Archetype as Language: The Politics of Influence
Influence is defined as the process of changing a person or group of people’s attitudes, beliefs, or behavior, both directly or indirectly. Influence plays a huge role in society and culture as it has become a vessel through which impact happens. Influence affects every aspect of one’s perception: from their ability to receive and perceive information, their ability to make a decision, and their ability to maintain comfort or discomfort.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has recently started a podcast, titled Archetypes. In it, she interviews historians, culture experts, and special guests about the impact of archetypes in society and culture. The main theme is how archetypes permeate society and culture, even sometimes at the most microscopic level.
Writer Janine Henni, in her 2022 article for People, “Meghan Markle’s ‘Archetypes’ Podcast Tops Spotify Charts Around the World”, writes, “Meghan and Prince Harry first announced a ‘multi-year partnership’ between Spotify and their production company Archewell Audio in 2020. According to a previously shared press release, Archetypes intends to ‘investigate the labels that try to hold women back’… speaking with historians and experts, Meghan will ‘uncover the origin of these stereotypes and have uncensored conversations with women who know all too well how these typecasts shape narratives.’”
Archetypes can be seen as gatekeepers of influence. Archetypes are the precedents set that formulate basic opinions and understandings of things and people. Think about respectability politics. This idea that one’s respect for someone is formed by expectations created by difficult sometimes impossible feeling standards. These expectations and standards police perception and reception.
One of the oldest archetypes in society and culture is capitalism and commerce: the role and power of money and how it determines one’s respect for someone. Famous people. Businesspeople. Millionaires. Politicians. Influential figures. Through their adoption of capitalism and commerce, they are able to spread influence directly or indirectly. Them literally having money doesn’t make them a better person. It’s the perception of who they are and how they wield their influence to create the life they want.
Commerce and capitalism aren’t the only archetype that wields influence. Privilege is just as valuable and powerful than any amount of money. A person’s race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, etc. influences so much, directly and indirectly. Why is it that, historically, so much of the idea of success has been defined by white heterosexual wealthy men? Because through their influence, they are able to define what is acceptable and what is not.
They are able to police influence.
