Marxism And Neomarxism

Question 1

What did Karl Marx find?

Answer 1

• critical of capitalist societies and believes society is in conflict
• believes there was only 2 social class groups (ruling class and working class)
• believed that religion opium of the people

Question 2

What are the ruling class?

Answer 2

Bourgeoisie’s - factory owners

Question 3

What are the working class?

Answer 3

Proletariats- factory workers

Question 4

What is capitalism?

Answer 4

• system based around private ownership and maximisation of profits through exploitation of workers

Question 5

What is mutual dependence?

Answer 5

• shared reliance
• proletariats need bourgeoisie’s as way of earning money and the bourgeoisie’s need proletariats to work and make profits
• unequal relationship and based on conflict due to power imbalance and exploitation

Question 6

What is alienation?

Answer 6

• feature of capitalism where the proletariat are separated

Question 7

What is objectification?

Answer 7

• feature of capitalism where proletariats aren’t passionate about their work, see it as a means to an end
• only way production can be quick and efficient

Question 8

What is mass production?

Answer 8

• requirement in capitalist society of producing goods for large numbers of people

Question 9

What is the superstructure?

Answer 9

• institutions of society such as media, family, education and religion
• transmits ruling class ideologies

Question 10

What is the infrastructure?

Answer 10

• economic base of society
• shapes the superstructure

Question 11

What is false class consciousness?

Answer 11

• keeping the proletariat unaware of their exploitation so they continue to work hard, generating profits for the bourgeoisie

Question 12

What is ruling class ideology?

Answer 12

• ruling class ideas fed to the proletariat as false promises

Question 13

What is an example of the ruling class ideology?

Answer 13

Meritocracy

Question 14

What is meritocracy?

Answer 14

• society where people are rewarded for their hard work and achievements rather than their wealth and status

Question 15

What did Miliband find?

Answer 15

• book ‘the state of capitalist society’
• ruling class use media to control society by creating false picture of reality that presents capitalism positively
• inequalities are presented as inevitable, justifiable and effective so proletariats accept values of ruling class
• media is the new opium of the people

Question 16

What is a media example for Miliband?

Answer 16

Tik tok- encourages mindless scrolling which distracts us from exploitation

Question 17

What did Bagdikian find?

Answer 17

• in 1983, 50 corporations controlled majority of news media in USA
• in 2004, media ownership concentrated in 7 corporations

Question 18

What did Curran find?

Answer 18

• evidence of owners directly manipulating media content
• press barrons were open about their propagandist role
• there have always been more conservative supporting newspapers which reflects serving interests of their wealthy owners
• later 20th century, owners more interventionists eg. Rupert Murdoch

Question 19

What did Curran find?

Answer 19

• evidence of owners directly manipulating media content
• press barons were open about their propagandist roles
• always been more conservative supporting newspapers which reflects the, serving interests of their wealthy owners
• late 20th century, owners more interventionist eg. Rupert murdoch

Question 20

What is a media example for Curran?

Answer 20

• Tony Blair flew out to meet Rupert murdoch and rewarded with support of the sun

Question 21

What did Doyle find?

Answer 21

• suggests examination of ownership and control patterns is important for 2 reasons; all pov need to be heard if society is to be truly democratic, abuses of power and influence by elites need to be monitored by a free media
• argues too much concentration of media ownership is dangerous as media have power to make or break political careers and have considerable influence over public opinion

Question 22

What did the Sutton trust find?

Answer 22

• journalists and broadcasters tend to be white, middle class and male (in which over 50% attended private school)
• unconsciously produce content that promotes ruling class norms, values and ideologies

Question 23

What did Neomarxists find?

Answer 23

• see media as playing key role in strengthening ruling class hegemony/dominance
• certain social groups threaten positions of white, middle class males so are marginalised through media portrayals and are stereotyped negatively

Question 24

What did Gilroy find?

Answer 24

• black crime was form of political resistance against a repressive, racist state
• denies greater criminality amongst black people than white peoples and states that media created a folk devil surrounding black people which generated deviancy amplification

Question 25

Whose theory did Gilroys theory support?

Answer 25

Hall

Question 26

What was Halls theory?

Answer 26

• the white eye
• black people portrayed in 3 ways; as natives, as entertainers and as slaves

Question 27

What did the Glasgow media group find?

Answer 27

• working class (refugees and worker strikes) presented in the media in stereotypical and negative way
• recurring themes found; threatening numbers of immigrants, burden of welfare and job market, need for immigration control (key theme in political debate and frequent topic in newspapers)

Question 28

What did the GMG find about the inaccurate media representations of social groups?

Answer 28

• inaccurate representation legitimise and justify legal action which have negative consequences on refugees and lower social classes