Marxism and Hegemony

1) Re-read the Mail Online review of Capital. Why does it suggest that Capital features a left-wing ideology

Capital features a far left-wing ideology being Marxist as the white upper class men are portrayed to be greedy due to their hierarchy and power whereby the immigrant is shown to be very hard-working and nice. This portrays Marxism and positively represents the immigrants and the lower class people

2) Choose three quotes from the review that are particularly critical of Capital and paste them into your blogpost. Do you agree with the criticisms? Why?

-'excruciating round of farewells as Mrs Kamal kissed her sons outside the corner shop, with a banal word for all of them' - this shows how pointless the ending was from the start of capital as it starts by the diffrent families receiving a 'we want what you have poster

- But that concept went nowhere. The residents were bemused, but not scared. - i agree with this quote as the story line led to nothing that links with the plot. As the residents have been recieving postcards which quotes ''we want what you have'', it had not been explained and had ended with nothing related to that quote

- 3)While the English residents of Pepys Road were grasping or deceitful or just plain awful 

3) What scenes or characters from Capital could be read as promoting left-wing ideology?

in scene 1, Quintina, the African immigrant, had been payed £300 pounds for her hard-work and determination but had been sexually exploited by her boss which shows the power the elite have on the lower class people. But at the same time, it is shining a positive light on those who are lower class, showing their hard work.

4) What about the other side of the argument - are there any aspects of Capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London?

There are aspects in capital that reinforce the status quo in capitalist London. This is evident where even though Rodger is portrayed to be someone very greedy for wealth and ignorant, he also will be rewarded in the future for the hard-work he puts in. There are many shots of Rodger going to work in a crowded train. This therefore leads to Rodger having an easier future due to his hard work

Media Magazine feature on BBC drama The Casual Vacancy and ideology
1) Why did the Daily Mail suggest The Casual Vacancy promoted a left-wing ideology?

The Casual Vacancy promotes a left-wing ideology through it's characters and their values. The Daily Mail suggests that The Casual Vacancy ridicules the wealthier characters and their values, whilst shaming them for their plans to sell the local food bank and the rehab centre. They believe it heavily promotes left-wing values by ridiculing the wealthier residents and shaming them for their plot to sell off the local food bank and rehab centre Sweetlove House.

2) How does the article suggest characters, narrative and setting are used to promote a left-wing ideology?

The article portrays  the characters promote a left-wing ideology, through their traits and decision making. For example, according to the article, the characters are presented as being fairly narrow-minded and hypocritical. This is shown through their decisions to close down the rehabilitation centre and sell off the local food bank - decisions of which form the basis of the narrative. They believe that  in their view, BBC executives, commissioners, programme-makers and scriptwriters all have an inherent left-wing bias and this is reflected in most of its output.

3) What research is quoted regarding BBC bias and what did it find? Do you think the BBC is biased?

Christopher Stevens argued that the BBC is rushing to screen Tory-bashing shows like  The Casual Vacancy  because very soon we’ll be in the countdown to a General Election, when the Corporation must remain neutral, fair and balanced. He refers to the period known as Purdah, after the dissolution of Parliament  when politicians must not refer to themselves as MPs, are locked out of their offices, and broadcasters must follow special stricter rules about their programming, being careful to give equal air time to the views of all major parties.

4) Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggests people are kept under control through active consent - the control of 'common sense'. How could you apply the Daily Mail or the BBC to the idea of hegemony and dominant ideologies in the UK media?


The idea of hegemony can be promoted through the BBC as it is one of the most watched and prominent TV shows in the UK. Due to its wide audience spanning most of the country it can reach a lot of people and garner millions of views, this makes it easier or likely for people's mindset to be impacted because if more people watch or aware of something it causes people to act or have the same opinion as them because they don't want to be seen as outsiders making it easier to control people.