What is ideology and its role?

Question 1

What is Marxist view on ideology?

Answer 1

They see institutions like education, media and religion as an ideological state apparatus , which is used to brainwash the proletariat into accepting capitalism
This creates false class consciousness

Marx believe that eventually the working-class would see through the ruling class ideology and develop class consciousness

And once this happens it will lead to a communist revolution

Question 2

Ao3 Marxism

Answer 2

Traditional Marxist assume that people are passive and are not able to resist ruling class ideas and beliefs
It may not be ideology that prevents revolution, but economic factors for example, the fear of unemployment, which may prevent workers from Rebellion

Willis recognise that the working-class can see through ideology as the boys rejected bourgeoisie ideology to form an antischool subculture

Question 3

Neo Marxism

Answer 3

Gramsci develops the concept of ideology further
He refers to the ruling class ideological domination as hegemony

The ruling class maintains a dominance through coercion and convinces the subordinate class that their rule is legitimate and wins their consent.

The capitalist society controls the institutions that produces ideas
Gramsci notes that ruling class hegemony is never complete because the ruling class is a minority and the proletariat has a dual consciousness

He argues that revolutions occur is the proletariat is able to form a counter hegemony eg mlk in the civil right movement

Question 4

Feminism

Answer 4

Feminists argue that all societies throughout history have been male dominated
The domination has been supported by patriarchal ideology
At different times in history that have been dominant ideas about what women can and cannot do in society

For centuries, women were excluded from education alongside this many world religions have excluded women from key positions and have justified male domination as being natural

This ideology stemmed from science
Feminist believe that women need to challenge patriarchal ideology where it exists

Question 5

Mannheim

Answer 5

Manheim argued that no human thought is immune to the ideological influence of social context

He sees all knowledge as being partial as it is rooted in the context of which it is produced
He believes that all knowledge is knowledge from a certain position

He distinguished between two types of world views

Ideological thought which represents the interest of the privilege group and justifies social order

Utopian thought, which reflects the position of those who are under privileged, or a vision of how society could be different

He referred to hope as free floating intelligentsia and this represented the interest of society as a whole