Beliefs In Society Topic 1

Question 1

Definition of ideology

Answer 1

-It is a set of beliefs and/ or principles. Ideologies then, are just one type of belief system.

Question 2

What are belief systems

Answer 2

-associated with collections of ideas that have a religious basis, where as ideology is regarded as a secular term

Question 3

What term is ideology regarded as

Answer 3

As a secular term

Question 4

What did Karl Popper describe ideology as

Answer 4

As ‘secular religions’, for they too contain both descriptive and normative elements.

Question 5

How can Marxism be interpreted as an ideology

• what do Marxists believe about capitalism
• therefore what can an ideology mean

Answer 5

As it sees capitalist society as characterised by conflict and inequalities. Marxists believe that this is morally wrong and that resources should be shared out equally.
-Therefore, an ideology is usually taken to mean a particular set of political and economic beliefs

Question 6

Often, what is ideology’ described as

Answer 6

-ideology is often used as a negative description of someone else’s world view.

For example, Feminists would not use the term ideology to describe their own ideas

Question 7

How did Marx see is explanation of society as

-How did Marx reserve the term ideology for

Answer 7

As scientific fact not an ideology. He reserved the term ‘ideology’ for what he saw as the false, distorted views that were used by the ruling class to mystify the masses.

Question 8

What do Marxists use the tern ideology to refer to

• how do the elite maintain their position
• what does ideology mean in this sense

Answer 8

A set of ruling class ideas that serve the interests of the dominant group by justifying their privileged position.

• The elite maintain their powerful position by keeping the WC blind to the reality of their situation
• Ideology in this sense, involves one social group dominating the other

Question 9

What are ideologies not viewed as

Answer 9

-neutral beliefs. They are ideas that usually claim a monopoly on truth.

Question 10

What are the 4 negative ideas on what ideology means

Answer 10

• distorted, false or mistaken ideas about the world, or partial, one-sided or biased view of reality
• ideas that conceal the interests of a particular group or that legitimate their privileges
• ideas that prevent change by misleading people about the reality of the situation they are in or about their own true interests or position
• a self-sustaining belief system that is irrational and closed to criticism

Question 11

Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:

1) Equality will never work because …

Answer 11

It goes against ‘human nature’

Question 12

Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:

2) Victim blaming ideas about poverty

Answer 12

Such as what Bowles and and Gintis call ’the poor are dumb’ theory of meritocracy: everyone has an equal change in life, so the poor must be poor because they are stupid or lazy- not because of capitalism

Question 13

Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:

3) Racist ideas …

Answer 13

About the inferiority of ethnic minorities which divide black and white workers and make them easier to rule

Question 14

Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:

4) Nationalist ideas …

Answer 14

That workers and capitalists of one nation have more in common than do what he workers of the world

Question 15

Marxism ideology

Thus, what do Marxists argue about the ideas of the ruling class

Answer 15

That the ideas of the ruling class become the dominant ideas in society and they function to prevent change by creating a false consciousness.

Question 16

Marxism ideology

Despite these ideological barriers, what does Marx believe

Answer 16

He believes that ultimately the WC will develop a true class consciousness and unite to overthrow capitalism

Question 17

Marxism ideology

What does neo-marxist Gramsci refer to

Answer 17

He refers to the ruling class ideological domination of society as hegemony.

Question 18

Marxism ideology

What does Gramsci argue about the WC and why

Answer 18

• That the WC can develop ideas that challenge ruling class hegemony.
• This is because In capitalist society workers have a dual consciousness- a mixture of ruling class ideology and ideas they develop from their own experience of exploitation and their struggles against it.

Question 19

Marxism ideology

Because of Gramsci’s idea of hegemony what is it possible for the WC to develop

Answer 19

It is possible for the working class to develop class consciousness and overthrow capitalism.

Question 20

Marxism ideology

Because of Gramsci’s idea of WC people overthrowing capitalism, what does he argue that this requires

Answer 20

He argues that this requires a political party of ’organic intellectuals‘ – workers who through their anti-capitalist struggles have developed a class consciousness and can spread it throughout the WC

Question 21

Marxism ideology

However, what do some critics argue in response to preventing wc people from overthrowing capitalism

Answer 21

Some critics argue that it is not the existence of a dominant ideology that keeps the workers in line or prevents attempts to overthrow capitalism.

Question 22

Marxism ideology

What do Abercombie et al argue

Answer 22

That it is economic factors such as the fear of unemployment that keeps workers from rebelling

Question 23

Neo-marxism and ideology

How does Mannheim see all belief systems

Answer 23

He sees all belief systems as a partial or one sided world view. Their one-sidedness results from being the viewpoint of one particular group or class and its interests

Question 24

Neo-marxism and ideology

What 2 types or belief systems does Mannheim distinguish between

Answer 24

• ideological thought

- utopian though

Question 25

Neo-marxism and ideology

belief systems that Mannheim distinguishes between: Define ideological though

Answer 25

Justifies keeping things as they are. It reflects the position and interests of privileged groups who benefit from the maintenance of the status quo. Their belief system therefore tends to be conservative and favours hierarchy

Question 26

Neo-marxism and ideology

belief systems that Mannheim distinguishes between: Define utopian thought

Answer 26

Justifies social change. It reflects the position and interests of the unprivileged and offers a vision of how society could be organised differently. Mannheim sees Marxism as an example of utopian thought

Question 27

Neo-marxism and ideology

How does Mannheim see these world views as

Answer 27

He sees these world views as creations of groups if intellectuals who attach themselves to particular classes or social groups.

Question 28

Neo-marxism and ideology- Mannheim

However, because these intellectuals represent …

Answer 28

The interests of particular groups and not society as a whole, they only produce partial views of reality. The belief system of each class or group only gives us a partial truth about the world.

Question 29

Neo-marxism and ideology

For Mannheim, what is the source of conflict in society

Answer 29

Different intellectuals, linked to different groups and classes produce opposed and antagonistic ideas that justify the interests and claims of their group as against them

Question 30

Neo-marxism and ideology

For Mannheim, what is the solution to this conflict

Answer 30

The solution is to ‘detach’ the intellectuals from the social groups they represent and create a non-aligned or ‘free-floating intelligentsia’ standing above the conflict

Question 31

Neo-marxism and ideology- Mannheim

Freed from representing the interests of groups …

Answer 31

They would be able to synthesise elements of the different partial ideologies and utopias so as to arrive at a ‘total’ world view that represented the interests of society as a whole

Question 32

Neo-marxism and ideology

However, what is the problem with bringing all these ideologies together

Answer 32

The problem being, that many of the elements of different ideologies are diametrically opposed to one another and it is therefore very hard to imagine how these could be synthesized

Question 33

Feminism and ideology

How do feminists see gender inequality as

Answer 33

As the fundamental division and patriarchal ideology as playing a key role in legitimising it. Because gender difference is a feature of all societies, there exist many different ideologies to justify it

Question 34

Feminism and ideology

What does Marks describe

Answer 34

He describes how ideas from science have been used to justify excluding women from education. He quotes 19th C doctors, scientists and educationalists