Beliefs and ideology Flashcards
What is an ideology? In sociology if someone uses the term ideology to describe a belief system what do they very often regard it as?
-A worldview or a set of ideas and values.
-Very often when someone uses the term ideology to describe a belief system, it means they regard it as factually/morally wrong.
According to Marxism what is society divided into?
What must the working class do before a revolution can occur?
According to Marxists what ideas does the ruling class ideology include? (Bowles and Gintis) (race)(equality)
-Marxists see society as divided into two opposed classes: the ruling class(bourgeoise), the working class(proletariat).
-Before a revolution can happen the working class must develop class consciousness.
-Ruling class ideology includes beliefs such as;
-Equality will never work because it goes against ‘human nature’.
-Victim blaming ideas about poverty. I.e. Bowles and Gintis call ‘poor are dumb’ thoery of meritocracy: everyone has an equal chance in life, so the poor must be poor as they are stupid or lazy.
-Racist ideas about the inferiority of ethnic minorities, which divide black and white workers and make them easier to rule.
What type of ideology is nationalism?
What does nationalism claim(3)?
What does Anderson mean by ‘imagined community’?
-Nationalism is a political ideology.
-Nationalism claims that;
-Nations are real, distinctive communities each with its own unique characteristics and a long, shared history.
-Every nation should be self-governing.
-National loyalty and identity should come before all others, such as tribe, class or religion.
-However, Anderson argues that a nation is only an ‘imagined community’ not a real one. We will never know most its members. It can bind millions and create a sense of purpose.
What Marx a nationalist?
What is nationalism as an ideology in the Marxist view?
What does nationalism encourage workers to believe according to Marxists?
-NO. Marx was an internationalist his communist manifesto ends with the words ‘Workers of all countries unite’.
-Marxists view nationalism as a form of false class consciousness that helps to prevent the overthrow of the bourgeoise.
-Nationalism encourages workers to believe that they have more in common with capitalists in their countries than working class members in others. Enabled the persuasion of the working class to fight wars on their behalf.
What do functionalists view nationalism as? Why?
How can this be more functional for modern society than religion?(diversity?) (Rationalisation?)
How does education support this?
-Functionalists see nationalism as a secular civil religion.
-Like religion it integrates members into larger social and political units by making them feel part of something greater.
-In modern society people may be unwilling to believe in supernatural beings but may be willing to see themselves as part of a nation.
-Modern societies also contain many different religions so religion can be a source of division. Nationalism unites everyone into a single national community.
-Functionalists see education playing a massive role i.e. creating social solidarity involving nationalist symbols such as the flag/ anthem.
What does Gellner argue nationalism is?
What were pre-industrial societies held together by?
How is modern society different?
Why is nationalism needed? How is this made possible?
-Gellner argues nationalism is a modern phenomena and views this as false class conciousness.
-Pre-industrial families were held together by face-to-face relationships in small-scale communities with a fixed hierarchy not nationalism.
-Modern society is very different. Industrialisation creates large-scale, impersonal societies with a complex division of labour where all citizens are of relatively equal status (i.e. before the law).
-Nationalism is needed as means of enabling communication between strangers to take place.
-This is made possible by using a mass state education to impose a single, standard, national culture and language on every member.
What does Mannheim see all belief systems as?
What are two types he distinguishes between? Explain these.
-Mannheim sees all belief systems as a partial or one-sided worldview.
-Ideological thought and utopian thought.
-Ideological thought justifies keeping things as they are. It reflects the position and interests of privileged groups i.e. capitalist class. Their belief system tends to be conservative.
-Utopian thought justifies social change. Reflects interests of underprivileged and offers a vision of how society could be organised differently.
What does Mannheim view as the main source of conflict in society?
Define Mannheim’s concept of free-floating intelligentsia.
How does this solve his idea of major conflict in society?
Why do some argue this is not possible?
-For Mannheim, different intellectuals linked to different groups and classes, produce opposed and antagonistic ideas that justify the claims of their group against others.
-Intellectuals who are detached from the social groups they represent.
-Freed from representing the interests of this or that group, they would be able to synthesise elements of the different partial ideologies and utopias, representing the ideas of society as a whole.
-Some point out that many of different political ideologies are diametrically opposed to one another so could not be synthesised. I.e. Marxists ideas about a classless society and conservatives that hierarchy is essential.
What does ideology legitimate according to feminists?
Are all patriarchal ideologies the same?
What did Pauline Marks identify about science? (Scientists 19th century)?
How do religions define women? (communion?)
Why is this criticised?
-Patriarchy.
-NO, as gender divisions exist in all societies there are different ideologies to justify this.
-Pauline Marks describes how ideas from science have been used to exclude women from education.
-Scientists argued educating women would lead to the creation of a ‘new race of puny and unfeminine’ females. Removing them from their true vocation.
-Women are defined by religions as inferior. I.e. some churches a new mother is not allowed to receive communion until after she has been churched.
-However, not all elements of religious belief systems subordinate women. I.e. there is evidence that before the emergence of monotheistic religions there were matriarchal ones wiht female dieties that were widespread.
-Simlarly in Hinduism, goddesses have often been portrayed as creators of the universe.
