The passage I found most interesting this week was from Beginning Theory, on the subject of interpellation from a Marxist point of view. The main goal behind Marxism, from what I can glean, is the destruction of any existing class system; that is to say, we would all become equal owners of our world. I find this ultimate goal of Marxism naïve, and that’s really putting it mildly. To say that we could all become equally invested in life is to say that we all have the same level of ambition, motivation, and determination, and I can say, unequivocally, that is false.
I’m pre-med, and for a pre-med, I am lazy. If it weren’t for great teachers and even better friends, I never would have made it this far. And there’s still no guarantee that I’ll ultimately become a doctor. Why? Because I don’t have the same motivations as my peers. I don’t come from a family with economic hardship. While grades were important, good study habits were not emphasized in my upbringing. And personally, I tend to view school more as a series of opportunities rather than an obstacle to get to the opportunities. These factors have culminated in the creation of a college senior who still crams for the majority of her exams the night before, and is satisfied with a mediocre GPA.
The more modern views of Marxism, based on the work of Louis Althusser, lead us to believe that we have no actual choices and are duped into believing that we do. Interpellation is the term coined by Althusser to describe this mechanism; “the way the individual is encouraged to see herself or himself as an entity free and independent of social forces.”*
As we have discussed in class on several occasions, interpellation is one way to describe the effects of media and pop culture on the masses. Through commercials, advertisements, and product integration, we are told what to believe, buy, and say. Best of all, we are led to believe that these were all originally our own thoughts. In my opinion, the idea of Marxist interpellation may have very well been the basis of the movie Inception.
*Quote is from Beginning Theory:An Introduction to Cultural and Literary Theory, Page 158
I still find the idea of interpellation fascinating. (I hadn't thought of it in terms of the film Inception, though; it's an interesting point.) I think in some ways Althusser is correct. Ideologically, Americans in general cling to the idea of rugged individualism, and so we often ignore the realities of social constructions. By ignoring the implications of such almost willful ignorance, we do in fact allow ourselves to be at-times tricked into believing the notion that we are independent of social forces, wielding our supposed agency at those who question this stance.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I believe any conception of morality, which all possess in some form or fashion, is an innate human tendency to at least partially gate-keep the ideas and degrees of influence we allow to dictate within our lives.
Interpellation, the Jedi mind-trick of corporations and advertisers, is ingenious, not mention rampant in a consumer driven, free enterprising nation like our own.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI first had to look up the word "interpellate" in the dictionary AGAIN (to question an official action or policy or personal conduct). I still can't see how this relates to early Marxist views, but it makes sense when researching Louis Althusser's theory that we don't have choices but are made to believe that we do. I like your example of TV commercials and the way they can manipulate our minds. I have not seen the movie "Inception", as I had not interest in seeing it when my family went. Now that you have made this connection between Marxist interpellation and the movie, I can't wait to see it on DVD.
Cathy M.