Ideology

• What is ideology?

  Ideas, beliefs and values of a particular group
• Marxist view on role of ideology


  Wc must develop class conciousness

  Rc control production of ideas, that justify the way things are - use to pass down ideas to wc to maintain false class conciousness

  eg equality will never work, victim blame for poverty, racist ideas
• Gramsci (neo-marxist) view on role of ideology


  Wc can develop ideas to challenge rc hegemony (counter-hegemony)

  Workers have a dual conciousness - mixture of rc ideologies and their own ideas

  It isnt ideology that keeps them passive, but a fear of unemployment
• Nationalism


  Political ideology

  claims nations are real, distinctive communities which need protecting

  Every nation should be self-governing - national loyalty should come before all others
• Davie (nationalism)


  Increase in secular fundamentalism in response to uncertainty and insecurity

  Supporters of secular ideologies like nationalism have been attracted to fundamentalism - feel under attack

  eg France banning pupils in schools wearing the veil
• Views on nationalism

  Marxism: form of false class conciousness that divides the international wc - develop loyalty to the rc ideas under nationalist ideologies

  Functionalism: civil religion - unites individuals into larger social and political units

  Gellner: modern phenomenon making it possible to communicate with strangers - education imposes single national culture on every member - motivates to endure hardships