COMS 371 Week 2: Marxism and Frankfurt School

One of the most important pilars of critical approaches to popular culture and media

Marxist approach

What is the base composed of (2)

forces of production

relations of production

What is the superstructure composed of (2)

Institutions

Forms of social consciousness generated by institutions

the relationship between the base and superstructure

base determines the limit of content and form of the superstructure, superstructure legitimates and challenges the base

examples of forces of production

tools, technologies, skills, machinery, land, raw materials

what are relations of production

class relations

cultural institutions

media, tv, film ,music, news, social media

social institutions

education, religion, family structures, government, legal systems

forms of consciousness

ideology, values, norms, art, morals

Critical theory of the Frankfurt School

Marxism and Pyschoanalysis

Culture industry

products and processes of mass culture

What are the two key features of culture industry

homogeneity, predictability

what is the hidden message of culture industries?

produces false consciousness that becomes a way of life, which leads to demobilizing aspirations to change what is wrong (social inaction)

What are the 3 key features of Adorno’s “on popular music”

• standardization

• passive listening

• social content/cement

authentic culture

most advanced images and positions

marxist critiques of popular culture

• Product of culture industries that threaten to occupy the space of high culture

• commodification devalues authentic culture by making it too accesible

One of the key concerns of the Frankfurt school

the promise of “authentic” culture (formula/patters > conventions > profit)

hegemony

a condition in which the dominant class leads society through the exercise of intellectual and moral leadership. Operates through consensus, passing off its interest as the interest of society as a whole

when is hegemony achieved

when those who are marginalized come to believe that the prevailing values, ideals, and cultural meanings in a society are theirs

How does Gramsci think that consensus is constructed

Through organic intellectuals

How does Althusser think that consensus is constructed

A collective actor

How does hegemony help CMA

It nuances