Ideology

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An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things (compare worldview), as in common sense (see Ideology in everyday society below) and several philosophical tendencies (see Political ideologies), or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society (a "received consciousness" or product of socialization). The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer change in society, and adherence to a set of ideals where conformity already exists, through a normative thought process. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics. Implicitly every political tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought. It is how society sees things.
(For the Marxist definition of ideology, see Ideology as an instrument of social reproduction below.)

Contents [show] 1 History 2 Analysis 2.1 Ideology as an instrument of social reproduction 2.2 Louis Althusser's Ideological State Apparatuses 2.3 Feminism as critique of ideology 3 Political ideologies 4 Epistemological ideologies 5 Psychological research 6 Ideology and semiotic theory 7 In everyday society 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

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