Lecture notes, lectures Althusser's Theory of Interpellation

Notes on Louis Althusser ’ s Neo-Marxist Theory of Interpellation; Antonio Gramsci ’ s Concept of Hegemony; Stuart Hall ’ s Theory of Encoding/Decoding; and Eight Traits of the Classical Hollywood Narrative Film Style (REVISED, September, 2012)

Louis Althusser's Theory of Interpellation and the Role of ISAs and RSAs

In the 1970s, the Marxist cultural critic and philosopher Louis Althusser defined what he called the interpellation process whereby members of a society are both taught society’s norms and are controlled by those in power; he singled out two forms in which state control is maintained in a society through what he called Repressive State Apparatuses (RSAs) and Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs). Whether one's perspective is Marxist or not, his perceptions do indicate one aspect of how a society's structures are maintained:

Ideological State Apparatuses: Family, school, church, political parties, the media (this now includes film, television, radio, internet, etc.) (which indoctrinate society's members in the accepted norms and beliefs in a society and also serve to reinforce society’s beliefs in and acceptance of those norms --the first part of the process of "interpellation"):

Repressive State Apparatuses: Government, police, military, the courts, prisons. (which exist to enforce accepted norms and take action against those whose deviate, the second aspect of the interpellation process, designed to oversee society’s members’ adherence to what was and continues to be taught by the ISAs)

As the course unfolds, take note of which apparatuses we see in action (which are supported or which are challenged) in course films such as Breakaway, The Insider (excerpt), Back to God’s Country, One Week, Maurice Richard/The Rocket, Les Ordres, Mon Oncle Antoine (excerpt), Goin’ Down the Road, Double Happiness, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, In The Shadow of Gold Mountain, and nurse.fighter.

Antonio Gramsci -- 1930 Italian Marxist imprisoned during the Fascist regime in Italy, he originated the basic concept and definition of the term hegemony/hegemonic, which refers to the process whereby those in power (governmentally and economically) maintain that power by encouraging workers to believe in certain constructed beliefs as if they were normal and natural, thus encouraging them not to assess, thinking critically or rebel against the norms.

Stuart Hall--current, more flexible Marxist-based cultural critic who applies a less rigid view of the hegemonic process than Gramsci, Horkheimer (and other members of the Frankfurt School) and Louis Althusser from the 70s, and believes that past applications of Marxism cultural theory has underestimated the intelligence of those being influenced by RSAs and ISAs, especially film and television, and has offered a theory based on encoding (how and what those in power convey through and in their production of media products such a television shows and films) and decoding (what WE do when watching these products), in which he believes that although ideologically loaded beliefs are transformed into “entertainment” by those who produce media products into persuasive means of maintaining power, those of us who are supposedly oppressed by such cultural production, are capable of critical thinking that allows us to interpret (decode) what we see rather than be unknowingly controlled by what we see. He offers three basic ways that we can and do read the media products (film or TV shows):

“1) the dominant reading produced by a viewer situated to acquiesce in (accept without challenge) dominant ideology... .” (from Film Theory An Introduction by Robert Stam, 230); “2) the negotiated reading produced by the viewer who largely acquiesces in dominant ideology, but

whose real-life situation provokes specific ‘local’ critical inflections” (Stam, 230); “3) the resistant reading produced by those whose social situation and consciousness place them in a directly oppositional relation to dominant ideology.” (Stam 230-231).

Eight Traits of the Classical Hollywood Narrative Film Style (CHNFS)

that Still Influences Most Mainstream Filmmaking (By Laurinda Hartt-

Fournier, Revised January, 2012)

1. Narrative (story-based) fiction feature-length films, (not a documentary approach of recording existing reality) and it is a storytelling approach that tends to present the "ideal" the "mythical" the desired fantasy rather than the actual realities of society (Hollywood was once called "the Dream Factory").

2. Linear narrative--that is, the story moves clearly and rapidly forward through several crises to a climax and then a conclusion which includes a clear resolution (often referred to as a "happy ending" ) in which all problems issues are clearly and unambiguously resolved. Even when the resolution is NOT a happy one (that is, if hero dies, for example)! (The Hollywood Happy Ending is really a misnomer since many endings were anything but happy.)

3. Focus is on the individual hero (often male) versus an individual villain (male or female) and often involving an oversimplified dichotomization such as "good" versus "evil”; even systemic societal problems are shown being resolvable only through the heroic actions of the individual. Note: the hero/villain, good/evil dichotomization of the CHNFS has evolved into or been countered by the more complex approach of protagonist vs. antagonist in which the “hero” is now the central character and not necessarily heroic at all, but human and flawed, and the “villain” is now an antagonist that may not be entirely villainous or negative).

4. Product of Hollywood studio system and film industry and its familiar traditions and conventions which are used to attract the largest audience and offend the least, including the use of film genres (the western, the comedy, the melodrama, science fiction/fantasy, gangster film, the musical--each with their own conventions that the audience is familiar with and which they come in expecting to see) also the star system (e. two of the most popular early silent film stars were Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford) also used to lure in fans eager to see their favourites especially in familiar roles;

5. As already noted (in 3), the focus of the CHNFS is usually on the power and responsibilities of the individual as a force for change rather than on collective action--Hollywood for various reasons mirrors the American fear of collective action being construed as communism or as a challenge to the democratic capitalist model that presents the (often unattainable) ideal or myth that the "American Dream" is attainable by all individuals who work hard, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender and class; fear of collective action being construed as communist/anti-American leanings was rampant during post WWII "Red Scare" period (especially 1947 into the early to mid 1950s during Senate hearings by H.U.A. (House Un-American Activities Committee)--and later by Senator Joseph McCarthy as seen in the film (NOT shown in this course but highly recommended), Good Night and Good Luck (USA, dir. George Clooney, 2004); some people feel it (in the form of anti-terrorism paranoia has made a return since in the American media of the Post 9/11 and "War on Terrorism" era we live in now.

6. Society's hegemonic values or "norms" are often reproduced and reinforced rather than challenged (again in part to appeal to the largest audience but also to reinforce existing belief systems rather than offering an ideological challenge that might supposedly offend some audience members and thus reduce revenues and invite controversy and possible government interference--