The Alternative Paradigm Marxist Theories

The Alternative Paradigm The alternative Paradigm rest on a different view of society That which does not accept the liberal capitalist order as inevitable or the ideal Nor does it accept the rational-calculative, utilitarian model of social life adequate or desirable Or the commercial model as the best way to run the media

The Alternative Paradigm Two of the critical approaches according to Curran et al were Marxist these were: Political economy perspective Culturalist perspective The third Structuralism borrowed from Marxism but was more indebted to Semiotics and Lacan’s Psychoanalytic theory

The Alternative Paradigm Marxist theory marked by depiction of history as a struggle between contending classes over resources necessary for the development of society Capitalism and advanced capitalism product of the power of the capitalist class’s exercise of power over the subordinated classes Power of the capitalist class resides in its ownership of economic resources Class domination characteristic of capitalist societies

The Alternative Paradigm Marxist Theorist criticized established views Power is central to Marxist understanding of mass Media are seen as instruments of control of the ruling classes

The Alternative Paradigm Golding, “inegalitarian societies continue to reproduce a social order which is not merely tolerated by those receiving least in the distribution of material and cultural rewards, but which also receives their loyalty and acclaim”.

Marxist Theories To quote Marx: “The class that owns the means of production has control over the means of mental production so that, thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it.” (German Ideology)

Marxist Theories Thus Marxist theories posit a direct relationship between economic ownership and the dissemination of messages This can be supported by nature of concentration of media ownership

The Alternative Paradigm The place of ideology in explanation of social reproduction is given different levels of importance among Marxist thinkers Marxism has provided a range of responses to the issues of power and its consequences for institutions, culture, class configuration, individuals and so on Thus continuously generating issues for debate

The Alternative Paradigm Culturalist perspective focuses on examination of media messages, analyzing in detail how the media becomes part of the dialectical process of producing ‘consent’, shaping consensus while reflecting it

The Alternative Paradigm This approach has been guided by two central questions: How does the ideological process work? How is the ideological to be conceived in relation to other social practices within a social formation?

Marxist Theories The Frankfurt School: So mass media as a threat to the value of the artistic genius of western civilization Also a vulgar dehumanization and slavery to consumerism And tend to degenerate into totalitarian facism Marked by Marxist cultural humanism

Marxist Theories While accepting bourgeois culture as elitist, the artistic dimension was a source if critical, subversive opposition to the dehumanizing exploitation of advanced capitalism Critical artistic voice silenced With the extension of the market to the cultural sphere and the mass production of culture

Marxist Theories Frankfurt School coined the pejorative term the ‘culture industries’ to describe the commercial harnessing of artistic talent to the goals of capitalist accumulation Centralized control of human motivation by the dominant capitalist class Sentimental escapism prevented the American media prevented deeper artistic insight and a critical evaluation of culture

Marxist Theories Marcuse held that American media reflected a self justifying consumerism of capitalism

The Alternative Paradigm Political –Economic view holds economic practices of late capitalism underwrite all forms of social life including mass communication And mass media themselves are directly involved in economic practices: As an industry producing cultural commodities

The Alternative Paradigm Producing services for major power blocks by selling information and its accompanying hardware And selling audiences to advertisers Thus media are intricately part of ongoing capitalism And thus directly involved in practices of class domination

The Alternative Paradigm “the production of ideology cannot be separated or adequately understood without grasping economic dynamics of media production and the determination they exert”.

Marxist Theories The political Economic theory focuses on the economic structure of the media rather than its ideological content The ideological content is presumed on the basis of it economic base Research focuses on empirical analysis of the structure of ownership and control and operations of media markets Media is seen as part of the economic system but with close links with the political system The economic interests for profit of owners are paramount

Marxist Theories Such a structure results in: Reduced independence of the media Concentration on the largest markets Neglect of small and poor sections of potential audiences

Marxist Theories The main strength of this theory is its ability to make testable propositions about market determinations Centers on media activity as an economic process leading to the commodity One view of this theory sees audience as commodity who are delivered to advertisers and shape the behavior of media publics in certain distinctive ways

Marxist Theories Commercial media sell to their clients is a more or less guaranteed number of potential customers according to a market relevant profile

Marxist Theories Relevance of this theory has increased due to the following trends; Growth of media concentration Growing global information economy Decline of public sector mass media Growing problems of information inequality

Marxist Theories The main features of this theory are: Economic control and logic determinant Media tends towards concentration Global integration of media develops Content and audience commodified Diversity decreases Opposition and alternative voices become marginalized Public interest is subordinated to private interest

Mass In Mass Communication Revisionist version concentrated more on ideas rather than material structures Emphasized the ideological effects of mass media in reproducing exploitative relationships Althusser coined the phrase ‘ideological state apparatus’ in comparison with ‘repressive state apparatus’

Marxist Theories The hegemony theory also concentrates on ideology Greater freedom of ideology from the economic base is emphasized The relationship between capitalist and workers are repeatedly legitimized by the media In an attempt to garner the voluntary consent of the working class

Marxist Theories Main Features of Capitalist Theory of Mass Media: Mass Media are owned by the bourgeois class Media are operated in their class interest Media promote working class ‘false consciousness’ Media disseminate an ideology sup-portive of the established order Media access is effectively deniwed to political opposition