A2 Communication and Culture Theories

A2 Comms Theory (post colonialism, feminism, Marxism, post modernism)

Postmodernism (a collection of ideas about old styles or arts that can be recreated. Can comprise of mixing different cultures)

It’s easier to think about what postmodernism does and not what it is. 

Post modernism explains that modern culture is fragmented; it can be described as a cultural melting pot. Post modernism doesn’t accept that there is just one way of doing things. Post modernism questions cultural values by being playful and adopting other ideas. Postmodernism is more of an anti-theory. 

Concepts that help explain postmodernism include:

·         Appropriation (Borrowing and recycling ideas)

·         Stimulation

·         implosion

·         hyper-reality

·         Bricolage (Putting ideas together E.G  Amy Winehouse borrowing 60s style)

·         pastiche / parody

Post modernism is all about the look. It favours style over substance. There is no depth to postmodernism and it doesn’t differentiate between high and popular culture as it is all fake.

Hyper Reality (a heightened experience of reality)

Jean Baudrillard 1929-2007

He thinks that we are saturated by the media, he said that we are being bombarded with information.

1.       STIMULATION – part of our lives dominated by the media

2.       IMPLOSION – real world and stimulus become one

3.       HYPERREALITY – hyped exaggerated version of life

Examples of hyper reality = imaginary drink flavour, porn, Hollywood, plastic surgery, holiday broacher, Vegas.

KEY WORDS:

Pastiche = copy of something intended to be compliment to original

Parody = copy of something intended to be comical

Inter textualitly = tendency of texts to reference each other

MARXISM (a political and economic philosophy)

1818-1883 Karl Marx.

Marxism is a criticism of capitalism (money and hierarchy)

Proletariat = working class poorer person

Bourgeoisie = richer middle class person

The industrial revolution meant that there was private ownership of business. Marx didn’t like capitalism as he thought that it made the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Materialistic ideology = ideological positions are a function of class positions

False consciousness = another Marxism ideology, it means that people are deluded. If you think that you are being treated well at work then you are under false consciousness. 

Cultural Hegemony = denotations from Greek word ‘rule’ – geopolitical method of indirect imperial dominance.

Alienation = process whereby people become foreign to the world they are living in, being isolated.

4 types of alienation in Marxism:

1.       Alienation from ‘human essence’ – thinking that you are no more than a small cog in a large system.

2.       Alienation between workers – labour is a commodity to be bought and sold so individual workers find themselves in competition for jobs

3.       Alienation between workers and process of production – activity at work can seem without meaning or purpose

4.       Alienation between workers and products of labour – no emotional attachment to product