The Frankfurt School was an institute founded in Germany in 1923 that sought an alternative path to social development through critical social theory. It emphasized how mass media under capitalism distorts reality and causes audiences to have a distorted view by portraying society as dominated by class. Cultural goods are produced by industries solely for profit, resulting in standardized, mass-produced commodities that appeal to the lowest common denominator and induce brainwashing and apathy in audiences, making them less likely to notice injustice or protest. However, critics argue the Frankfurt School overestimates media influence, ignores that audiences can be active, and depicts media content as uniformly influencing people despite multiple possible meanings.

1. The Frankfurt
School
Lauren G & Samah

2. Background
● The Frankfurt Institute for Social Research (1923)
● Relocated to America when Hitler rose to power. Institute
returned to Germany in early 1950s
● School of Social Theory
● Several theorists who sought an alternative path to social
development
● Attempt to understand turbulent times

3. Critical Theory
Critique and alter society as opposed to simply
understanding or explaining it
Fuch’s criticisms of Castell
Integrate all social sciences

4. MARX
Frankfurt School revises Marx:
Mass Media & Ideology
Frankfurt School emphasized how: The ideas conveyed by
media causes audiences to have a distorted view of reality
● capitalist society as being one of class domination
● media professionals, while enjoying the illusion of
autonomy, are socialized into and internalize the norms of
the dominant culture

5. Cultural Industry and Commodities
In modern society the production of cultural goods is controlled by
industries (not artists)
Cultural Industries sole motive is PROFIT
They produce whatever “sells”
- Lurid content
- Appealing to lowest common denominator
Thus, products become commodities:
- Standardized
- Mass produced

6. Mass Culture as an “Ideology”
Mass Culture makes people apathetic
People become stupefied by mass media: they don’t
protest injustices or even notice when freedom
disappears
Mass culture induces “brainwashing”

7. CRITIQUES OF FRANKFURT SCHOOL
1. The Frankfurt School overestimates the power of
cultural industries (firms)
2. Simplistic treatment of audience as passive only
Research shows receivers are “active” too
3. Glosses over the multiple meanings found in content
They depicted cultural/media content as uniformly
influencing people

8. questions
1. Do you think the Frankfurt School is right in
saying that audience members are passive? For
example, do you think people interpret certain
mass media differently?
2. Do people become stupefied by mass media? What
about the Arab Spring and Occupy movements
brought up in the chapter?