REVIEW: continuing exploration of
reasons
behind
the "disconnect" between government & public
1.)changes in
traditional
institutions
2.)
generational
changes
3.)
manipulation of
opinion
(polling)
4.) impact of lack of "rootedness" in
personal/local/
community
TONIGHT: the merging of politics
and
culture
importance of popular culture to shape political opinions, especially
<
30
displacement of the political into culture
cultural celebrity
as political power
Traditional view:
a.
individual
self-interest & calculations
b.
impact
of
early socialization
1. strong shaping influence of families
2. ideology, party id transmitted to children
c.
symbolism,
image,
emotional appeals-least influential
1. now, open to question
2. replacement of interpersonal politics w/ politics of symbols
A.
Effects of post-modern culture
on changing the context in which political figures and events
judged.
1.
nature of
politics changes due to changes
in the structure and culture of society.(Jameson)
2. changes the
contexts in
which
opinions are formed and the references used to decide.
B. Characteristics of post-modern
culture:
1. space is more
important
than
time
a
time
and events are accelerated
b.
history
is lost, images are recycled endlessly (retro-culture)
1. short attention span of public
2. no "grounding" in historical context
2. metaphor of
world
wide web
mirrors structure of culture
a.
symbolizes
"hyper-textual"
society
b.
fragmentation
of influences and effects
1. ppl jump from one cultural reference to another
2. no groundedness in time, tradition, of linearity
3. meaning is constructed analgous to surfing the web
a. cultural fragments spliced together
b. incongruous elements combined
3. acceleration of information
delivery
a. excess
of
information,
delivered in sound bites
b. leads
to
public
exhaustion w/ stories
c. events
have
short
"shelf-life"
1. institutional processes lag behind public judgement & interest
2. public disinterest during govt. proceedings
a. appear artificially slow
b. public has moved on by the time resolution happens
4. events increasingly reliant
on
drama,
images to capture public attention
a. images have
forceful,
narrative impact, Abu Ghraib vs. Gitmo prisoners ex
b. but unlike
text,
short-cuts
cognition
1.
politics
becomes spectator sport
2.
political
coverage reduced to over-simplified, personalized narratives
3. political figures become media-based entertainment objects, ex. Blago, Palin, Obama
d.
changes the nature of political discourse & how ppl are
persuaded
Dailyshow
1. popular cultural critiques override
policy
debates sp
sp1
a. "image" management more important than
issues, getting "spin" is important
b. more influential with voters
2. if story not reducible to narratives, images, not
covered
or ignored
a. difficult to give ppl what
they need- stimulus package
b. too boring
e. public figures focus on
"image
management"
to combat this
1. political figures consult marketing firms/advertising agencies to
construct
"image"
2. public aware of "management", increases public cynicism
E. results in bifurcated
system of
public
judgment (mass/elite)
1.
"insiders"--lobbyists,
political activists, campaign contributors
a.
choose
candidates on basis of self-interest, strategic interests
b.
specific
policy agendas determine choice
c.
good
understanding of institutional processes
d.
information
comes from personal contact w/ policymakers
2. "outsiders"-most
of the
public
a.
choose
candidates/issue
positions- image, symbolism, values represented
b.
culture-entertainment,
symbol-based, domain of values
c.
rely
upon
media coverage for knowledge (info-tainment)
d.
sporadic
attention span
1.
distorted
view of workings of govt and policy-making for most of public
2. possibility of manipulating public opinion through image
management +ob
obey
G.
In US context,
more complicated
1. lots
of
conflicting
images and spins
a.
almost
too
many to be able to evaluate
b.
w/o
frames
of interpretation--public confusion
c. argued through rhetoric of popular
culture
If cultural forms are
politicized, does it
always
translate into political action?
H
.What type of political impact do cultural messages have?
vet
a. symbolizing the feelings
of
many into common message
b. political action through
celebrity
live-Aid
1985
c. appeal to
values--(justice,
community,
freedom)one
I. possibility of new political agenda
a. only if political action
transcends
cultural protest liveearth
c. Issue raised by Sullivan
article:
SHOCK THE VOTE (last
week)
1. potential of
"hiphop" politics
2. analogy of
civil
rights
era (Boomers)
a.
cultural
leaders energized, gave definition to movement
b.
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, gave "voice" to 60's generation music
samples-'60's lyrics
mh
3. Can "hip hop" have the same
effect in
current era?
a.
In American context, speaks to disenfranchisement of urban youth2pak
b.
calls
attention
to continued racism and economic inequality
4. hiphop summit focuses on this issue talibkweli
a. global
generational mindset
b.virtual
global civil
society
created
1.
"hiphop" summits held HSAN
2.
accessible rhetoric, potential for massive organizing
3. open to many ideological views
5. Sullivan says no
a. crisis
of
leadership in hiphop community hh
1.
glamorizes
gangsta-chic, materialism, making money Dr. Dre
2.
never
fulfills political promise, stays in cultural realm
b. potential exists to translate
cultural message into political action
1.
unrealized
as of yet
2.
no agenda articulated
c. marginalized &
commodified
by commercial outlets
1.
explicitly
political
music remains "underground"
2.
if divorced from "roots", does it become
just a "style"?