Mass Media and Ideology

‘IDEOLOGY’STARTER:‘How we as individuals

understand the world in which we live. This understanding

involves an interaction between our individual

psychology and the social structures that surround us.’ ...media awareness

‘The knowledge or beliefs developed by human

societies as part of their cultural adaptation.’ University of Oregan

‘A set of beliefs and goals of a social or political group that explain or justify the group's

decisions and behaviour.’ History Central

‘A system of ideas, principles, and values that

characterize the belief system of a community.’

Arkarcheology

STARTER TASK: Decide which one of these you think is correct and why. Then write down your own definition of ‘IDEOLOGY. Then create your own

definition

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to explain what ideology is in the media.

Students will be able to outline how influential ideology is within the media to the general public.

Students will be able to use sociological theory to discuss how and why ideologies are transmitted through mass media.

THE IDEOLOGIES OF DIFFERENT GROUPS:

TASK: Make a list of all of the ideologies that you can think of.

•An ideology is a set of beliefs about the world.•Virtually any belief system is described with a word ending in -ism or -itye.g. Christianity, Marxism.•The word is usually used to describe the beliefs of a powerful and dominant sector of society.

THE IDEOLOGIES OF DIFFERENT GROUPS:

TASK: In pairs read through the ideology of Hitler then answer the following: It is evident that we can be controlled through the use of power. An authority figure will tell

us what to do and we obey. Why do you think this is?

Is it because

the person in power s TELLING us to do

it?

OR...Is it because we

have bought into

the IDEOLOGY

of it?

IDEOLOGY TRANSMISSION:

TASK: List some ways in which ideologies are transmitted to the general public.

We can be more easily influenced and controlled through the use of ideology

than through direct imposition of power. If we believe something to be correct and just we are capable of almost any act of

violence in defence of our beliefs.

THE IDEOLOGIES OF DIFFERENT GROUPS:

Think-Pair Share Task: What kind of ideology does this advert transmit. Write a list so you can feedback your ideas.

One of the best ways of passing on ideas is through the use of the media: propaganda and advertising are examples of this in daily action. Most media productions offer us a set of values, consciously or unconsciously that we can accept or reject.

An ideologue is someone who pushes an ideology in their workIt is essential that you have some knowledge of and can refer to such people in your essays.

WALT DISNEY THE IDEOLOGUE

TASK: I’d like you to watch this part of a Disney film and note down any features of ideology that may be included within it, there are some ‘clues’ on the board. Then discuss in your groups and feedback.

Did anything you come up with feature in this

clip?

Walt Disney is seen as an

ideologue. He portrays an

image of family and American

values that many find too

conservative and Right-wing for

their taste.

All of you ask yourselves the question:

What if you weren’t allowed to know what we’ve learnt today?

One of you will start to speak about the topic covered and your opinion on it for just one minute!

PLENARY-Just a Minute

Listen to the lyrics. What might The Temptations be singing

about? What ideology may be being sung about?

STARTER: What’s being said?

IDEOLOGY AND MASS MEDIA:Why are some people worried?

TASK: Read through your Marxist viewpoint handout and make a mind map of the MOST RELEVANT and INTERESTING points on their view of the relationship between mass media and ideology.

MARXISTS have a theory.......

MARXISM AND THE IDEOLOGY OF THE MEDIA

TASK: I want you to answer the questions above in your own paragraph.

The concern with the ideology of the media that is expressed by many, especially Marxist theoreticians such as Greg Philo and the Glasgow Media group is that:

•Do you agree that . . . the effect of the media is one of long term exposure to certain perspectives; that they are accepted without question and create an unquestioned reality for observers? Why/ why not? Explain yourself.•What is the effect of the media creating a moral climate in which certain views and perspectives are acceptable (sexism and racism in the 1960s?) and unquestioned (inequality and anti-disability in the 1990s?) on people in society?•Globalization is a case in point, where developing countries receive a moral philosophy from Western media productions which is at variance with the belief and religion of the country which views the productions. Islamic countries will be exposed to a view of the role of women in US culture which they would deem inappropriate. This could be two-edged for that society.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IDEOLOGY AND PROPEGANDA

Propaganda is different from ideology in that it uses deliberate techniques of persuasion to create

and influence belief. The propagandist works on the basis of

developing and changing behaviours and political ideals by taking as a starting point already

commonly held beliefs.

PROPEGANDA

In time of war, all governments use propaganda; they target their own

people as well as the enemy for

propaganda.

What am I showing you?

PROPEGANDA

Think about war - There is a question to which the reality of war can be shaped to make it

acceptable and possible.

If people really understood the impact of war, would they

welcome it so enthusiastically? Why?

Most images of war are enthusiastically censored by

the government so that people are shielded from the worst of

what actually happens.

PLENARY

IDEOLOGY could be explained as ‘A system of ideas, principles, and values that characterize the belief system of a

community.’ T

PLENARY

People did what Hitler told them to do because he was the person in power and

told them to do it rather than them buying into the ideology of what he was saying.F

PLENARY

One of the best ways of passing on ideology is through

the use of the media: propaganda and advertising are examples of this in daily

action.T

PLENARY

An ideologue is someone who rules a countryF

PLENARY

Walt Disney is seen as an ideologue who conveyed communist type views to the

world through his films.F

PLENARY

Walt Disney is seen as an ideologue who conveyed communist type views to the

world through his films.F

PLENARY

The classic Marxist theory approach to the media is fixed on the basic assumption that themedia are inextricably linked to the economic base of society (capitalism).

T

PLENARY

From the Marxist viewpoint The media reinforces the ideologicalmessages of those in power. The views of this group are given a privileged position over other viewpoints.

T

PLENARY

Propaganda is the same as ideology in that it uses subtle messages to create and influence belief.F