1. What is ideology?

Ideology is the way we all see the world through our own lens with our beliefs, values and morals. What we choose to believe in shapes us into who we are and what we represent whether people agree or not. When it comes to getting you to stray away from those beliefs, you need fear and ideology. For example, the government uses the police force with threats, the courts and the prisons. When we protest, guess who’s present? The police. When things go wrong and you’re imprisoned, the judge decides your fate with no regard to your ideologies. Anytime you go against social norms and they label you crazy for saying certain beliefs, now you’re a conspiracy theorist which alerts the government. People that do research or become whistleblowers are eliminated or silenced from continuing to speak against the opposition to protect the beliefs that uphold this society we call home. The school systems teach us from young about politics and the areas of socialization, from history glamorizing America to the authority of structure. School just sets us up for the work force that we join at a later time. We have routines and rules we must follow so we can continue to be a law-abiding citizen in this hierarchical society. This is where we learn to function outside of our families. Ideology is just that. A set of beliefs that make you who you are.

2. Conservatives differ from Liberals.

The difference between conservatives and liberal view points in the United States is the conservatives lean more towards a weaker government with less spending which leads to lower taxes, a strong defense and a free market whereas liberals value a bigger government with cuts to military spending and equality.

3. How do I understand Althusser’s definition of Ideology?

The repressive apparatus controls you with the use of courts, prisons and the police whereas ideological apparatuses is the prevention of changing things through school, the media and politics. This keeps the status quo which you maintain control within a society.

1. What Ideology means to me?
   
   Ideology is a set of beliefs a person has that is stemmed from their socioeconomic background but also from their personal experiences in life. This can be seen clearly when comparing people from different economic backgrounds. Imagine you were raised in a wealthy household. You may come to believe that success is the result of hard work. You may come to realize that you lived someone else’s dream. Now imagine the opposite. You are raised in a low income household. You may come to believe that your community’s hard work is not recognized and that the system is unfair. You may also come to believe that people are lazy. Both of these people are looking at success and poverty, but due to socioeconomic divisions, each will come to a different conclusion on the reasons for these disparities.
   
   People don’t realize they have an ideology, and as a result, ideology can feel like a truth that everyone can see, as opposed to a belief. People from all economic backgrounds view their outlook on life as the truth. The first example was of a wealthy person. That person doesn’t believe what they have is their ideology. They believe what they have is their worldview. The second example is from a person with a low economic background. They call what they have the truth, and like the wealthy person, they do not believe that it is their ideology they are explaining.
   
2. Conservative vs Liberal
   
   Conservatives and liberals have similar outlooks on the role of the government, but differ greatly on individual responsibility. Conservatives view individual success and failure as the consequence of their efforts and actions. As a result, they favor a small government when it comes to supporting individual economic needs. Whereas, they advocate for a larger government when dealing with issues of law and social order. Liberals support a governmental solution to productive and economic inequity, believing the social and economic injustices caused by factors out of peoples’ control should be addressed by the government. While liberals support the active role of government in issues of productive and economic inequity, they are generally in favor of the restriction of government in social issues, including social order and social justice. For example healthcare: A conservative would argue that the government should not be involved in healthcare, as the government would negatively impact the costs and choices involved. A liberal, however, would argue that government healthcare would ensure that the basic and social need of individuals for healthcare is not neglected.
   
   
3. Althusser’s View on Ideology
   
   Althusser believes ideology consists of things people believe that they are not even aware of. This belief is not because of their own efforts, it happens almost automatically. For example schools play their part and teach people how to perceive themselves and their social position before they have even learnt how to think about these issues critically. He refers to this as interpellation. This is when society allocates someone a role and the person Allocated that role accepts and we as a society accept that a particular ideology has determined that role.

1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in YOUR OWN WORDS.

Hint: One way to approach this is as follows

a) Describe what ideology is in a brief paragraph (in your own words). 

b) Give an example illustrating what you wrote in (a).

c) Write another paragraph (or two), explaining to your reader with additional details, how you understand ideology.

Ideology is a kind of umbrella term to categorize the ideas, beliefs, values or characteristics that a person or group identifies with. It can influence your political, religious and societal beliefs. For example, as Americans we have a government that operates under a two party system, Democratic and Republican. Democrats lean towards the “left” which coincide with liberal ideologies and Republicans lean towards the ”right” which coincide with conservative ideologies.

