Ideology and how It Operates within Advertising Texts - Essay Example

Name: Course: Tutor: 20th October, 2009. Ideology and how It Operates Within Advertising Texts Introduction Ideology is the use of ideas whether right or wrong to express one-self or used by a group of people to share perception or feelings concerning a particular issue. This may either be political, social or may involve certain information. Most people think perfect of their ideas and want everyone to believe them especially in politics. This ability to combine with other fields to bring change to the society by creating influential decisions makes it an important tool in advertising where consumers make choices and decisions on what they use from a wide variety on what they see or are told about it. Most of the time, manufacturers tend to present their products as the best using several means such as images and sounds that create an attitude in peoples minds. This therefore is the essence of ideology in advertisement. “Ideological advertisements when examined are depicted as corrupt, unethical and oppressive. At times, it may even be seen as an instrument of the evil corporations and their worldwide dominant brands” (Karina 3). Due to this fact consumers always have to make wise decisions and choices with regards to the visual and audio advertisements they are exposed to through the media. This article will discuss how ideology operates in various fields and more so in the advertising media. Ideology It refers to the study of ideas which involves how one thinks about the world and general life in it. Karina (3), also defines it according to the Marxist development traditionally, as “structuring of cultures to give them maximum power to hold as a group” As indicated by Kennedy & Emmet (360), “the word was coined by Destutt De Tracy in 1796 from the words idea which is similar to description of self with continuous consciousness according to the Lockean theory and logy which generally means study”. This was in attempt to secure a base for moral and political sciences. A common belief by a particular group of people can help differentiate groups of thought providing a sense of identity in the world and is considered an ideology. It may be similar to philosophy which deals with how ideology affects people and is mainly concerned with relativity of the ideology and not its factuality. It therefore differs with ideology in the sense that in ideology it is believed that what an individual thinks is the true concept hence aims at making others believe so too. However, Christensen (6) argues that “philosophy may be converted into ideology if how to live in the world is outlined by a philosopher”. Integration of ideology within other fields Kay & Kempton (69), state that “the aims, expectations and actions of an individual or a particular group of people result majorly from what their ideologies are. They can also result into doctrines, myths and belief of a people that give them a sense of motivation. In this context therefore, an ideology may mean the overall view of people about the world which as a result dictates the way they interact with it”. In worldwide ideology, common sense in everyday ideology and different philosophical aspects that present an ideology as a collection of ideas are used. For example, each ideology contains certain ideas on what it considers to be the best form of government such as democracy, theocracy among others and the best economic system which include capitalism and socialism. Sometimes the same word is used to identify both an ideology and one of its main ideas. For instance, socialism may refer to an economic system, or it may refer to an ideology which supports that economic system in political ideology. All these groups aim at bringing a difference in the society by characterizing the thinking of a group or a nation. Economic base used by politicians may bring a different ideology in the area and also produces an effect among the working class bringing about difference in their beliefs. The abstract school of thought employed by ideologies makes it a central point in politics. The word ideology may often be found in political spheres though in itself there are many types of ideology including social, epistemology, and ethical among others. It can also be integrated within fields such as advertising links and applied in the concept of visual culture and communication. In this aspect it brings about difference of ideas while looking or focusing on the same item. ‘Investigation on how meanings are formed and presented using symbols, common utterances and complex images and texts forms the basis of the study of ideology’. For that reason ideology is not only an educational tool but also inspire people to change both socially and politically. Ideology in visual culture and communication “The study of culture is concerned with what is most unique about humanity if not what is most important for its survival and well being” (Walker & Chaplin 7). According to Eagleton, “Culture can be defined in one sense as that which is surplus, excessive, beyond the strict material measure; but that capacity for self-transgression and self-transcendence is precisely the measure of our humanity” (3). Communication involves the use of various means which include speech, vision and signals. Inclusion of images cuts through cultural boundaries by creating an understanding among different cultures such as in the use of films and television programs. It also acts as a tool against language barrier as it dos not require accompaniment of words. Visual culture and communication incorporates diagrams, photographs and visual aids to pass information with inclusion of some little or no text at all. Ideological analysis of these features portrays the “underlying ideas and beliefs of the author about politics and society” (Howells 70) in general. With no specific word definition on the information it allows for a broad scope of imagination and hence perception of a concept. This is well elaborated by Berger who argued that ‘seeing comes before words’ by giving the example of a child who learns how to see before speech. He argues that images give the “true testimony’ about the world and hence are ‘more precise and richer than literature” (33). Due to this fact, “our own place in the world is as a result established by what we see” (Ibid 7). One of the areas that is widely relative and elicits a wide difference in opinions and ideas is therefore visual perception. People tend to have varied opinions even after sampling similar visual texts. According to Sturken & Cartwright ideology can be used in “visual culture and communication to determine how people view images such as photographs and how they express themselves using the same” (3). This is clearly indicated with the difference in perception of many after the September 11th attacks in the United States of America. This has been explained and discussed in “how we see paintings, prints, photographs, film, television, video, advertisements, the news, the Internet, digital media, and visualization techniques in medicine and science” (Sturken & Cartwright 4). Advertisements as a form of communication play a vital part in moulding lives culturally. They are generally an unavoidable aspect of people’s lives because despite the fact that one does not read newspapers or magazines and watch television he cannot avoid the images posted in urban surroundings. Operation of Ideologies within Advertising Texts Information is a very important tool in the society because it creates awareness in the form of new products in the market, changes in various fields and also provides vital current information. Majorly, this information is relayed in the media in different