First ideology lecture outline - The following is a broad outline of our class ciscussion of ideology. DEFINITION OF IDEOLOGY: Ideology refers to those beliefs, attitudes, and basic assumptions about the world that justify, shape and organize how we perceive and interpret the world. IDEOLOGY underlies norms, laws and values. Ideology is a set of the most-basic assumptions and rationalizations about our social world. Examples include the believe in "JUSTICE FOR ALL," which guides the criminal justice system; "MY COUNTRY RIGHT OR WRONG" and "EQUAL OPPORTUNITY," which guide our political process; "WOMEN SHOULD NOT RECEIVE EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK," or "WOMEN DO NOT BELONG IN GRAD SCHOOL TAKING UP SLOTS MEN SHOULD HAVE," which guides gender relations; "FREE ENTERPRISE," which guides our economic system, and other beliefs by which we defend "WHAT IS." An ideology provides the basic framework for decisions and policies about the social world and political activity. More specifically, ideologies are the conceptual machineries for maintaining social order. Ideology suggests a "false consciousness" in that it prevents us from seeing the world as it "really is" in that we DO NOT QUESTION that which we ACCEPT as "NORMAL." The trick is to IDENTIFY the ideological constraints that block our understandings of the world. IDEOLOGIES tend to be views of the world, but they are partial and incomplete, not because they are NECESSARILY wrong, but because of the questions that we do not ask. We seldom, if ever, question our beliefs and assumptions about the nature of the world or the social order which ideologies sustain and preserve. Ideologies create and generate the ideas, concepts, etc, appropriate to our social world, and also LEGITIMIZE and promote particular conceptions of the way things OUGHT to be. IDEOLOGIES HAVE SEVERAL FEATURES: 1. They are PRECONSCIOUS 2. They are emotionally charged 3. They are shared among a large group of individuals; (ie, are NOT simply INDIVIDUAL attitudes, but SOCIAL constructs) 4. They contain assumptions about the state of the world and how it OUGHT TO BE 5. They are DISTORTED pictures because they are limited and partial (and they thus generate "FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS" because they are incomplete. The functions of ideologies include, but are certainly not limited to 1. Justifying the status quo 2. Guiding activity and POLICY of a particular group (eg, the state, legislature, JUDICIARY, etc) 3. Maintaining the dominant position of those who are able to 'Name the world." 4. There are different ways to control people-- a) force (inappropriate for most things) or b) by controlling symbols, IDEOLOGY IS THUS A WAY OF CONTROLLING WITHOUT VIOLENCE OR COERCION... this may seem like common sense, BUT IT IS ONE THING TO RECOGNIZE THAT CONTROL EXISTS, AND QUITE ANOTHER TO DEMONSTRATE HOW IT OPERATES, IN WHOSE INTERESTS, AND HOW IT CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH SOCIAL POLICY. The point--Ideology guides and shapes and justifies our practices. To understand social inquiry, it is thus useful to understand the role ideologies play in blocking our vision of society. IN SUM--- Ideologies contain the major conceptions and the symbols accumulated in our culture, and represent views of social order, right and wrong and identify who should or should not be subject to control, processing, and punishment. SO: Why discuss ideology? 1. Helps us understand the complex nature of social control (it's easier to control behavior by controlling ideas). 2. Illustrates contradictions and tensions in society (for example, between opposites, such as gun control/anti-gun control; right-to-life/right to choose; Death penalty/anti-death penalty). 3. Illustrates how the state functions to MANUFACTURE ways of seeing and talking about the social world (ie, it presents ACCOUNTS and RATIONALES to LEGITIMIZE actions, such as intervention in state affair, protecting rights, etc. . .) 4. Helps us guide our analysis of society and helps set strategies for SOCIAL POLICY.