This essay will be focusing on three academic sources, specifically the theories of Karl Marx, Louis Althusser and John Hill. Establishing how Marxism and ideology can be applied to film and media. Starting with Karl Marx.
Karl Marx was a German philosopher and ideologist who believed that by the proletariats wanting to obtain power and the bourgeoisie wanting to retain what they already have, has subsequently caused conflict within society. He argued that the working class has power within society and that as a society, we would run better if capitalism were to be abolished. This is due to capitalism functioning on alienating the working class.
The ruling ideas are nothing more than the ideal expression of the dominant materials relations, the dominant material relations grasped as ideas hence of the relations which make the one class the ruling one, therefore the ideas of its dominance. (Marx, 2009:150)
The terminology false consciousness can be used when referring within Marx’s work. False consciousness is in which societies false understanding of how the world works. That we as a society believe that because said person has made this item, that they will receive the maximum for their labour. When in reality they receive the minimum as the ruling classes profit from their labour. This ideology supports Marx’s beliefs that capitalism unfair, as it segregates and deprives the working class. Going further to argue that the system will soon collapse, as the working class will soon cease to exist due to the high costs and so the ruling classes will lose their labour, therefore failing.
This can be seen throughout modern day media as part of the ideological arena, which is aimed at the working classes and manipulated through the interests of the ruling classes. Furthermore, being pushed through false consciousness. The working class will buy said item as they believe it will bring them more happiness, therefore continuing the reproduction of the status quo. I.e. A phone company who advertise actors who are now living happier lives because they now own this product.
Secondly, Louis Althusser, a French marxist philosopher who expands more on Marx’s ideologies. He argued that society is structured as if we are not individuals and so we can not make our own decisions. Althusser argues that we as a society are structured to become subjects of everything, which prevents the way we perceive our economy and society as a whole. This being referred to as a Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA), which influences the way we think and feel. An ISA refers to the following ;
Family,
Educations,
Religion,
The legal system,
Politics,
The trade unions,
Culture,
Communications.
Althusser argues that these are made to make us feel as if these are not normal and that we as a society do not question it, that being societies false consciousness. Despite suggesting this during his earlier work, he then later suggests that education is not to in fact provide our children with knowledge, but to instead prepare our children for their soon-to-be roles within our capitalist society.
What do children learn at school? They go varying distances in their studies, but at any rate they learn to read, to write and to add – i.e. a number of techniques, and a number of other things as well, including elements (which may be rudimentary or on the contrary thoroughgoing) of ‘scientific’ or ‘literary’ culture, which are directly useful in the different jobs in production (one instruction for manual works, another technicians, a third for engineers, a final one for higher management etc.). Thus they learn ‘know-how’. (Althusser 2001:34)
Having coincide with Marx’s ideologies that the ruling classes want to maintain power over the working class, therefore those with a higher authority than the working class are teaching children the basic needs to then provide for them in the future. Suggesting that we a society are conditioned into a capitalist regime of being alienated.
Thirdly, John Hill. An academic who has studied and critiqued the work of Ken Loach, and his association within the socialist movement and his Marxist narrative within his work. Hill discusses the work of Loach as;
The most significant British film makers of the last 50 years. In a career that began at the BBC in the 1963, Loach has produced a substantial body of work-encompassing feature films, television dramas and documentaries – characterised by a sustained critique of prevailing political institutional and social arrangements under late capitalism and the detrimental consequences these have had on the vulnerable member of society. (Hill, 2011:473)
Loach often displays a Marxist narrative throughout his work, the most recent is his critically acclaimed film, I, Daniel Blake, which is a modern day commentary that follows the Marx’s ideology. The lead protagonist has been written off work due to suffering from a heart-attack and is displayed struggling to get the income support that he’s entitled to. Loach strategically went about directing the film to demonstrate the struggle of which the working class are subjected to, and how they are being neglected by the ruling state. Thus, falling into Marx’s theory of which the working class are being neglected by the ruling class, as to this day, they have no power or authority and are not able to receive what they’re entitled to.
To conclude, the theory produced by Marx and then further extended by Althusser is still often used and discussed within today’s media. It is very much still applicable within today’s society. Just as Althusser argues, we the audience often have a false consciousness, especially while watching either television shows or films. These often abided by the ideology that the working class are being alienated by the ruling class. We as a society regularly go about our day-to-day lives often unaware of the false consciousness that is being shown to us from a young age.