My understanding of ideology is that it is something that can categorize people’s ideas, beliefs, and way of living into simple terms. You can identify yourself as a republican, even if not all your ideas and beliefs align with the umbrella term Republican or Conservative. Ideologies have labels that make them simple and easy to follow.  

An example of ideology is left wing populism. Left wing populism focuses on conflicts between “big guys” and “little guys”. AKA the wealthy and regular people. 

2. How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics? What seem to be the big differences, the dividing line? Given an example to backup your arguments.

Hint: try to identify key words (concepts) that play a big role in making someone consider themselves to be liberal or conservative. Then, explain in your own words what those keywords (concepts) mean.

American conservatives believe in the free market and that it will provide the greatest economic opportunity and benefit to the greatest number of people. They also believe in a strong defense and that lower government spending will lead to lower taxes. And most of all they value liberty.

American liberals believe that the government can help solve problems and a bigger government can help solve more and bigger problems. Liberals are all for government intervention in forms such as regulations and higher taxes, especially when government intervention helps historically marginalized groups like minorities, women and the poor. Liberal don’t believe the free market will be fair to everyone so they like to see the government step in on the behalf of consumers to protect the environment. They favor higher taxes or the rich and corporations. They also believe we spend more than enough money on the military. And most importantly to liberals they value equality. 

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. Hint: you may have to watch the second video again, and find the few places where Althusser’s position is presented.

Hint: Remember, the discussion boards are crucial for us this semester, because they reproduce our in-class conversations. Try to be thorough and write more, rather than less. I will do the same, and make sure by the time we end our discussion, we have covered the key ideas on the module.

From what I understand, Althusser’s definition of ideology means sets of ideas that shape how people think and act in society. Mainly used to label beliefs or ideas in order to maintain societal correspondence.

My example is how school teaches us to think that getting good grades will get us into good schools and lead us to success.

How I understand Ideology

I think ideology is a person’s beliefs and ideas about how society and the government should work. It can affect how people think about different political and social issues. People can get their beliefs from their family, friends, school and their own experiences.

For example one person might believe the government should help people who are struggling, while another person might think people should be more responsible for themselves.

Conservative vs liberal ideology

I think the main difference between conservatives and liberals is their views on government and change. Conservatives usually prefer more traditional ideas, less government involvement, and individual responsibility. Liberals are usually more open to social changes and believe the government should do more to help people.

For example, liberals may support more government programs to help people who need assistance, while conservatives may believe the government should have a smaller role.

Althusser’s definition of ideology

I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology as the idea that our beliefs can influence how we see ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes we may not even realize that our surroundings are affecting the way we think.

1. How I understand ideology?

In my view, ideology is an individual’s perception of the world during their growth process. It can be a person’s opinion about something, a judgment that leads to action, or even a life value. It will keep growing and changing over time, gradually becoming complete, until the end of life.

EXAMPLE: Ideology reminds me of the story of the frog in the well. The frog at the bottom of the well believes the sky is only as big as the well’s rim because that’s all it’s ever seen. An individual’s ideology just like the well can be limited by the things you perceive and make your view feel like the whole truth. When someone mentions a large ocean, you can reject it, resist it, or choose to climb out. The moment you climb out, you will completely re-shape your ideology.

Ideology is not static that is influenced by many factors. For instant, a friend who argued from a different angle, the summary of every failure and the education you have received. What you firmly believe in today might be shaken tomorrow through just one conversation. Ideology doesn’t have a true endpoint. It merely indicates your current position, and you can change at any time.

2. Conservative VS Liberal ideology

In my opinion, the big difference between conservative ideology and liberal ideology is the varying levels of trust in the government. Conservative ideology pursues freedom to make their own choices and that government should not interfere too much in people’s lives or the economy. On the contrary, liberal ideology emphasis on social justice and equality. They believe that government should play a larger role in addressing social and economic problems and creating equal opportunities for people.

EXAMPLE: When it comes to healthcare, conservative ideology may think people have more freedom to choose their own healthcare plans instead of the control of the government because too much government involvement can increase taxes. However, liberal ideology may argue the government should provide more support to make healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone so that it can reduce inequality.

