Theories Of Ideology

Question 1

Ideology- Karl Popper

Answer 1

Described them as ‘secular religions’ as they contain both descriptive and normative elements

Question 2

Marxism and ideology- Bowles and Gintis

Answer 2

The poor are dumb theory meritocracy
Poor must be poor cause they are stupid or lazy- not capitalism

Question 3

Marxism and ideology- Gramsci

Answer 3

Refers to the ruling class ideological domination as ‘hegemony’
Dual consciousness makes class consciousness impossible

Question 4

Marxism and ideology- Abercrombie et al

Answer 4

Economic factors such as fear of unemployment keeps workers from rebelling

Question 5

Neo Marxism and ideology- Mannehiem

Answer 5

All beliefs are a partial or one-sided world view
Becomes the viewpoint of a single group or class and its interests
Ideological thought vs utopian thought

Question 6

Feminism and ideology- Marks

Answer 6

Ideas of science have been used to justify excluding women from education

Question 7

Feminism and ideology- Oakley

Answer 7

John Bowles theory of maternal deprivation- science acting as an ideology by claiming that working mothers was ‘damaging children’

Question 8

Postmodernists and religion- lyotard

Answer 8

Religion and science are meta narratives
No longer relevant due to fragmentation of society

Question 9

Science- Merton

Answer 9

Changes brought by the Protestant reformation provided a climate for science to thrive

Question 10

Science- Popper

Answer 10

Science is an open belief system where cientists are open to scrutiny and testing by others.
Science is governed by the falsification principle

Question 11

Science- Gould

Answer 11

Science and religion are two separate realisms- science provides certain knowledge about the world whereas mola guidance is the responsibility of religion

Question 12

Science- Gellner

Answer 12

Disagrees with Gould
The objective nature of science sets it above all other forms of knowledge

Question 13

Closed beliefs systems- Horton

Answer 13

Sees science as an open belief system and religion as a closed one

Question 14

Closed beliefs systems- Polyani

Answer 14

Belief systems have three devices to sustain themselves
Circularity, subsidiary explanations and denial of legitimacy to rivals

Question 15

Criticism of science- Polanyi

Answer 15

All beliefs reject fundamental changes to their knowledge claims and science is no different

Question 16

Criticism of science- Kuhn

Answer 16

Mature science such as geology biology and physics is based on a set of shared assumptions called a paradigm

Question 17

Criticism of science- lyotard

Answer 17

Science is one of a number of meta-narratives or big stories that falsely claim to possess the truth to dominate people

Question 18

Religion- Weber

Answer 18

Define religion as a belief in a superior or supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically

Question 19

Religion - Tylor

Answer 19

Philosophical theory of animism: belief all things have a soul or spirit

Question 20

Religion- stark and bainbridge

Answer 20

Agree that religion involves some conception of supernatural beings of force

Question 21

Functional definitions of religion- Durkheim

Answer 21

Defines religion in terms of the contribution it makes to social integration rather than any specific belief in God

Question 22

Functional definitions of religion- turner

Answer 22

Durkheim definition marks the end of concern with gods and beings and an emphasis on the importance of religious practise

Question 23

Social constructionist definitions of religion- Aldridge

Answer 23

Definition of religion can be contested and are influence by who has the power
E.g. Scientology is a religion however several governments have denied and banned it

Question 24

Functionalists on religion- Durkheim

Answer 24

The scared and the profane
Totemism
Collective conscience
Cognitive functions

Question 25

Criticism of Durkheim- worsley

Answer 25

Challenges the view that there is a sharp division between the sacred and the profane and that different clans can share totemism

Question 26

Criticism of Durkheim- mestrovic

Answer 26

Postmodernist Durkheim’s ideas cannot be applied to contemporary society as increasing diversity has fragmented the collective conscience

Question 27

Functionalists on religion- Bellah

Answer 27

Interested in how religion unifies society especially multi faith societies like America Civil religion integrates society

Question 28

Functionalists on religion- Malinowski

Answer 28

Religion reinforces social norms and promotes social solidarity Times of life crisis and uncontrollable and uncertain events

Question 29

Functionalists on religion- parsons

Answer 29

Essential functions of religion: It is the primary source of meaning It creates and legitimises society’s central values

Question 30

Marxism on religion- Lenin

Answer 30

Describes religion as ‘spiritual gin’- intoxicant doled out to the masses by the ruling classes

Question 31

Evaluation of Marxism- Abercrombie hill and turner

Answer 31

In pre-capitalist society while Christianity was a major element of ruling class ideology it only had a limited impact of the peasantry

Question 32

Neo-Marxism on religion- gramsci

Answer 32

Religious beliefs can be popularised by proletarian intellectuals

Question 33

Neo-Marxism on religion- maduro

Answer 33

Accepts that in societies where religion remains dominant - social liberation can only be achieved if significant changes occur in the churches Studies the Catholic Church in Latin America

Question 34

Neo-Marxism on religion- turner

Answer 34

Does not believe that religion is always a huge part of ruling class ideology e.g. feudal system

Question 35

Feminism on religion- giddens

Answer 35

‘The Christian religion is a resolutely male affair, in its symbolism as well as its heirarchy’

Question 36

Feminism on religion- Armstrong

Answer 36

No major religions have been particularly good to women Women have been relegated to marginal positions

Question 37

Feminism on religion- holm

Answer 37

Major religions typically subordinate women to marginal positions or totally exclude them They play a major role but it is a subservient one that is rarely played out in the public domain Women’s bodies and sexually are seen to be dangerous.

Question 38

Feminism on religion- Simone be Beauvoir

Answer 38

Saw religion as functioning in a very similar way to Marx but saw it as particularly oppressive to women ‘Man enjoys the advantage of having a god endorse the code he writes’

Question 39

Feminism on religion- nawal el saadawi

Answer 39

Muslim feminist writer Rejects that Oppressive practices are often attributed to the influence of Islam They are not directly caused by religion but to the dominant patriarchal system which allows men to distort religion

Question 40

Criticism of feminist views- Daly

Answer 40

Historically women have not always been subordinate or invisible in religion - until around 4000 yers ago it was the opposite

Question 41

Weberian theory on religion

Answer 41

‘The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism’ Calvinism preceded the development of capitalism which emerged where religion was influential