The Sociology of The Apprentice

As promised yesterday, a few brief thoughts on The Apprentice.

Strongly resisting the temptation to recycle Alan Sugar’s line about ‘a load of old tut’ (Sp?), I should first declare my own bias; for me The Apprentice is a piece of moderately amusing pantomime, but I am starting to find it repetitive and quite missable. Moreover, as a teacher, or perhaps just a snob, I find myself cringing at Sir Alan’s grammar: ‘And what (wot?) woz you doing when they were busy wiv that then?’ Is this old codger really supposed to be a role model for the young? Is the apparently utterly gormless cast of characters really the cream of the best young business minds in the country? God help tus if that’s the best we can do.

Of course, you can’t take this sort of thing too seriously; it is just a TV game show when all is said and done.

But can sociology help us understand this show any better? Media production values aside, yes, I think so. Just apply some basic concepts from the sociological perspectives and it tells you a lot about life on Planet Britain. Everything in our society, it seems, is dominated by the economy and business. What would a Marxist analysis make of this? Through the lens of this perspective The Apprentice has to be seen as an element of ideology. A level students will be familiar with Althusser’s concepts, but for those who find that too deterministic, rest assured that ideology doesn’t have to be seen in such deterministic or reductive terms. It’s just about power and the balance of power.

And if you don’t find that a useful insight, what a paradise the show offers the feminist mindset. All that tittle-tattle about romantic interests, the motherly Margaret and ‘Sir Alan’ taking pride of place at the big table, the centre of attention. It’s patriarchy in your face. Women have to be, preferably - young and good looking, or maybe motherly. If they are bossy, woe betide them.

Of course, my bias is apparent.But it does seem to me a shame that even our TV entertainment gives such prominence to business. Talk about a one track mind.

For those thinking of doing sociology at university, more complex sociological theory will introduce you to theorists who will enable you to examine issues like this in much greater depth.