IdeologyA Tutorial By Lilly and Jannika

What is Ideology?The Syllabus of the 3AB course defines it as:

“The word [ideology] is understood as a collectively held system of ideas that allows us to look at and interpret the

world as ‘normal’. Ideology is usually demonstrated by stated beliefs and practices. Ideology constructs a complex

pattern or framework to unify a view of the world, but outsiders may see contradictions within this view.

Discourse and mythology operate within an ideology. It should be noted that different theoretical positions will

attach quite different meanings to this word.”

Our Definition:

Ideology is the set of beliefs, values, attitudes that is held by a large group of people.

Ideology is often influenced by the culture and society of the individual.

This allows the individual to view the world as ‘normal’.

NORMAL

In simpler terms…

IDEOLOGYVALUES, ATTITUDES, BELIEFS

Neapolitan Ice CreamIdeology is very much like an Neapolitan ice cream.

It is made up of three separate parts:

Values

Attitudes

Beliefs

IDEOLOGY

Making more sense0Values

0 Something that is regarded to have great importance0 E.g. the natural environment

0Attitudes0 The feeling and response often associated with a value0 E.g. we value the natural environment therefore have the

attitude that a development of a natural beach area is wrong.0Beliefs

0 Something one accepts as truthful; a firmly held opinion or conviction

0 E.g. believing in God

How Do We Obtain Our Ideologies?

Even though it seems to be part of a natural and normal way of seeing the world, it is not neutral.

We can gather different ideologies from various sources that we come across as we grow up. We are taught ideology through cultural systems such as education, family practices, employment, our system of government, business practices, and the media.

Ideological FrameworkAn ideological framework is the structure of the text that

promotes and ideology.To explain, let’s take our own society as an example.

We live within a western ideological framework, this can include:0 Pluralism0 Democracy0 Economic Rationalism0 Freedom of Speech0 Nationalism0 Humanism0 Middle-Classism

The Pros and Cons to ConsiderPROS:0 Ideologies can set boundaries

for society to live in.

0 Set characteristics of an ideology.

0 Acceptance and belonging is the reward.

0 CONS:• Ideologies can be exclusory

and normative

• They can impose limitations and controls on people

• Those who do not comply with the ideologies can be punished e.g. socially

• The value of a person is less in who they are as individuals, and is more about what they represent.

Examples of Ideologies!

You may as well put an ‘ism’ on the end of every value, attitude or belief you can think of!

Multiculturalism

Marxism

Socialism

Patriotism

Patriarchy

Environmentalism

Commercialism

Fascism

Capitalism

Idealism

Globalism

Egalitarianism

NationalismChristianity

Racism

Existentialism

Sexism

Post Colonialism

Liberalism

Imperialism

Anarchism

Breaking It Down

1. Identify the signifiers! 0 Ask yourself, ‘what does that word or picture mean?’

2. What is signified?0 How can the signifier affect different meanings.

Lets clear up these two steps (with a traffic light) before we give you the rest!

The Traffic Light

Here the signifier would be the green colour, and what would be signified would be go or accelerate

Breaking It Down

3. Denotation/Connotation0 What is the literal meaning of the signifier. Is it a person,

a place, a thing?0 What meanings are implied by the signifier? Is there an

emotion or idea attached to it?

4. Determine the Values, Attitudes and Beliefs0 Put all of the signifiers, signified, denotations and

connotations together, to determine the values, attitudes and beliefs (or the ideology)!

How Can We Apply Ideology?

The values, attitudes and beliefs (ideology) that are within a text often refers to the text’s overall social meanings or readings.

Readings or interpretations of a text is a great way of using ideology! This is because the way in which you read a text (either alternative, dominant or resistant) is quite subjective, depending on the ideology held by the reader!

Readings0Alternative readings

0Dominant reading

0Resistant readings

“Ideology is the system of assumptions by which a

society operates and which permeates everything it

produces including film and written texts”

Applying the term

0When you apply to a text you have studied, think about whether the issues and themes of the text confirm the dominant ideologies of the audience or confront them0 Does this text confirm my values, attitudes and beliefs?0 Does this text confront my values, attitudes and beliefs?

No Sugar

0Dominant Ideologies0 Racism0 Patriarchy0 Post Colonialism0 Equality

Cinderella Ate My Daughter

0Confirms dominant ideologies.0 equality0 feminism0 the early sexualisation of children and

its negative impact0 the impact of socially constructed

behaviour

Food, Inc.0Confirms dominant ideologies

0 Knowing where your food comes from0 Freedom (of speech)0 Equal opportunity

0Confronts dominant ideologies0 Environmentalism0 Social liberalism

True Grit

0Confirms dominant ideologies0 Women are as powerful and as capable as men0 Justice0 Decency in human conduct0 Fair play0 Triumph of good over evil0 Love and heroism

Definition“The word [ideology] is understood as a collectively held system of ideas that allows us to look at and interpret the

world as ‘normal’.

Ideology is usually demonstrated by stated beliefs and practices. Ideology constructs a complex pattern or

framework to unify a view of the world, but outsiders may see contradictions within this view.

Discourse and mythology operate within an ideology. It should be noted that different theoretical positions will attach quite

different meanings to this word.”

Summary

0 Ideology is the set of beliefs, attitudes and values held by a large group of individuals that make them perceive the world as ‘normal’

0This ‘normal’ interpretation is decided on cultural and societal factors

0When applying to a text thin;0 CONFIRMING?0 CONFRONTING?

Thankyou for being interested!

World Ideologies explained 0 Fascism

0 You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk0 Capitalism

0 You don’t have any cows. The bank will not lend you money to buy cows, because you don’t have any cows to put up as collateral.

0 Surrealism0 You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons

0 Olympics-ism0 You have two cows, one American, one Chinese. With the help of trillions of

violins and state of the art montage photography, John Tesh, narrates the moving tale of how the American cow overcame the agony of growing up In a suburb with (gasp) divorced parents, then mentions is passing that the Chinese cow was beaten every day by a tyrannical farmer and watched its parents butchered before its eyes. The American cow wins the competition, severely spraining an udder in a gritty performance, and gets a multi-million dollar contract to endorse Wheaties. The Chinese cow is led out of the arena and shot by Chinese government officials, though no one hears about it. McDonald's buys the meat and serves it hot and fast at its Beijing restaurant