M4 Lesson 2 - Media Representations of the Social World

Theoretical roots of ideological analysis

          In this module, we will using the ideas of Antonio Gramsci, and Roland Barthes.

Hegemony

          Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony is helpful in understanding the hidden meanings, or

ideologies from the mass media—particularly the commercial media. It is a concept  developed by
Gramsci in continuing the legacies of Marx to analyze capitalism. Marx failed to demonstrate why,
despite the oppression and exploitative nature of capitalism, people come to accept and embrace it.
Hegemony, is Gramsci’s answer to Marx’s unfinished theory. The messages to promote capitalism are
successfully  given, and have developed into a  common sense  to all of us—no questions, no doubts.

          We learned that hegemony is a process where the ruling ideas win over the subordinate ideas
with consent. Consent is an important element of hegemony because that explains why despite the evils
of capitalism, we come to accept their views without any question or doubt. In the process of
hegemony, the use of force is not totally absent. In fact, a combination of force and consent is more
effective.

          Let’s give an example. If you have watched horror films of the 90s, and well, even today, you will
likely to observe the dominant themes running on those films. The films typically portray old houses in
the provinces as “haunted houses”, full of evil spirts waiting to unleash their demonic intentions once
triggered. After the climax and the problems of the protagonist characters have been solved, they will
leave the province and go somewhere in the urban and modernized area such as Metro Manila to live
‘happily-ever-after”. Those films portray rural areas as scary and lacking of opportunities to live a good
life, in contrast to urban areas where you are assumed to be safe. In reality, the opposite is true. What
we have is an over-populated urban center in Metro Manila, where traffic has become a monstrous
problem that kills ordinary workers and students every day. What we have are less economic
opportunities to live a good life in Metro Manila especially if you don’t’ have enough money to sustain
the high cost of living. Films are important ideological sites that you can use to examine hegemony at
work.

          Another interesting examples are the “reality shows” on primetime Television like the
famous Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) of  ABS-CBN. If it’s indeed a reality show, then we can see all of the
happenings inside the so-called PBB house. If it’s indeed a Pinoy show, then maybe it’s more appropriate
to have  a nipa-hut (bahay-kubo) instead of a modern sophisticated house sponsored by a real-estate
company. What does it suggests to us as viewers? What kind of reality is portrayed by PBB and other
similar shows? What brand of Filipinos are being depicted? Is hegemony at work in those shows?

Semiotics

          Another important figure in our field is Roland Barthes, who is among the pioneers of the theory
called  Semiotics.

          Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. In our pre-task, I asked you to describe one picture you
like. Your description of that picture is an example of a preliminary analysis where the interpretation of
signs and symbols is at work.
          In his collection of essays, Mythologies, first published in 1959, Barthes identified some of the
precise mechanisms at work through which ideological representations come to be accepted
as common-sensed, and the role played by the media in the process. Central to Barthes’ thinking was the
concept of myth which he described as a mode of representation, ‘a type of speech’, characterized most
of all by its naturalness.

          Why are female celebrities often being used to endorse alcoholic beverages? Why are male
celebrities the favorite targets of car brands? When you see their gigantic billboards everywhere, try to
pause, look at them closely. What ideologies are hidden in the billboards? What common sense
understanding is being portrayed? When you do, you are starting to use Semiotics as a method to
analyze ideology.