing culture’, and that harnessing creativity in both the internet and in other everyday creative activities will play a role in changing how a collective identity is created.

7) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

The key aspect of this group is the fact that the collective identity created is one which has no national barriers to the understanding of the cultural identity created. The creation of this group conforms to the following ‘repeated’ view from Henry Jenkins: ‘fan genres grew out of openings or excesses within the text that were built on and stretched, and that it was not as if fans and texts were autonomous from each another; fans created their own, new texts, but elements within the originating text defined, to some degree, what they could do’.

Representing ourselves

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

Who are you? - we are all involved in constructing an image to communicate our identity, there is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be.

I think, therefore I am - In the past our identity was based around factors such as class, religion, gender and the predetermined roles - we were part of a number of collectives and self-image was based on the success we had at meeting the expectations.

The rise of the individual - In the 20th century, people began defining themselves as individuals, and so wanted to express their ‘difference’ and ‘uniqueness’, they were empowered by being encouraged to ‘be themselves’.

From citizen to consumer - The consumer boom was based on convincing people that it was no longer enough simply to buy what you needed to survive, it was about creating desires.

Branding and lifestyle - Branding is the association of a ‘personality’ with a product, for example advertisers sell the personality rather than the product, so that people will choose products that match their own self-image.

Who will we be? - Consumers have control over the way they represent themselves across different social networking sites.

2) List five brands you are happy to be associated with and explain how they reflect your sense of identity.

3) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

i agree as in todays society people are more interested at the way something looks or appears rather than the quality or contents of something. People typically prioritise the exterior rather than what something actually represents.

4) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

This theory explores the idea of hyperreality which is when the media creates and idealised representation of reality which causes us to feel bad when our own lives dont match up to the fake reality that is portrayed across different platforms.

5) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are?

No, because although i use different social media platforms i dont often post anything myself but when i do it is a fairly accurate representation of myself.
6) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?

I think it is an effective way for brands to advertise and sell their products and also benefits the consumer as it offers them something that they will like, however can be an invasion of privacy as some people may not be comfortable with their data to be so easily accessed.

Feminist Theory

Media Magazine reading

1) What are the two texts the article focuses on?

Pan Am and Beyonce

2) What examples are provided from the two texts of the 'male gaze' (Mulvey)?

Beyonce - claims to be an 'independent' woman but gives into the male gaze by exposing herself and presenting herself as a 'sex object' on camera.

Pan Am - appeals to the male gaze as it heavily focuses on womens appearance and how they should in order to be considered attractive

3) Do texts such as these show there is no longer a need for feminism or are they simply sexism in a different form?


They show that there is still a need for feminism as women are still being objectified and are still expected to look a certain way in order to be accepted by society and the idea that they are there to please men still exists.

4) Choose three words/phrases from the glossary of the article and write their definitions on your blog.

Male Gaze – The gaze referring to Laura Mulvey’s seminal article ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ which argues that main stream Hollywood films subject female characters to the ‘male gaze’ of the camera, fragmenting and objectifying their bodies.

Post-feminism – An ideology in culture and society that society is somehow past needing feminism and that the attitudes and arguments of feminism are no longer needed.

Third wave feminism – Was a movement that redefined and encouraged women to be dominant and sexually assertive.

Music video analysis

1) How might this video contribute to Butler’s idea that gender roles are a ‘performance’?

It reinforces the beliefs in society that women should dress and behave in a manner to please men by being a good housewife.

2) Does this video reinforce or challenge the view that women should perform certain roles in society?

It challenges this idea as the video is made to mock this view as the lyrics and over exaggerated performance suggest that even if you conform to all the expectations in society it doesnt define how attractive you are.

3) Would McRobbie view Beyonce as an empowering role model for women? Why?

I think she would view her as empowering as the video mocks and challenges the view that women should perform certain roles in society shows women that they do not have to conform to these expectations.

4) What are your OWN views on this debate – does Beyonce empower women or reinforce the traditional ‘male gaze’ (Mulvey)?

I think that Beyonce empowers women as she uses her fame and platform to inspire others and encourage them to not accept societies expectations and shows how they are unrealistic and are not valid in the real world.