forms such as advertisements which mostly include use of images. In this case, contemporarily, “advertisement plays an important part in all kinds of media, for example, radio, television, internet, and the print media” (Lassen, Strunck & Vestergaard 193). Advertisers need to use a global language that will make it easy to sell any product or service globally. This can only be made possible by use of visual images. The concept of ideology in media was developed by Karl Marx to explore the manner in which ideas are spread and imposed on society by the controlling elite. In his book, Williamson (43) writes that “adverts normally have to be presented in a ‘form’ that can relate to people and not that which associates them with things or objects for instance one for a fast washing machine will center more in the ‘form’ of its efficiency and good time management than on its speed”. With the increasing competition and rise in advertising media it becomes necessary to present information in the most attractive and appealing ways possible. At most times, advertisers tend to hide a connection of these images to the past and only present the positive politics about them. This move aims to attract as many viewers and responses as possible to the product but in actual sense, leads to a misunderstanding of the present. Consumers have a tendency to make assumptions which they do not question as they already make out as ‘factual’. Ideology, which is the idea behind a media text, works through consumers and not at them because they are active participants in it, and plays a very important role since it influences choices and decisions from a wide variety. This also encompasses the relativity of visual sense. Advertising is an “ideological apparatus in the sense that ideologies are reduced to the role of adjectives used to boost the flavor of commodities” (Goldman & Papson 257). As is put by Lye (2), it is therefore necessary to “discern the different ideologies behind an advertisement”. According to Karina (3) “several ideological aspects study and criticism of advertising exists generally”. They involve manipulation of normal behavioral characteristics in society; to create ‘if you do not have you are not normal’ attitude. “Due to many stereotypes it relies on, it often creates a reaction in its approach to gender and status” (Lye 2). Figures1a and 1b below provide a good example for this. As illustrated in the advertisement, there are some fashion designs that can be deemed as most current. When ladies see this advertisement, they may want to buy the clothing designed in the same style so as not to feel left out. They will associate them to the beautiful models or celebrities depicted. Consumers usually buy products which are promoted by personalities of whom they feel belong to or above their class as a result of this. Figure 1a Figure 1b (Fashion Focus Chicago 10) The other entails “denial of information on production in the effort to reduce market consciousness which may expose negative activities such as poor working conditions, child labour and exploitation” (Turker & Benjamin 20). They feature more on the final product. An accumulative effect of advertising can be seen through the constant use of exotic images of consumption and enjoyment. Figure 2 (Food and drink 1) For example, in figure 2 above, the advertisers chose to use the photograph of a healthy baby consuming biscuits which look appetizing to the customer who may not know their manufacturing process or the conditions those employed to make them are exposed to. In the third form, the advertisers use successful individuals to promote their products. For example they may attach the usage of their product with a prominent figure or group in order to lure the potential customers to develop a notion that if they use the product they may end up like the figure linked or acquire qualities normally portrayed by the group presented, as is the case in fig. 3 below, the manufacturers of the phone have used a successful footballer as a link to their product. Ideologically most people will link the success of the individual to the phone quality and end up purchasing it. Figure 3 (Samsung Blog) Finally, in meaning transfer, most advertisers link their brands to a particular group of qualities or benefits in the mind of consumers. This linkage is often achieved through juxtaposition which simply means imposition of qualities on the product. They hope that the consumers will make the connection themselves. This process is referred to as aestheticization which is usually is done through similarity, metaphor, contiguity. The second stage of meaning transfer is that the qualities will shift from the product to the consumer once he or she buys it. Conclusion Ideology has been presented as a strong tool that can be used in manipulation of thoughts to influence decisions and choices. If used correctly and appropriately ideology can become a vital instrument in bringing positive change to society. Politicians use it by outlining the changes they will bring and hence lure citizens to vote for them. In the same manner elders create certain notions in the minds of their people in order to make follow a particular set of rules in form of doctrines. In advertisement, it becomes a very important tool in determining market preference. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate what the market perceives about a particular product and what can make them like or change the product. In advertisement, a product is presented to the public in a way that will bring out a meaning to the consumers. When they purchase a particular product, they associate it with category, social status and way of life. Bibliography Berger, John. Ways of Seeing, London BBC and Penguin Books, 1972. Christensen, T. Brief and Straightforward Guide: What is Ideology? 2009, Retrieved on 15th October, 2009 from: www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ideology.htm Eagleton, Terry. The Idea of Culture. Oxford, England, Blackwell Publishers Inc, 2000. Figure 1, Chicago Fashion Focus. Retrieved on 21st October, 2009 from: http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/designers Figure 2, Radio Advertising, Retrieved from Foods and Drinks. http://images.google.co.ke/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=food+adverts+in+uk&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq= Figure 3. The Samsung Blog, Retrieved from http://www.samsungblog.co.za/blog-and-story tags/chelsea-fc  Howells, Richard. Visual Culture. Oxford, England, Blackwell Publishers inc. 2003. Williamson, Judith, Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising, 2002. Karina, W. Ideology and Advertising. Retrieved on 14th October, 2009 from: http://www.mediaknowall.com/Advertising/adideol.html, Kay, and Kempton, W. "What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?" American Anthropologist 86, 1st Ed.1984. Kennedy, and Emmet. "Ideology" from Destutt De Tracy to Marx, Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 40, No. 3, Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society. 1979. Lassen I, Strunck J, &Vestergaard T, Mediating Ideology in Text and image: Ten Critical Studies. Lye, J. Retrieved from http://www.butler.brocku.ca/English/jlye/ideology.php On 14th October, 2008. Sturken, M. & Cartwright, L., Practices of looking: an introduction to visual culture, England, Oxford University Press, 2004. Tucker, and Benjamin. Labor and Its Pay, from Individual Liberty: Selections from the Writings of Benjamin T. T. Goldman, R. and Papson, S. Sign Wars: The Cluttered Landscape of Advertising, New York, US, The Guilford Press, 1996. Walker, and Sarah Chaplin, Ideology, Manchester, UK, Britain Manchester University Press. 1997. Read More

