David Buckingham (2008)
He argues that identity is complicated and complex
He argues that identity is complicated and complex
Antonio Gramsci - Hegemony(See also Acland below)
Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci (1881-1937). He emphasised that the control of society by one group or one set of political ideas was not necessarily achieved by force or control of arms, but by persuasion and ‘consent’ – the basis of democracy. The rulers manage to convince the mass of the population that they are ‘better off’ accepting current government policies. Maintaining hegemonic control is thus a process of constantly reinforcing the message and developing the argument.
The concept of hegemony allows for substantial change in ideas over time, even though the
same groups remain in power. These groups constantly adjust their ideas and find new ways
to gain the consent of those they dominate.
In media terms the Mass Media both perpetuate cultural hegemony and are a cultural hegemony in themselves in that a relatively small number of big companies, e.g. News
Corp., The BBC, Time Warner, Sony etc., control most of the world’s media, and this in turn allows them to control most of what we see, hear and know. This, in turn, allows them to control what we think, selecting only ideas that serve its interests, i.e. bourgeois capitalism. This is known as a ‘Top Down’ model of dominant ideologies.
David Buckingham
“A focus on identity requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life, and their consequences for both individuals and for social groups”
Mikhail Bakhtin
The Russian philosopher Bakhtin believed that individual people cannot be finalized, completely understood, known or labeled. He saw identity as the unfinalised self meaning a person is never fully revealed or known.
This ties in with the idea that identity is a fluid concept, a life-long project that is never complete.
Stan Cohen
David Gauntlett
Michel Foucault (French thinker 1926-1984)
For Foucault, people do not have a 'real' identity within themselves; that's just a way of talking about the self -- a discourse. An 'identity' is communicated to others in your interactions with them, but this is not a fixed thing within a person. It is a shifting, temporary construction.
Power is something which can be used and deployed by particular people in specific situations, which itself will produce other reactions and resistances; and isn't tied to specific groups or identities.
Power outcomes are not inevitable and can be resisted.
(The power in our instance would be MASS MEDIA)
Henry Jenkins - Participatory Culture
He celebrates these kinds of 'participatory' media and argues that a 'participatory culture' is one in which members believe their contributions matter, and feel some degree of social connection with one another. Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. Links to the idea that social media can empower young people and bring about change.
Hebdige
(1979)
Hebidge
studied British youth subcultures in the late 1970s. Hebdige argues
that youth subcultures are a way for young people to express their
opposition to society, and to challenge hegemony. This is primarily expressed through style. In this context you may consider how the
working class youths’ behaviour is a response to their position in society
(e.g. broken Britain, failure of the penal system, consider Plan B - youths let down by government - fuel the fire).
Hebidge
also argues that representations of young people are quite limited showing them
as either fun or trouble. Again this
suggests media representations of young people do not really relate to reality.
Acland
(1995)
Acland
argues that media representations of delinquent youths actually reinforce hegemony. They do this by constructing an idea of
‘normal’ adult and youth behaviour, and contrasting it with deviant youth
behaviour which is shown to be unacceptable.
Acland
also claims that media representations of young people out of control allows
the state to have more control of them (e.g. media reports about delinquent
youths led to ASBOs). This is something
Acland calls the ‘ideology of protection’ – the idea that young people
need constant surveillance and monitoring.
This happens because youth is the time when young people learn about
social roles and values, and allows the state to make sure they conform to
hegemonic values.
