Response to Brummet’s and Althusser’s Approaches to Media
Althusser’s Ideology and Theory
In this book, the concept of ideology is spread widely to show the essence of forming ideologies of specific institutions. Ideologies are presented as systems of representations by Althusser, which are governed through laws that politically established. The book gives insights into the theory previously created by Karl Marx, which demotes the media and other institutions, i.e. churches, education e.t.c as state apparatuses. In this knowledge, the media is contemplated to pass information, which in this case is the passage of values and other essential elements that the government wants to give to its citizens. The media being one of the institutions hailed by Althusser, was used to interpellate people affected by tit and the other institutions and try to foster the maintenance of order in a given society or community. Furthermore, it enhanced the concepts of capitalist reproduction and its relation to production (Althusser, 2010).
The ideological perspective of the state apparatuses was to establish means through which objectives were to be attained without the utilization of physical violence in achieving them. Media outlets have been part and parcel of these objectives and fostered the development and peaceful coexistence of individuals in states.
The theoretical approach of ideology, as per Althusser, exemplifies the way and means through which people perceive it to be. First, it represents relationships that people imagine to exist in contrast to their real situations. Secondly, it portrays that ideologies exist in the form of the behaviour and actions of sections controlled by apparatuses. Therefore, the media has perpetuated the presentation of some ideas and representations that were initially not in the ability to be put into existence. For example, it is the spread of Christianity by missionaries over time devolved from individuals moving around the globe to do the work of Christ to preaching and doing their religious activities on televisions and other media sites.
Brummett’s approach
The ideology of media being used or rather perceived as a state apparatus has been devolved to become practically applicable to date. The use of doctrines to develop concepts has been modified, as in the case of Brummett’s argument, into values and forms (Brummett, 2013). Values have been portrayed to be instituted into words and in-depth explained. But in the current state, movies or instead films have placed a different approach to the predisposition of absolute values of life. For instance, have films been used to show the essence and cautions that can be taken to establish a culture in an organization through values? Moreover, rhetorical messages are created through values and provide audiences with knowledge of the situation being displayed in the film. Most famous films have impacted some education and persuaded its viewers through rhetorical actions.
Therefore, homological film analysis provides an understanding of why films can be used to spearhead cultural activities. The critics raised from this approach is that it might interfere with the setting of norms and taboos and reshaping of values that already exist. In a standard cultural and societal setup, no human is willing to partake in any changes. Given that it is a more straightforward way of relaying information and designation of forms of values, they depict the nature by which some things are done in institutions. The media has been a critical influencer in fostering these films and presenting the values displayed in the movie. Further advancement in the film industry propels the establishment of ideas that initially seemed impossible yet could be implemented. This is what Brummett tries to establish in his writing.