Practitioner's Toolkit:
theories
Louis Althusser's
THeory of Interpellation
One of the theories that have had the most impact on me this semester would be Louis Althusser’s theory of Interpellation. In this theory, Althusser believes that ideologies are a system of representations that are presented to society through organizations and structures such as the church, family, and school. Althusser called these structures “ISAs” also known as Ideological State Apparatuses. The knowledge and values these ISAs establish over time, create dominant ideologies that one can identify with. Once an individual identifies with an ideology, they become a subject. This subject is now susceptible to be hailed by these ideologies and therefore will reinforce dominant ideologies.
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Through interpellation, the subject creates and attaches meaning to what they are being hailed by, not realizing how their identification with a certain ideology makes them predictable. Once they have become a subject, they begin to consume from the industries they are hailed by over and over again. They feel as if their beliefs and thoughts are their own, yet they do not realize these beliefs have stemmed from the ideologies they identify with. This relationship between an individual and ideologies gives the Ideological State Apparatuses power. Through hailing, the individual will consume more products, media, and information pertaining to the ideology. This repeated consumption and tactic of hailing is a form of power that is used within ideologies.
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Althusser’s theory can inform businesses and industries on how and why an individual is hailed to a particular idea or product. Once a company understands where the individual’s desire to pursue what they are hailed by comes from, the company can then target an individual more personally, directly, and more effectively.
Theodor adorno & max horkheimer's
"Culture Industries"
The second theory that has impacted me the most is Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s Culture Industries theory. This theory can go almost hand in hand with Althusser’s Interpellation theory, in terms of how it shows where society stands on certain values, and ideologies. Adorno and Horkheimer coined the term “Culture Industries” to represent the products that are created by mass culture.
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According to Adorno and Horkheimer, these products have two identifying factors. These factors are homogeneity and predictability. This means the culture industries create products and stories that are predictable and continue to repeatedly sell the same messages and beliefs. Adorno and Horkheimer said these industries create a “Circle of manipulation and retroactive need.” This means, each time society buys into what is sold to them by the culture industries, they are strengthening the base of the totality of the industries. Through conforming to what is sold, a retroactive need is created. The retroactive need means the culture industries know what the public wants because they have sold it before, and now the public will want the story or message again. This continuous cycle creates a passive society and serves as a distraction from society to better themselves. This cycle focuses more on buying commodities by the industries.
An understanding of this theory allows for creators to see how society is influenced.
Therefore, by applying this theory, the conversations and messages that society focuses on can be altered. This is powerful because it can be used to shift the dynamic in which society functions with each other, mass media, and consumerism.