3. Althusser’s definition of ideology

Althusser believes that ideology shapes how people see themselves and the world, making social rules seem normal. It works through schools, families, religion and the media to make people accept the existing system. Ideology also shapes our identities by teaching us how we should think and behave.

EXAMPLE: Society teaches people that working hard and earning more money means being successful. People may accept this idea as normal and believe that their value depends on their career and income. People often accept these ideas without questioning them, which allow society’s values to shape their choices and behavior.

. What Ideology Means to Me

To me, an ideology is basically a set of ideas that shapes how we see the world and how we think society should work. It tells us what is right, what is wrong, and what is fair. A lot of times, we don’t even notice our own ideology because it just feels like normal life or basic common sense.

• Example: Think about the phrase “work hard and you will make it.” A lot of people think this is just a plain fact. But it is actually an ideology. It makes us think that success is 100% about personal effort, without looking at things like job markets, family money, or luck.

Ideology is important because it gives us a way to make up our minds when new issues pop up in the news. It helps people with similar ideas join together, but it can also make it hard to understand people who see things differently.

2. The Difference Between Conservative and Liberal Ideology

The biggest difference between conservative and liberal views in US politics comes down to what the government should do and how much things should change.

• Conservative Ideology: The main keywords here are limited government, personal responsibility, and tradition. Conservatives generally feel that the government should stay out of business and everyday life as much as possible. They trust free markets and like keeping traditional ways of doing things.
• Liberal Ideology: The main keywords here are government help, equality, and progress. Liberals generally feel that the government should step in to fix unfair systems, help people who need support, and protect everyone’s rights.
• Example (College Education): A conservative might say that paying for college is an individual’s personal responsibility, so the government shouldn’t use tax money for it. A liberal might say that college should be free or cheap for everyone, so the government needs to step in and fund it using taxes.

3. Althusser’s View on Ideology

Louis Althusser says that ideology isn’t just something we pick on our own. Instead, it is taught to us automatically through everyday places like schools, families, churches, and TV. These institutions pass down rules and values until they feel totally natural to us, making us follow along with society without questioning who holds the power.

• Example: In school, kids learn to raise their hands before speaking, sit at desks for hours, and follow a bell schedule. Althusser would say this isn’t just about school rules. It is ideology teaching kids early on how to obey bosses and follow strict work schedules when they grow up.

So, we’ve encountered three different overviews of what ideology is, but let’s organize our own thinking about it. In this discussion board, think about and comment on the following questions:

1. Keeping in mind the material covered in this lesson, describe how you understand ideology in your own words.
Hint: One way to approach this is as follows
a) Describe what ideology is in a brief paragraph (in your own words).
b) Give an example illustrating what you wrote in (a).
c) Write another paragraph (or two), explaining to your reader with additional details, how you understand ideology.

2. How do you understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology in US politics? What seem to be the big differences, the dividing line? Given an example to backup your arguments.
Hint: try to identify key words (concepts) that play a big role in making someone consider themselves to be liberal or conservative. Then, explain in your own words what those keywords (concepts) mean.

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. Hint: you may have to watch the second video again, and find the few places where Althusser’s position is presented.

Hint: Remember, the discussion boards are crucial for us this semester, because they reproduce our in-class conversations. Try to be thorough and write more, rather than less. I will do the same, and make sure by the time we end our discussion, we have covered the key ideas on the module.

To organize things better, I have broken up our conversation into two parts. After finishing here, head over to Discussion Board 3 – part 2 .

Before posting, watch this video, which will show you how to post your answer to this discussion board:

NOTE: Once you’ve scheduled your post to be published on at midnight on Sunday, you can still go back and edit your post until then, if you want to rewrite and/or add to your post.

As a review, follow the following steps to submit your response:

1. Click on the “+” button in the black bar at the top of the screen
2. Type a title for the post (it should include your full name)
3. Type your response
4. On the right side, click on Categories: and check “Discussion 3.1”
5. Important: On the right side, at the top: click on the date next to Publish, and enter your post date, which is this coming Sunday, at 11:59pm.
6. Click Publish and you’re done.

What will happen next is your post will automatically be published by the OpenLab system on Sunday at midnight. The goal here is for all student posts to be published at the same deadline. After that point, you can begin reading each others’ posts, and you have to comment on at least one other student’s post.

Note: please make sure that you schedule your post to be published on Sunday, midnight, not before.