Introduction to Cultural

Anthropology

Lecture 30
 Ideology

Ideology and Culture

 Ideology

o An ideology is a collection of ideas, which procides

a comprehensive vision or way of looking at
things.

o Ideology is an instrument of social reproduction.

o Ideology can also be seen as a set of ideas

proposed by the dominant class of a society, for
example gender ideology or ideology of the ruling
classes.
 Gender Ideology

o Gender ideology is used in most societies to

justify the universal male dominance.

o Deeply rooted values about the superiority of

men, the ritual impurity of women, and the
preeminence of men’s work are used to justify
subjugation of women.
 Influence of Ideology

o Every society has an ideology that forming the

basis of public opinion or common sense, a basis
that remains invisible to most people within the
society. This dominant ideology appears as
‘neutral’, while all others that differ from it are
often seen as being radical.

o A certain ethic usually forms the basis of an

ideology.
 Influence of Ideology
o There are also many other different kinds of
ideology (epistemological, political or ethical
ideologies)

o Moral enterprenuers, sometimes acting in their

own interests, popularise ideologies.

o An ideology includes a body of ideas, principles,

and symbols of a social movement with its own
political and cultural plan. It can be a construct of
political thought.
 How Ideology is Influenced?

o Organisations that strive for power influence the

ideology of a society to become what they want it
to be.

o Political organisations (governments included) and

other groups (e.g. lobbyists) try to influence
people by broadcasting their opinions, which is the
reason why many people in a society seem to
think alike.
 How Ideology is Influenced?
o Modern linguists study the mechanism of
conceptual metaphor, through which 'thinking
alike' is transmitted.

o When most people in a society think alike about

certain matters, or ignore alternatives to the
current state of affairs, we arrive at the concept
of hegemony, about which the philosopher
Antonio Gramsci wrote.