Post class

This week in class the concept of ideology was discussed and analyzed. Marx, Althusser, and Hebdige all talk about ideology, and how it is an unconscious sphere of our everyday culture. Culture stems farther than the ballet, museums, or architecture. Culture is preformed daily. The reason I use the word ‘perform’ in relation to culture is because culture in not hereditary. From a very young age people are taught their culture, they watch and mimic their culture, and instinctively learn their culture. As a result, the act of participating in culture is a performance of what a person has learned since birth. The reason we know culture is not built into our DNA is because different regions have different cultures. Within cultures are Ideologies, or ‘norms’, that are accepted. Marx’s Golden Rule is that whoever has the money, has the power to determine a cultures ideology. This rule is closely related with the concepts of the bourgeoisie, the ruling class, and the proletariat, the oppressed classes below. The ruling class creates ideologies that help them to stay powerful, and keep other class from taking control over the control. Althusser mentions the ‘American Dream’ as a prime example of this tactic. The American Dream is that if your work hard enough you can achieve anything. That wealth and success come from sweat and hard work. The point of this ideology is to inspire hard work in the proletariat; therefore, increase production and efficiency in a commodity based culture. This ‘having it all’ concept also provokes spending and feeds into consumerism. As a result, the business owners not only have harder works and more efficient production, but also have a culture focused on consuming and having it all. Therefore, the rich have created a culture that makes them stay rich. This wealth allows them to maintain control and the cycle continues. However, we are not all passive participants in this cycle, but instead active agents.


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