Ideology - further reading and tasks

The World of Mockingjay

Panem is being controlled by a group of people who want the society to live by arduous rules. These rulers want to create ideologies in their society that would give them a superior and untouchable appearance. They want the people of Panem to realise who their superiors are and how significant they are to their lives. Not only do the authorities of Panem control people's lives and their thinking but also the resources are heavily controlled and the people are seriously struggling. Also, the article emits a negative vibe on President Snow (in charge) when capitalist  ideology is mentioned. It talks about him using the media to manipulate the people of each district mainly to prevent or possibly distract rebels from fighting back. An example of this is 'The Hunger Games' which is aired live on television and the previous year events are also displayed for everyone of each district to watch. Mr Snow wants his audience to believe it's an event for entertainment and they should accept it in their society because it's his way of thinking. This is done through the media which influences the audience into believing Mr Snow's ideology.

They live

The four accepted ideological beliefs in western society are: money equals happiness, consumer goods equals fulfilment, marriage/family/children equals happiness and obedience/work equals fulfilment. Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests those in power maintain their control through consent and not through the use of force. He argues ideologies are constructed through ideas and elite social groups are able to dominate through ideas and not through strength and fear. Althusser's theory offers an understanding how we are controlled through ideology. He believes that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms of control: Repressive state control (Government,police) and Ideological State Apparatuses (Church,media). Ideology of consumerism is about being proud of who you are and trying to do the best for yourself. Yes, I believe we are controlled by the media because we have all believed something from the news or some form of media. For example, we are influenced by the weathermen and we would wear appropriate clothing for the weather he or she has informed us about. Advertising has influenced the way people think and has reinforced representations (women doing the cleaning, so they are advertised doing the dishes). People with power (power equals money) are sometimes able to create these ideologies and representations.