Ideology: further reading and tasks

MM52
Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films
The upper class are the dominant figures in society. This means that they control ideas and resources as they have more power. The leading authoritative figure is self-centered and believes in his own supremacy rather than supporting the public. 

What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?
They suggest that the media does in fact have the power to control and influence beliefs as certain content can have a negative effect on us, which we are unaware of. In the Hunger Games the Capitol use propaganda and also ''broadcast execution to embed fear without anyone realising.''
Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

1. Money = happiness
2. Consumer goods= fulfillment
3. Marriage/ Family/Children = happiness
4. Obedience/Work=fulfillment

What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?
He suggests that those with power are able to dominate ideology in society as they are able to express ideas that relate to or support them, which appears valid and reliable to the rest of society. They therefore ''maintain control through consent'' as people will believe in what the ''elite social group'' wants them to believe. 

What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?
He suggests that much like consumerism, ideology '' dominates and drives society''. In terms of consumerism we believe that the more goods we consume the happier we are. However the actual group that benefit from such actions are the elite upper class groups e.g the manufacturers and owners. Similarly to ideology we believe that some ideas are true/reliable, when in fact they were just created for the benefit of the upper class.Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite?
I agree with the idea behind the film as it is still relevant in today's society. We are constantly being controlled by the media in different forms, and we are still unaware of the effects it could have on our opinions and morals. The idea that media is ''run in the interests of the economic elites'' suggests that we are being controlled by those who are economically superior to us, which therefore confirms that we are in fact 
living in a capitalist society, where the ''big corporations'' are the leaders. In the film the character of George Nada sees hidden messages within billboards. Similarly in TV shows, newspapers and other forms of media we are somehow ''tricked'' into believing that the message in front of us is the real representation, when in fact there is always a hidden meaning or ''elite'' figure that benefits greatly from our credulity. The article suggests that the process in which we believe these ideas is actually one of the reasons why we understand ideology- ''we want and desire to be controlled''- with the absence of these false ideas in media we would not understand certain messages and judge whether or not they are reliable.