Post class, October 26th

October 26, 2010

In class today we went over some key quotations:

“Ideology represents the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence”(Althusser, 44). There is something in this “imaginary relationship” that brings comfort to people. We thus are willing to give up our freedom

“There is no practice except by and in an ideology”(45). This is the idea that we cannot get outside of ideology. Ideology are the theories and praxis. Althusser says there is nothing that is not ideology and everything that is capable of being read is ideological.

“The author and the reader…both live… ‘naturally’ in ideology”(46). There are connections with the structurist and us as a participatory culture.

“Those who are in ideology believe themselves by definition outside ideology.” (48) This is Gramsci’s definition of hegemony. The most extremely example of this would be ‘fundamentalism’.

We than discuss Culture:

“The best that has been thought and said” (Arnold)

“Ordinary behaviour of the people”(Williams)

William’s idea of what culture is seems to be more so popular culture. Arnold see’s culture as something fixed while Williams see’s change as generations change. There is something natural with Arnold’s idea of culture. Arnold sees a “fixed culture” which we in society have accepted and Williams sees a culture of “Transformation” and “movement”.

Theorist Barthes say’s “myth is a type of speech”. Nascar driver Dale Ernhart is an example of cultural awareness and this “myth”. Regionaly that are subcultures separate from one another. The way we define our mythology is the way we speak; It is a language.

“Ideology saturates everyday discourse in the form of common sense”(148). These things are often accepted and we than share the same “common sense” without question. This is the notion of a shared understanding.

Althusser- Ideology “is profoundly unconscious”

The language of education

Examples at Rollins

· R-card

· Jolly Rolly Colly

· Club Olin

Gramsci sees Hegemony as “an evolving equilibrium”.

Volosinov “Sign becomes the arena of the class struggle.” The sign itself becomes a site of conflict.

“Subcultures represent ‘noise’ (as opposed to sound): interference in the orderly sequence…” (153)

Recperation of the sub-culture

· Subcultural signs become mass produced

· “Deviant” behavior redefined (155)

Once something becomes reproduced, things change.