Beliefs In Society Topic 1 Flashcards
Definition of ideology
-It is a set of beliefs and/ or principles. Ideologies then, are just one type of belief system.
What are belief systems
-associated with collections of ideas that have a religious basis, where as ideology is regarded as a secular term
What term is ideology regarded as
As a secular term
What did Karl Popper describe ideology as
As ‘secular religions’, for they too contain both descriptive and normative elements.
How can Marxism be interpreted as an ideology
- what do Marxists believe about capitalism
- therefore what can an ideology mean
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
Often, what is ideology’ described as
-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
How did Marx see is explanation of society as
-How did Marx reserve the term ideology for
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.
What do Marxists use the tern ideology to refer to
- how do the elite maintain their position
- what does ideology mean in this sense
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
What are ideologies not viewed as
-neutral beliefs. They are ideas that usually claim a monopoly on truth.
What are the 4 negative ideas on what ideology means
- 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
Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:
1) Equality will never work because …
It goes against ‘human nature’
Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:
2) Victim blaming ideas about poverty
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
Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:
3) Racist ideas …
About the inferiority of ethnic minorities which divide black and white workers and make them easier to rule
Marxism ideology - Ruling class ideology includes ideas and beliefs such as:
4) Nationalist ideas …
That workers and capitalists of one nation have more in common than do what he workers of the world
Marxism ideology
Thus, what do Marxists argue about the ideas of the ruling class
That the ideas of the ruling class become the dominant ideas in society and they function to prevent change by creating a false consciousness.
Marxism ideology
Despite these ideological barriers, what does Marx believe
He believes that ultimately the WC will develop a true class consciousness and unite to overthrow capitalism
Marxism ideology
What does neo-marxist Gramsci refer to
He refers to the ruling class ideological domination of society as hegemony.
Marxism ideology
What does Gramsci argue about the WC and why
- 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.
Marxism ideology
Because of Gramsci’s idea of hegemony what is it possible for the WC to develop
It is possible for the working class to develop class consciousness and overthrow capitalism.
Marxism ideology
Because of Gramsci’s idea of WC people overthrowing capitalism, what does he argue that this requires
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
Marxism ideology
However, what do some critics argue in response to preventing wc people from overthrowing capitalism
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.
Marxism ideology
What do Abercombie et al argue
That it is economic factors such as the fear of unemployment that keeps workers from rebelling
Neo-marxism and ideology
How does Mannheim see all belief systems
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
Neo-marxism and ideology
What 2 types or belief systems does Mannheim distinguish between
- ideological thought
- utopian though
Neo-marxism and ideology
belief systems that Mannheim distinguishes between: Define ideological though
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
Neo-marxism and ideology
belief systems that Mannheim distinguishes between: Define utopian thought
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
Neo-marxism and ideology
How does Mannheim see these world views as
He sees these world views as creations of groups if intellectuals who attach themselves to particular classes or social groups.
Neo-marxism and ideology- Mannheim
However, because these intellectuals represent …
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.
Neo-marxism and ideology
For Mannheim, what is the source of conflict in society
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
Neo-marxism and ideology
For Mannheim, what is the solution to this conflict
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
Neo-marxism and ideology- Mannheim
Freed from representing the interests of groups …
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
Neo-marxism and ideology
However, what is the problem with bringing all these ideologies together
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
Feminism and ideology
How do feminists see gender inequality as
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
Feminism and ideology
What does Marks describe
He describes how ideas from science have been used to justify excluding women from education. He quotes 19th C doctors, scientists and educationalists
