Analysis of the Critical Theorists View on Domination - Term Paper Example

?Analysis of the Critical Theorists’ View on Domination Critical theory which is also referred to as Frankfurt School is a view originated in the Frankfurt Institute for Social Research in 1923 (Craib, 2008, p. 208). The leadership of Max Horkheimer in 1930 became the onset of the active participation of the group best known as the key representatives of the Frankfurt School which included Erich Fromm, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Walter Benjamin, and the contemporary representative Jurgen Habernas (Held, 1980, p. 29). He presented a radical view of the role of the critical theory and social research in the ways and principles in the world through the interaction between social philosophy and science (p.32). This perspective fueled the critical theory. The paper is aimed to discuss and to analyze the view of the critical theorists regarding the issue of domination, which is one of the main concepts covered by the critical theory. The Concept of Domination Due to the radical perspective of the critical theorists, the social notions presented had effects that can be attributed to the concept of domination. Domination is defined as a form of influence to an individual that results the conformation of goals, purposes and actions to what had been prescribed or dictated (Held, p.149). This can affect the society in terms of different aspects that comprise the social institutions such as the culture industry aspect, the technology and consumption aspect, the nature of corporate capitalism, and the authoritarian personality. Each of these components can affect the manner by which a society functions, thus, these are included in the essential factors within the critical theory (Craib, 1992; Miles, 2006). Domination is the main concept that links the different points of views of the different advocates of the critical theory but is considered as the uniting factor in the critical theory. One explanation on the concept of domination is the manner by which a person can lead two different lives: one is with a force or any social factor dominating him or her; and the other is without domination. Domination is an influential factor in the manner a person exists in the social context. Due to the advocacy of the critical theorist to have radical changes in the society from a problematic state to a state of critical consciousness, systems of domination had been established (Craib, 1992, p. 210). Due to the different views of the critical theorists, the whole perspective of the group regarding domination is composed of the different components. Domination and the Culture Industry The view of domination in relation to the culture industry is the main perspective of Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno. It explores the role the nature of the culture which according to them is a ‘capitalist industry.’ This can be attributed to the fact that what is termed as enlightenment can be considered as mass deception. This is due to the fact that capitalist industry dominates the culture. Thus, instead of triggering a check and balance effect to the dominating effect of the capital, the interactions within the society such as work and even leisure is completely controlled (Szeman and Kaposy, 2010, p.40). The theory perceives the society dominated by the capitalist industry to be in a vicious cycle. Upon looking at the said perspective, it is clear that it is one of the reasons that the critical theory is considered radical because it questions the whole social structure. As a culture industry, the culture and all of its components such as the masses and the different factors in the society are used as a form of income generating machine in the industry. Every step of the way and every movement of a person within a society can generate fuel to the culture industry. Instead of controlling the spread and worsening of the system, due to the roots of the industry being in the culture and using the needs of the people, the capitalist system dominates. There is another significant view on domination based on the cultural industry perspective which is related to the use of culture as a force of domination on the different aspects of the society, for example, the mass media and the different social institutions. Popular culture is one of the phenomena that can be sited in relation to the domination of culture industry. When a particular product or service, instead of the realization on the impracticality of its application the culture intensifies, the need through the concept of ‘mass society’ or the constant need for conformity prevails (Miles, 2006, p. 18; Szeman and Kaposy, 2010, p.40). Due to the effect of the cultural industry, different factors such as technology become instruments of domination or of social control in the most conspicuous manner, which is one reason they are considered more efficient. The social networks are considered as an easy way of communication but the companies that run them take advantage of the personal information. Identification systems such as University cards and transportation passes, and advanced gadget with GPS features can easily be used to track people are also examples of the manner by which technologies are being used for social control or domination (Dillion, 2009, p.188). On a personal note, the view of domination in relation to cultural industry and capitalism is still applicable in the present era. The society is still dominated by the popular trends that are usually promoted by the media. The sad part about it is that usually, the truth in the society is based on what the media shows. There is an assumption that what is shown in the news or in any form of communication such as television and the internet can be equated to the view of the majority of the public. In terms of technology, the view on social control and domination can be considered as extreme but it is very possible specifically based on the fact that there is a rapid commercialization both in terms of advertisement of the products and decreasing trend in prices of new technoligies. Materialist Critique of Marcuse Marcuse is one of the leaders of the critical theory who was focused on the pessimistic side of oscillation and viewed domination based on technological rationality. He focused on concepts such as false needs, true needs and the power of consumption. According to him, due to the post-war era wherein the capitalists reigned, the power of consumption also intensified due to the power of advertising of the false needs (Hanks, 2010, p.159). Domination according to Marcuse is an act that requires rational planning. It is most effective when there is more than an arbitrary or physical application of power. It is most effective when there is an internal decision on the need. This means that for the domination of capitalism, the public has to feel the need for the products or services being sold. The pleasure principle by Freud or the internal force drives a person to be sucked into capitalism (Miles, 2006, p. 24). Marcuse view is related to the cultural industry since it focused on the capitalism perspective of domination. It is still applicable in the present era since consumerism and the pleasure principle are still considered to be greatly influential to the manner by how people live and society operates. His advocacy though is mainly focused on the radical change in the capitalist-technological structure of the society (Hanks, 2010, p.160). On a personal note, Marcuse and the Frankfurt School’s view can be considered as an eye opener. It is true that the group was able to achieve the objective of critical consciousness by triggering questions in the mind of the public. But changing the society can be more challenging than that. The radical thoughts of the Frankfurt School questioned the basic structure and foundation of the modern and also the present society. With all the political, social, cultural and economic factors at risk, it is understandable why the institute was shut down. Analysis and Conclusion Based on the research conducted, the critical theory or the Frankfurt School stirred the critical consciousness of the people through the 20th century. This is important to be able to serve as a wake up call or even a break in the hypnotizing effect of capitalism in the society. On a personal view, the critical theory is still applicable in the present era specifically due to the continuous reign of capitalism in the society. Bibliography Craib, I. 1992, Modern Social Theory: From Parsons to Habernas, St Martins Press, New York. Dillon, M. 2009. Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theories, Concepts, and Their Applicability to the Twenty-First Century. John Wiley and Sons. Hanks, C. 2010, Technology and Values: Essential Readings, John Wiley and Sons. Held, D. 1980, Introduction to Critical Theory: Horkheimer to Habernas, University of California Press. Miles, S. 2006, Social Theory in the Real World, Sage, London. Szeman, I. and Kaposy, T. 2010, Cultural Theory: An Anthology, John Wiley and Sons. Read More