VOC 137 The Sciology of The Media: Critical Theory (Theories of Frankfurt School)

VOC 137
The Sciology of the Media
Lecture 4
Critical theory
(theories of Frankfurt School)
Outline of the lecture
 Marxism (briefly)
 Critical theory : Frankfurt School (Briefly)

Who is Karl Marx?
 Karl Marx was a 19th-century German philosopher,
economist, and critic of political economy, best known
for his theories on society in terms of capitalism and
socialism.
 Marx's political and philosophical thought had an

enormous influence on subsequent (sonraki)
intellectual, economic, and political history.
 His critiques on capitalism and his vision of a classless

society have inspired various people around the world
in discussions about economics, politics, and social
justice.
What is Marxism?
 Marxism is a political and economic theory that provides a framework

for analyzing society and advocating for social change.
 Marxism seeks to analyze and critique capitalist societies (the ones we

live in today) and advocates a revolutionary transformation toward a
more just/fair and equitable social order.
What is Marxism?
 In Marxist though,
 human societies develop through class conflict.
 There are classes in capitalist societies: bourgeoisie (owners of the means

of production/bosses/factory owners) and the proletariat (working class).
 Bourgeoisie own the means of production (factories, holdings etc.) and

they are powerful and rich (remember power holders, media
bosses/moguls)
 The working class sells their labor in the factories, but they cannot get a
welfare/good life. (The rulers exploit the working class).
 In class societies there is injustice, that is, class conflict.

Classical Marxist Thought
• In classical Marxist thought, society consists of two main

components: the base (or substructure) and the
superstructure.
• The base: economy, the economic structure, including the

means of production, relations of production etc.
culture ideolog (efectives)
y
• The superstructure: society's other relationships: the

political, legal, and ideological institutions, culture,
institutions, media, political power structures, roles, rituals
etc. (inefectives)
• The base determines the superstructure, meaning that

economy changes in the economic foundation will lead to changes in
social and political life.
• It also means that those who control the means of

production/economy can also control the whole society.
Marx’s claims….
 Marx argued that states are governed by the ruling

class/bourgeoisie/power holders (people who hold the
power and means of production), they govern the state
according to their own interests/benefits.
 The ruling class (bourgeoisie) controls the means of

production and benefits from exploitation, while the
working class (proletariat) is dependent on selling their
labor.
 Marx believed that the contradictions within capitalism will

eventually lead to its downfall and the rise of socialism,
where the means of production are collectively owned,
aiming for a classless society.
 Marx predicted that the class conflicts between the
bourgeoisie/power holders and the proletariat (working
class) within capitalism will lead to the political victory of
the working class and a classless society
 Marx predicted that capitalism that produces internal

tensions (class conflict) that will cause its destruction and
its replacement by a new system: socialism.
 Marx foresaw that capitalism would self-destruct there will

be a replacement with a classless system: socialism.
But, Marx was wrong in his prediction!
 Marx predicted that the working class would make a revolution and a
classless society would emerge.
 But the revolution never happened.
 Moreover, the Russian Revolution (which began as a workingclass

revolution) degenerated into Stalinism.
 Moreover, the most unequal systems, such as Nazism and Fascism, were
on the rise during World War II.
 Moreover -instead of destroying itself- capitalism flourished after the

Second World War.
 In other words, the class society/system was strengthened.

What did Marx miss in his theory?
 Marx saw culture and ideology (mass media) as an

element of the superstructure in the formulation of
society. (he saw them as ineffective elements)
 Marx could not predict the role/impact of culture and

ideology (mass media) on societies.
 He believed that only those who control the economy

can control society.
 Later it became clear that those who control culture

and ideology can also control the whole society.
With the failure of Marxism's predictions, a new approach emerged within
Marxism.
Marxism
Neo Marxism
Classical Marxism
(the importance of
culture and ideology
(economic
recognized)
determinism )
idelogy culture
Neo
Marxism
Critical Theory
 Critical theory is an approach that focuses
(Neo Marxist Theorists) on society and culture in order to reveal
power structures.
 It focuses on society and tries to understand

power relations/structure in society. (like
Marx)
 Critical theory was established as a school

of thought primarily by the Frankfurt School
theoreticians Herbert Marcuse, Theodor
Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Erich Fromm, and
Max Horkheimer
 The critical theory relies on the ideas of Karl

Marx.
 They built critical theory on the foundations

 Frankfurt School theoreticians founded Critical Theory in 1930’s during
the European interwar period (1918–39 : Nazism was on the rise )
 The Frankfurt School theoreticians comprised intellectuals, academics

who were dissatisfied with the contemporary socio-economic systems
(capitalist, fascist) of the 1930s.
 They tried to understand why the revolution and socialism predicted by

