TV: Capital - Marxism and Hegemony
Task 2: Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?
Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth.
2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?
The Apprentice is a prolonged job interview where contestants compete against each other to be chosen for a job working for the entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar. The fact that Sugar has all the power reinforces the ‘superior’ position of the capitalist elite. 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.
3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)
An example of this is found in Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003: BBC) when, despite the hardship and economic deprivation experienced by Del and his family, being working class offers a
range of positive experiences.
News stories focussing on ‘feral youth’/hoodies etc.The children from poorer backgrounds are shown to be threats to the middle class. These children are assumed to be products of poor backgrounds but their poverty is rarely considered as a causal factor to their behaviour. The class itself is blamed without identifying that the class is a by-product of the capitalist
economic structure.
2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
I believe BBC promotes both left and right wing ideology and try to keep it fair.
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?
Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth.
2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?
The Apprentice is a prolonged job interview where contestants compete against each other to be chosen for a job working for the entrepreneur Lord Alan Sugar. The fact that Sugar has all the power reinforces the ‘superior’ position of the capitalist elite. 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.
3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)
An example of this is found in Only Fools and Horses (1981-2003: BBC) when, despite the hardship and economic deprivation experienced by Del and his family, being working class offers a
range of positive experiences.
News stories focussing on ‘feral youth’/hoodies etc.The children from poorer backgrounds are shown to be threats to the middle class. These children are assumed to be products of poor backgrounds but their poverty is rarely considered as a causal factor to their behaviour. The class itself is blamed without identifying that the class is a by-product of the capitalist
economic structure.
Now try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.
1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?
The Daily Mail have suggested very explicitly that in broadcasting the drama the BBC has broken its own impartiality guidelines, and implicitly gave support to the Labour Party just two and a half months before the 2015 General Election
The Daily Mail have suggested very explicitly that in broadcasting the drama the BBC has broken its own impartiality guidelines, and implicitly gave support to the Labour Party just two and a half months before the 2015 General Election
2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?
Mocks all the characters that are from the right wing ideology
3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?
The fact that casual vacancy was aired a few months before the general election allowing them to put down the Torys and bring about bias and stereotypes towards the conservatives which would affect the votes and opinion of the viewer.
3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?
The fact that casual vacancy was aired a few months before the general election allowing them to put down the Torys and bring about bias and stereotypes towards the conservatives which would affect the votes and opinion of the viewer.
4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?
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