Marxism & hegemony: blog tasks

 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 is shown as a left-wing ideology due to the fact that it shows immigration in a positive way. This is shown in the example of Quintinea as the audience are positioned to sympathise for her case even though she is a illegal immigrant working in the UK and working illegally.  

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

"With a fizzle like a firework on a wet night, Capital (BBC1) dribbled to a soggy ending."

"The last 20 minutes contained no plot. Whatever story there had ever been was over."

"Capital started with an intriguing idea...The cards simply said, ‘We want what you have’... But that concept went nowhere. The residents were bemused, but not scared."

I agree with these quotes that criticise Capital as the whole narrative of the story was confusing as like  the quote says the postcard that the characters were being sent didn't make them feel scared or threatened but just confused. The whole point ofr Capital is to show what happened before the financial crash happened in Britain due to the big bankers not knowing how to control it which meant the surges of  house prices going up quicker than anyone knowing.  

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

The character of Quintenea. This is because even though she is an illegal immigrant living in the UK we do feel sorry for her as an audience which again promotes the ideas of left wing values and that we should let immigrants and refuges into our country . 

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

Yes. The characters of Rodger and his wife Arabella. This is becayse it shows the white people as having all the wealth and showing them have all the money such as Rodger being a white middle aged man working in an office with no other colours around him creating meaning that white people get to be at top and work in big offices and get big pay checks whilst other skin colours have to scrape by to make money such as Quintnea and the Kamal family. 


Task 2: Media Factsheet - Applying Marxism 

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #66: Applying Marxism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level or online here (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What does Marxism suggest regarding power in society?

Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth

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

The Apprentice is a  good exaqmple as it shows and reinforces capitialist values and ideologies as the people on the Apprentrince no mattrer what race or skin colour type  you are are all treated the same on the show. Furthermore, if Lord Sugar feels like you aren't doing enough you get fired and are not allowed back into the process. This show is entirely independent on yourself and no one else which makes it unique and better. 

3) Come up with three examples of media texts (e.g. TV programmes, newspapers etc.) that either fetishise working class life (e.g. EastEnders presents quite a harmonious East End community which probably doesn't accurately reflect East London life) or demonise working class life or poor people (e.g. The Daily Mail and The Sun newspapers regularly demonise people living on benefits with headlines referring to 'scroungers'.)

Coronation Street - Focuses on the lives of the people of the everyday lives of working-class people in Manchester, England.

Daily Mail - Don't like homeless people as it makes our country look bad.

Hollyoaks - Focuses on the residents of the village Hollyoaks, Chester.   

4) Look at the bullet points on page 4 of the factsheet:

When making a Marxist reading of a text, look out for representations that:

• show the values of the power elite as beneficial to the mass
• show queries or challenges to the base as meaningless, foolish or anti-social via ‘failed revolt’ 
• show the values of the power elite as ‘natural’ or ‘right’
• show that being a member of the mass is a good thing
• show the masses accepting the values of the power elite
• show the values of the power elite as being ‘for the good of the masses’ (even when unpleasant)

Now 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 - The power of the white people in power working in big jobs such as banking (Rodger and Lother) and them losing control of what was going on around them

*show that being a member of the mass is a good thing - Good example of this will be of the Kamal family even though they are on a street and receiving the postcards they still stay together and stay strong and work through the problem.