Marx was a think and a doer, The woman on the picture is seen as an object. Marx challenges this in his theories and tackles the origins of where this ideology came from.
Aims of the lecture:
- to introduce a critical definition of ideology
- to introduce some of the basic principles of Marxist philosophy
- to explain the extent to which media constitutes us as subjects
- to introduce 'culture jamming' and the idea of design activism
Marxism is:
a
political manifesto, leading to socialism, communism and the twentieth century
conflicts between capital and
labour
a philosophical approach to the social
sciences, which focuses on the role of society in determining human
behaviour,
based on concept of dialectical materialism
Marxist quote - often misinterpreted that thinking about stuff isn't important and that making and doing is everything
Praxis - the unification of thought and action.
Marxism is a political manifesto (1888) leading socialism, communism and 20th century conflicts
Politics - out of this came Marx philosophies so Marxism became a philosophical method as well.
Praxis - philosophy realised in a political movement
What is Capitalism? - the society we live in (in the west)
the ability to make profit is held by the few
the many work and make money for the few
Everything is bought and sold on a market - controlled by money
Society and Markets create a competition that forces us to compete.
Communist Evolution
- early stage of primitive society - cooperated - shared everything - everything was free - if anybody was greedy the society was harmed.
- slave society - people having power over someone else
- 'The Bourgeoisie' people who own the ability to raise money.
Marx's concept of Base and Superstructure - (Marx was a materialistic philosopher)
BASE
forces of production - materials, tools, workers, skills etc
relations of production - employer, employee, class, master/slave etc
SUPERSTRUCTURE
social institutions - legal, political, cultural
forms of consciousness - ideology
(all traced back to racial and gender bias and political attitudes)
base - determines content and form of - superstructure - reflects form of legitimises - baseMarxism is a political manifesto (1888) leading socialism, communism and 20th century conflicts
Politics - out of this came Marx philosophies so Marxism became a philosophical method as well.
Praxis - philosophy realised in a political movement
What is Capitalism? - the society we live in (in the west)
the ability to make profit is held by the few
the many work and make money for the few
Everything is bought and sold on a market - controlled by money
Society and Markets create a competition that forces us to compete.
Communist Evolution
- early stage of primitive society - cooperated - shared everything - everything was free - if anybody was greedy the society was harmed.
- slave society - people having power over someone else
- 'The Bourgeoisie' people who own the ability to raise money.
Marx's concept of Base and Superstructure - (Marx was a materialistic philosopher)
BASE
forces of production - materials, tools, workers, skills etc
relations of production - employer, employee, class, master/slave etc
SUPERSTRUCTURE
social institutions - legal, political, cultural
forms of consciousness - ideology
(all traced back to racial and gender bias and political attitudes)
Education system
- teacher tells the student what to do and they learn
- boss tell a worker to work a certain way or work harder and we associate this with being educated.
Society based superstructure
Base - relations of production - means of production
Superstructure - religion - politics - mass media - family - education
Monogamous Marriage - so people can pass their possessions, skills, knowledge on - primitive society, only the women knew who their children were.
Marx's quote (1857)
base determines superstructures- determines how we think about our lives.
social infrastructure determines and shapes how we act, think and behave.
(diagram of society)
Aristocracy (Queen) doesn't rule the country, doesn't run anything.
Bourgeoisie - controlling the workers - getting the state to kill them or lock them up - or using religion, making them believe you can be good and poor all your life and be contented with yourself and when you die you will be rewarded in heaven.
IDEOLOGY
1. system of ideas or beliefs (e.g. beliefs of a political party)
2. masking, distortion, or selection of ideas, to reinforce power relationships, through creation of 'false consciousness'.
We don't understand that in certain ways we are exploited, if we did then we would resist and say no.
(Quote from Marx)
Ideology emerges from political class and puts over their views to the workers who believe it or they will be seen as out of order and be punished.
Art as Ideology
Who buys art? (kings and Queens and people of wealth(the few)) they dictate the art - so people see this and think thats how it should be and this shapes the art world and culture. Moreover it limits it.
Example: Stalin picture with children
Althusser (1970) post marxist
Attitudes and thinkings are sculpted materially by art.
The nude example
- women painted by men - men don't paint men as the are seen(excused) as offensive and indecent
- women aren't allowed to paint or make art
- women are justified in their nudity from claims that they are the beautiful/fairer sex
The Media as Ideology State Apparatus
- education is about training people to be in society.
Ideology in the Media
The Sun newspaper - backed Labour party whilst Tony Blair was leader - then the Tories came to power - Now they back them - al from one mans doing and decision.
Upperclass papers - written differently - upperclass sophistication - given themselves some sort of national heritage.
Lower class - ads on the front page - women being objectified - topics like football and trash television, soap opera - dumbed down - working class talk about lower class topics because they are fed them in lower class papers making them feel as though this is what they should be interested in - shaping them - keeping them in line.
newspapers have different snap judgements on the same topic - the London riots
T.V. Ideology (BBC news video)
Althusser's 'problematic
Answering questions even when they're not being asked
Wonder Bra - patriarchal ideology - using the stereotypes and gender bias to the products advantage
Williamson's - decoding advertisements
we are identified by what we consume - we are made poorer by buying and we make people rich by consuming and working to earn more money in order to consume.
Commodity Fetishism (Marx, Capitol Vol1)
Trainers are cool - wearing them makes you cool
Lynx smells good - using it makes you more desirable to women
Stilettos are sexy - wearing them makes you more appealing to men
Sexual fetish for stilettos - don't need the act of sex, the act takes on a third party in the form of the product.
Garbage of New York City - rubbish found on the streets of New York and packaged nicely and branded and then sold - novelty - collectable - desirable because of the commodities fetishism.
Possession - 7% of our population own 84% of our wealth
(facts)
F. Fukuyama (1992) 'The End of History)
JJ. Charlesworth (2002) 'Twin Towers: The Spectacular Disappearance of Art and Politics)
Imaterial Labour (Hardt and Negri) - not tangible - e.g. teaching - not making something
(Kinnoch quote)
Gandhi "We judge societies on how they treat their weakest members"
Adbusters and Culture Jamming - billboard - change one in some way (ESSO)
lecture was cut short :(
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