Marx did not happen.
 They tired to see the problems behind contemporary socio-economic systems.
 They investigated the reasons behind these problems (unjust/unfair way if

living/fascism)
 Unlike Marx, they began to consider ideology. (Marx ignored this term)
 They regarded the ideology as a problem because ideology is controlled by power

holders such as the government, media bosses (capitalist class) in societies.
 They claimed that the ideology can prevent people to take action against an unjust
system.
 Remember that: power holders don't want change in society, and don't want
rebellious people in society. They just want stability, status-quo (continuaiton of the
current system)
The Frankfurt School (düşünce okulu/tarzı)
 The Frankfurt School was a method of social theory. (they investigate society)
 The Frankfurt School theorists proposed that the classical Marxism was
inadequate for explaining the turbulent political issues and unprogressive
politics of in 20th century. (Nazism or Fascism)
 The Frankfurt School criticizes classical Marxism because, according to the

Frankfurt School, Marxism is philosophically insufficient to explain the social
development of a society. (Marxism foresaw a working class revolution, but it
never happened.)
 According to the Frankfurt School, classical Marxism failed to

explain/understand the social problems of the 20th century. (Nazism, fascism,
too rich power holders/ rulers, too poor working class, etc. )
Briefly….
 Marxism had studied and explained society.
 However, the world did not develop as Marxism's social theory

predicted.
 Marx put forward a theory and pointed a direction for the World, he
made some predictions
 However, the world did not develop in the way that Marxism suggested.
 This was unexpected.
 The Frankfurt School theorists began to think about why classical

Marxism was not enough to understand society.
What does Critical Theory
criticize?
 They criticize the rigid substructure-superstructure distinction of
classical Marxism.
 They criticize classical Marxism for ignoring the importance of

superstructure elements, especially culture, ideology, mass media, etc.
 They criticize the mass media for providing the ideology of the rulers to
the working class, which keeps it away from the revolution.
Frankfurt School Theorists
 They wanted to improve Marx’s theory: Neo-Marxism
 They concluded that culture and ideology should also be examined in

order to understand society and its problems and developments that
'Marx could not foresee’.
 They saw that culture and ideology had important functions in

protecting and reproducing existing social and power relations.
 They drew attention to the importance of –capitalist- culture and

ideology in the development (failure) of the consciousness and
ideology of the working class to develop.
 They regarded mass media as devices that convey the dominant
ideas/ideologies of the capitalist class to society.
 They regarded mass media are used to reproduce the status quo, to
legitimize the dominant (unjust) system.
 They saw the mass media as a cultural and ideological tool.
 They claim that the audience (working class) passively consumes

mass media content and this makes people intellectually inactive
and politically passive. (so cannot take action against the unjust
system and they cannot rebel).
Remember….
 The mass media shapes the facts it presents / shows by giving certain
meanings.
 Thus, mass media can transfer the message of power holders (the ideology of
the ruling class) to society.
 The media reconstructs the realities ideologically with the routine practices of
the news production process such as choosing, excluding, highlighting certain
points.
 the media decides which content to show.
 the media decides what content to show and how.
 the media decides which content not to show.

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VOC 137

The Sciology of the Media

 Critical theory : Frankfurt School (Briefly)

 Marx's political and philosophical thought had an

 His critiques on capitalism and his vision of a classless

 Marxism is a political and economic theory that provides a framework

 Marxism seeks to analyze and critique capitalist societies (the ones we

 human societies develop through class conflict.

 There are classes in capitalist societies: bourgeoisie (owners of the means

 Bourgeoisie own the means of production (factories, holdings etc.) and

 In class societies there is injustice, that is, class conflict.

• In classical Marxist thought, society consists of two main

• The base: economy, the economic structure, including the

• The superstructure: society's other relationships: the

• The base determines the superstructure, meaning that

• It also means that those who control the means of

 Marx argued that states are governed by the ruling

 The ruling class (bourgeoisie) controls the means of

 Marx believed that the contradictions within capitalism will

 Marx predicted that capitalism that produces internal

 Marx foresaw that capitalism would self-destruct there will

 But the revolution never happened.

 Moreover, the Russian Revolution (which began as a workingclass

 Moreover -instead of destroying itself- capitalism flourished after the

 In other words, the class society/system was strengthened.

 Marx saw culture and ideology (mass media) as an

 Marx could not predict the role/impact of culture and

 He believed that only those who control the economy

 Later it became clear that those who control culture

 It focuses on society and tries to understand

 Critical theory was established as a school

 The critical theory relies on the ideas of Karl

 They built critical theory on the foundations

 The Frankfurt School theoreticians comprised intellectuals, academics

 They tried to understand why the revolution and socialism predicted by

 They investigated the reasons behind these problems (unjust/unfair way if

 They regarded the ideology as a problem because ideology is controlled by power

 The Frankfurt School criticizes classical Marxism because, according to the

 According to the Frankfurt School, classical Marxism failed to

 Marxism had studied and explained society.

 However, the world did not develop as Marxism's social theory

 This was unexpected.

 The Frankfurt School theorists began to think about why classical

 They criticize classical Marxism for ignoring the importance of

 They concluded that culture and ideology should also be examined in

 They saw that culture and ideology had important functions in

 They drew attention to the importance of –capitalist- culture and

 They saw the mass media as a cultural and ideological tool.

 They claim that the audience (working class) passively consumes

 the media decides which content to show.

 the media decides what content to show and how.

 the media decides which content not to show.

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