Continuing this essay further, we will specifically be focusing on theories such a self-surveillance and governmentality. Understanding how we as a society are conditioned to behave, using the theories from three academic sources; Jeremy Bentham, Michel Foucault, and Brenda Weber. Firstly, starting with the theories of Jeremy Bentham.
Bentham was a English theorist who was born in 1748. He believed human beings are conditioned to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Furthermore, believing that “good” and “bad: are defined by what is pleasurable and painful.
Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand the standard of right and wrong, on the other the chain of causes and effect, are fastened to their throne. They govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every effort we can make to throw off our subjection, will serve but to demonstrate and confirm it. (Betham 1:1789)
If society believed that every action made by ourselves, caused a reaction made by others, our prevailing principle would be not to act in a way that would result in negativity towards ourselves or others. One could argue that we would not commit offences that would cause pain. To ensure as a society we achieve desirable behaviour and deter negative and unwanted behaviour, society would impose strict laws to abide by. However that would not be part of the solution, as Bentham believed the greatest solution would be legislation, in which laws would be considered as a collective. Which would secure the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people and minimise unwanted behaviour.
Bentham first discussed the use of The Panopticon when regarding modern day government and moderated surveillance. The Panopticon is in which a viewing tower placed in the middle of prisons which has the inmates cells surrounding the viewing tower. This would be used instead of violence as a punishment, as the inmates would not know when they were being observed due to them not being able to see. Therefore they are conditioned to behave, being referred to as self-surveillance. The lack of violence used as a punishment plays into Bentham’s idea that society would work better if we treat those how we want to be treated, rather than strict capital punishment. This theory can be applied within society today, an example being within modern day education. The teacher watches their students and the students behave. Applying the fear of being watched, therefore behaving to our societies standards.
Michel Foucault was a French philosopher born in 1926 who discussed the ideologies of the producing of the truth. Foucault argued that during the middle ages’ punishment was an overall spectacle for members of society. The introduction of the 18th century saw change to the systematic control over individual members of society. That specifically within the Mettray prison colony, which displayed the most extreme violence against the inmates. He discusses as to why our western society went from torturing and publicly humiliating other members of society, to a system that sentences them to prison. Foucault began to expand further on Bentham's theory of the Panopticon, referring to it as a Carceral Archipelago which translates to prison consisting of a series of islands.
Foucault mentions the prison, the carceral system and the penitentiary. Heavily focusing on the carceral system, referring to the system as “carceral city” due to the prison being comparable to the society, this is due to the power it has and how it shapes our day-to-day lives. Foucault also mentions the idea of a continuum which consists of different levels, specifically in severity, which is similar to a ranking that is established through the process of observation. An example of this within our modern day media would be Big Brother. Contestants are entered into a house where they are watched around the clock, and are not aware of when they are being watched. They are conditioned into behaving and fulfilling tasks, resulting in most acting a certain way. Otherwise face punishments such as being excluded from celebrations, less food etc. The game show finishes with the contestant that has usually abided the most to the rules given to them.
Finally, Brenda Weber. Weber suggests that some reality television programmes, specifically those of makeover shows, cultivate a self-monitoring and self-disciplining gaze as a form of governmentality. Governmentality being another concept developed by Foucault, which suggests the process through which we as individuals are beyond the government, so much so that we shape our own conduct. Whereas within television shows like these, it is a technique which is used to shame. Weber argues; “Most makeover shows spend precious textual time on an elongated before-moment that displays the shameful pre-made-over body and demonstrates why a makeover is not only desirable but necessary.” (Weber 82:2004)
This can be used within modern day media with the likes of television shows such as Snog, Marry, Avoid in which an applicant goes on the show to essentially be scrutinised by the host, which is referred to as The Pod which stands for Personal Overhaul Device, and the general public. The applicant usually dresses outlandishly, has vibrant makeup and has the attitude that they are not too interested in what other members of society have to say about their look.The applicant can often be seen to be standing in what looks like a studio with The Pod watching them, frequently zooming in and out to analyse them. The Pod can be heard making snide remarks in the attempt to become comical and frequently puts the applicant down for defending themselves. The audience then watch members of the public belittle and scrutinise the applicant before The Pod changes their current look to one, what some may argue, as more normal and presentable when regarding societies standards.
To conclude, both Bentham and Foucault discuss how we as a society are conditioned to behave ourselves through self-surveillance and governmentality. Society often watch television shows and use other forms of media that abide by these theories as we are conditioned to follow orders given to us by the ruling classes.