Religion as ideology

Question 1

What is the basic definition of ideology?

Answer 1

a set of ideas and values - a belief system.

Question 2

What is the more negative definition of ideology?

Answer 2

• distorted, false or mistaken ideas about the world.
• ideas that conceal the interests of a particular group / legitimate their privileges.

Question 3

What groups talk about ideology?

Answer 3

Marxism and Feminism

Question 4

What 2 classes do Marxists talk about?

Answer 4

Minority capitalist ruling class (Bourgeoisie)
Majority working class (Proletariat)

Question 5

What is the relationship between the 2 classes?

Answer 5

Bourgeoisie own the means of production and the proletariat sell their labour to them.

Question 6

What must the working class develop for the revolution to occur?

Answer 6

Class consciousness (become conscious of their true position as exploited ‘wage slaves’)

Question 7

Why doesn’t the WC revolt?

Answer 7

The ruling class control not only the means of material production (factories, land etc.) they also control the means of production of ideas through institutions such as education, media, religion. These produce ruling-class-ideology = ideas that legitimate the status quo.This means there is false consciousness.

Question 8

What ideas and beliefs does ruling class ideology include that prevents revolution?

Answer 8

• equality will never work because it goes against human nature
• victim blaming ideas about poverty, meritocracy means everyone can achieve if they work hard so the poor must be poor because they’re lazy not because of capitalism
• racist ideas about the inferiority of ethnic minorities divide black and white workers and make them easier to rule.

Question 9

What does Gramsci call ruling class ideological domination?

Answer 9

Hegemony

Question 10

What is dual consciousness?

Answer 10

Aware they are exploited but do nothing about it

Question 11

How will revolution come about according to Gramsci?

Answer 11

This requires a political party of ‘organic intellectuals’ - workers have developed class consciousness and can spread it through the working class.

Question 12

What is a criticism of Gramsci?

Answer 12

Abercrombie et al argues it is economic factors such as the fear of unemployment that keeps workers from rebelling.

Question 13

What does Mannheim talk about?

Answer 13

He sees all belief systems as partial or one sided. He says there are 2 types of belief system or worldview.

Question 14

What 2 types of belief system or worldview does Mannheim identify?

Answer 14

1. Ideological thought
2. Utopian thought

Question 15

Explain ideological thought

Answer 15

Wants to keep things as they are. It reflects the interests of the capitalist class.

Question 16

Explain utopian thought

Answer 16

Wants to change things. It reflects the interests of the working class. Marxism is an example of utopian thought. Intellectuals attach themselves to one of these views which is why they can’t agree on anything. They are subjective.
The solution to this problem = the creation of a ‘free-floating intelligentsia’ who detach themselves from their particular group and can therefore be objective. They would then be able to sort out the world’s probems.

Question 17

What does Althusser say?

Answer 17

The repressive state apparatus is barely used because the ISA is more effective. The family, education and religion are all part of the ISA and these all create false class consciousness which prevents revolution.

Question 18

How do feminists see ideology?

Answer 18

Ideology is ideas that men use to control women (patriarchal)

Question 19

Give some examples of ideology feminists would use

Answer 19

Pauline Marks says ideas from science have been used to justify excluding women from education. E.g. male doctors and scientists etc said education females would disqualify women from their true nature of nurturing the next generation.

Question 20

Give some examples of patriarchal ideologies in religion

Answer 20

• women are ritually impure or unclean because of childbirth and menstruation
• in some Christian churches a woman may not receive communion until after she has been churched (purification ritual)

Question 21

However how can the feminist view be criticised?

Answer 21

Not all elements of religious belief systems subordinate women. E.g. before the emergence of monotheistic patriarchal religions there were lots of widespread matriarchal religions with female priests and female goddesses.
- Liberal Feminists