Marxism and the Media

a practical approach
 Respond in pairs to the
statement below

• We the public are controlled not by force or

fear but through the ideas.

• 5mins
What truth is there in these
statement?
The way we look, what we eat, what we buy,
what we value, who we are all of these things
are decided by the people who control our
society.

We may think we have choices but we don’t.

Everything has already been decided for us and
we pay that tiny powerful minority very well to
make these choices.

Agree or disagree? Why?

 Objectives

To explore marxist theory through a practical

response to current Media texts.

To develop wider contextualised understanding

of how one can apply marxist theory in our
study.
 Ideology

Why should we
consider Marxism as
a way of analysing
the media?
 Watch

• Clip1

• In teams of three
analyse with regard
to the notion of
‘false consciousness’
 Write a paragraph

• How does the

narrative of The
Matrix use Marxist
ideology in its
apocalyptic vision of
the future?
 Watch

• Clip2
 Discuss

• Create a plan of who

controls BGT and who
benefits financially.

• What is the significance of

the public vote?

• How might we look at BGT

from a Marxist
perspective?

• What other approaches

might we take?
 Watch

• Clip3

• Whose ideas are

they?
 key terms to consider

hegemony

false consciousness

shared sense of ideas

Ideological state apparatus

 VOX POPS on iMacs using iSight.

Using your research and the notes that you have taken today
prepare your own vox pops response to one (or more) of the
texts.

You must discuss in detail the text (or part of it) from a
Marxist perspective.

You can adapt an hegemonic POV or take Althusser’s stand

point. Try to use the terms used by these classic theorists.
 Transfer to Garageband for
pod casting

• Transfer to Garageband
• Find images to illustrate
• Find “quotations” to illustrate your ideas
 Review

• Watch and review each others VOX POPS

 Homestudy

• Are teenagers victims of hegemony?

• Illustrate with reference to media texts.
 lesson order

response to statements

view text

read theory in pairs

report back on text + theory + collate class

understanding

apply marxist reading of text

VOX POPS on iMacs using iSight.

 Texts

The Matrix

The X Factor / Britain’s Got Talent

Coca Cola advertising - Santa

 Discuss

What do you understand by the term

MARXISM?

Discuss your research with two other members

of the class