For example, each ideology contains certain ideas on what it considers to be the best form of government such as democracy, theocracy among others and the best economic system which include capitalism and socialism. Sometimes the same word is used to identify both an ideology and one of its main ideas. For instance, socialism may refer to an economic system, or it may refer to an ideology which supports that economic system in political ideology. All these groups aim at bringing a difference in the society by characterizing the thinking of a group or a nation.

Economic base used by politicians may bring a different ideology in the area and also produces an effect among the working class bringing about difference in their beliefs. The abstract school of thought employed by ideologies makes it a central point in politics. The word ideology may often be found in political spheres though in itself there are many types of ideology including social, epistemology, and ethical among others. It can also be integrated within fields such as advertising links and applied in the concept of visual culture and communication.

In this aspect it brings about difference of ideas while looking or focusing on the same item. ‘Investigation on how meanings are formed and presented using symbols, common utterances and complex images and texts forms the basis of the study of ideology’. For that reason ideology is not only an educational tool but also inspire people to change both socially and politically. Ideology in visual culture and communication “The study of culture is concerned with what is most unique about humanity if not what is most important for its survival and well being” (Walker & Chaplin 7).

According to Eagleton, “Culture can be defined in one sense as that which is surplus, excessive, beyond the strict material measure; but that capacity for self-transgression and self-transcendence is precisely the measure of our humanity” (3). Communication involves the use of various means which include speech, vision and signals. Inclusion of images cuts through cultural boundaries by creating an understanding among different cultures such as in the use of films and television programs.

It also acts as a tool against language barrier as it dos not require accompaniment of words. Visual culture and communication incorporates diagrams, photographs and visual aids to pass information with inclusion of some little or no text at all. Ideological analysis of these features portrays the “underlying ideas and beliefs of the author about politics and society” (Howells 70) in general. With no specific word definition on the information it allows for a broad scope of imagination and hence perception of a concept.

This is well elaborated by Berger who argued that ‘seeing comes before words’ by giving the example of a child who learns how to see before speech. He argues that images give the “true testimony’ about the world and hence are ‘more precise and richer than literature” (33). Due to this fact, “our own place in the world is as a result established by what we see” (Ibid 7). One of the areas that is widely relative and elicits a wide difference in opinions and ideas is therefore visual perception.

People tend to have varied opinions even after sampling similar visual texts. According to Sturken & Cartwright ideology can be used in “visual culture and communication to determine how people view images such as photographs and how they express themselves using the same” (3). This is clearly indicated with the difference in perception of many after the September 11th attacks in the United States of America. This has been explained and discussed in “how we see paintings, prints, photographs, film, television, video, advertisements, the news, the Internet, digital media, and visualization techniques in medicine and science” (Sturken & Cartwright 4).

Advertisements as a form of communication play a vital part in moulding lives culturally.

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