Science as an Ideology

Question 1

Ideology definition

Answer 1

A basic definition of ideology is that it is a world view or a set of ideas and values- in other words, a belief system

Question 2

Examples of Ideologies include:

Answer 2

RELIGION- Christians believe that God is the father of creation, he is all knowing and all powerful. Man should live according to God’s son’s teachings in order to take their place in heaven.
SCIENCE- An understanding of the world obtained by research guided principles of objectivity and transparency
POLITICAL- Fundamental beliefs of the Nazi party were founded on the superiority of the Aryan race

Question 3

Negative Interpretations of Ideology

Answer 3

• distorted, false or mistaken ideas about the world, or a 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
• a self sustaining belief system that is irrational and closed to criticism

Question 4

Marxist theories of ideology
Ruling class Ideology

Answer 4

The ruling class control not only the means of material production, but also the means of production of ideas, through institutions such as media and education. These produce ruling class inequality- ideas that legitimate the status quo. Ruling class ideology includes ideas such as: 
equality will never work because it goes against human nature; victim blaming; racist ideas; nationalist ideas.

Question 5

Ruling class ideology creates false consciousness

Answer 5

The dominant ideas are the ideas of the ruling class and they function to prevent change by creating a false consciousness among the workers. However, despite these ideological barriers, Marx believes that ultimately the working class will develop a class consciousness and unite to overthrow capitalism

Question 6

Working class must develop class consciousness

Answer 6

The ruling class can take advantage of the property less WC, exploiting their labour to produce profit. It is in workers interest to overthrow capitalism by means of a socialist revolution, and replace it with a classless communist society. For this revolution to occur, the WC must become conscious of their true position as ‘wage slaves’

Question 7

Analysis of Marxist theories

Answer 7

Marxists have a negative perception of ruling class ideology, they believe it exists to legitimate the status quo

Question 8

Neo Marxist theories of Ideology

Gramsci- hegemony

Answer 8

Gramsci refers to the ruling class’ ideological domination of society as hegemony. He argues that the working class can develop ideas that challenge ruling class.

Question 9

Dual consciousness

Answer 9

In capitalist society, workers have a dual consciousness- a mixture of ruling class ideology and ideas they develop from their own direct experience of exploitation and their struggles against it. Gramsci believes that a revolt requires ‘organic intellectuals’- workers who have developed a class consciousness and can spread it throughout the working class. However, Abercrombie et al argues that it is fear of unemployment that keeps workers from rebelling.

Question 10

Analysis of Neo Marxist theories

Answer 10

Have a negative theory of ruling class hegemony but also has a positive view that ruling class ideology can challenge hegemony and motivate change.

Question 11

Manheim (this work on ideology was done between world wars, a time of intense social and political conflict, which influenced his views)
ALL BELIEF SYSTEMS ARE ONE SIDED

Answer 11

Their one sidedness results from being the viewpoint of one particular group or class and its interests.

Question 12

TWO TYPES OF BELIEF SYSTEMS

Answer 12

Ideological thought: justifies keeping things as they are. It reflects the position and interests of privileged groups such as the Capitalist Class. These benefit from maintaining the status quo, so their belief system tends to be conservative and favours hierarchy.
Utopian thought: justifies social change. It reflects the position and interests of the underprivileged and offers a vision of how society could be organised differently

Question 13

Partial truths from Intellectuals attached to particular classes or social groups

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Antagonistic Ideas

Answer 14

This is a 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 the others.

Question 15

Free floating Intelligentsia

Answer 15

In Manheim’s view, the solution is therefore to detach the intellectuals from the social groups they represent and create a free floating intelligentsia standing above the conflict. Freed from representing the interests of this or that group , they would be able to synthesise elements of the different political ideologies so as to arrive at a total worldview

Question 16

The possible synthesis of ideas

Answer 16

Many of the elements of different political ideologies are completely opposed to one another and it is hard to imagine how these could be synthesised.

Question 17

Analysis of Manheim

Answer 17

Manheim has a negative view of existing ideologies subjective to groups, and a positive view that we could combine ideologies to create a wold class

Question 18

Feminism and Ideology

Answer 18

Feminists see gender inequality as the fundamental division in society and it is legitimised by patriarchal control

Question 19

There are many patriarchal ideologies

IN SCIENCE

Answer 19

Marks describes how ideas from science have been used to justify excluding women from education, 19th century doctors, scientists and educationalists expressing the view that educating females would lead to the creation of a new race of ‘unfeminine females. This would disqualify women from their true vocation

Question 20

Analysis of feminist theories

Answer 20

Feminists have a negative theory of ideology as it leads to oppression and legitimates patriarchal society.

Question 21

Evaluation

Answer 21

As we know, an ideology is defined as a system of beliefs that help people make sense of the world. Following this definition, it is not possible that the sociological theories that offer explanations of ideologies, are in fact, ideologies themselves.