Derrida : Week Post

This week in Critical Media and Cultural Studies we discussed the main concepts of Derrida. Derrida is a postmodern theorist and is closely related to de Saussure. Derrida believed in the power of differences, much like de Saussure’s concept that in language there are only differences. Derrida believes that in a logo central world, we are left with only differences, logo meaning language. Derrida calls this concept difference. Derrida puts a lot of emphasis, meaning, and importance on the use and creation of words. What is said and not said create and support ideology. This relates to Barthes and Macherey’s concept of the gap and the rupture. What is most important is what is not said, that is what should be examined. This is similar to Derrida’s statement that ideology is most powerful when we are not aware of the trace. In other words, when something seems natural it is not questioned. If a culture fully accepts an ideology it is not spoken or thought about, but instead simply preformed unconsciously. This unconscious behavior allows the principles of ideology to remain unquestioned. This is extremely dangerous. An unconsciously excepted ideology is not challenged, but instead simply accepted. This relates to Horkhiemer and Adorno’s ideas of passivity. Adorno and Horkhiemer believe that our culture industry creates passivity in a society, allowing ideologies to be portrayed and accepted unconsciously. Adorno and Horkhiemer agree that this is a dangerous phenomenon. When things are under erasure or hidden the power of ideology is given to the few to control the many. Althusser addresses this idea when examining ISAs and RSAa. The bourgeoisie creates ideologies that benefit them, and suppresses the proletariat. This injustice is made possible by passive and unconscious acceptance of ideologies because they are created to seem natural. It has been mentioned before that as Critical Media and Cultural Studies majors it is our job to be active participants within our culture, and as Lyotard would say, fight against the ‘norm’.