Marxism and Hegemony

 Task 1: Mail Online review of Capital

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology?

Capital's views on immigration are presented as positive and it was mentioned that the hardest worker on the street was an illegal immigrant. It also mentions that the Polish builder had a heart of gold and his Hungarian girlfriend was as honest as Mother Teresa; which shows that those who immigrated to London had a good life.

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blog post. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

• Some unknown anarchist was posting ominous cards through the doors in a gentrified London street, where property values and parking permits were all-important.

Properties value are rising in London, even now.

• Everything British came in for a dose of loathing. When investment banker Roger muttered something self-deprecating, one of the immigrant characters snarled, with real anger: ‘Ah! The Great British understatement!’

This is characterised as part of the English cultural attitude to life.

• The hardest worker on the street was an illegal immigrant, determined to pay her way and not touch a penny of benefits. 

This shows that immigrants are earning their keep instead of using government money.

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

Asylum 

Life at the corner shop

Quintina and Bogdan

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce right-wing or capitalist viewpoints?

Scene 3: Which of those isn’t absolutely essential?

• Shows how privileged the middle class are even though most of the stuff mentioned isn't a necessity.

Scene 4: What use is 30 grand?

• Roger shredded the 30 grand bonus which evidently shows his privilege

Task 2: Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Deals with social and economical power relationships and have been influential in economics, politics and sociology. Society act to support financial power. There are two main ways this can occur via repression or ideologically. Repressive structures are those that threaten to act with force if rules are not upheld. Ideological structures are those that act to construct the values and ideologies which govern the way people behave.

2) Why is The Apprentice a good example of the media reinforcing capitalist values and ideologies?

All of the contestants are dependant on him for their survival in the show and life overall. The winner's prize is a guaranteed job and a chance to be successful and the winner will need to display the qualities that identify them and a successful business person. Through the tasks and the judgements offered afterwards some clear values are identified. 

3) Come up with two examples of media texts that either fetishise working class life or demonise working class life or poor people. Explain what meanings these texts communicate to their audiences.

Superstore: It tackles some of the most important topics of company which involves discrimination, maternity leave, etc. The ensemble case of the show becomes a dysfunctional family that  are re-defining work-life balance.

9 to 5: A 1980 revenge comedy about a group of women kidnapping their boss. Some scenes show the ideas of what they would like to do to their boss. Once they’ve got their horrible manager tied up, they fake his signature on memos decreeing job shares, a creche, an office redesign that accommodates access for wheelchair users. This links to the equal pay act as their boss is presented as a misogynist who unfairly pays his female workers to their breaking point.

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the fact sheet:

Try applying those bullet points to Capital. Think about the setting, characters and narrative strands - how many of the bullet points apply to Capital? Does Capital reinforce or challenge the values of capitalism? Give examples from episode 1 to support your points.

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses

“Bonus season” as well as the £75m profit helps emphasise the large sums money in banking 

“You’d be surprised at how little £1m covers these days.” emphasises how privileged some Londoners are.

In scene 5 Roger completely destroyed by 30 grand bonus shows his privilege and his ungratefulness