Reading: Althusser "Ideological Apparati"
As a Marxist, Althusser provides many arguments related to the current state of ideology within our culture and society. To begin, our reading from Marx discusses the binary contradictions people face and repressive state apparatuses. The binary oppositions of the American working class, as we discussed during class, discuss the fundamental contradictions that exist within our culture, including fast versus slow, new versus old, active versus passive. There are many arguments in support of one side of the binary versus its binary opposition, creating a contradictory culture. For example, there is a challenging discussion surrounding whether the old is better than the new or if the new is better than the old. Currently, our society promotes thrifting as a current trend where it is seen as environmentally friendly to shop second hand, including clothes and decorations, rather than buying the new. However, ten years ago the only people to enter Goodwill were those who were working class and unable to afford new things, making them outcasts in a society that prefers the new. Althusser discusses how ideology, old versus new, changes and how these changes influence the entire culture according to Marxism.
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