1.What is a Repressive State Apparatus? Why does Althusser call it “repressive”? Can we explain his choice of words here? Give an example.
Althusser explains that the repressive state apparatus is an ideological concept that is used as a form of power controlled by violence. The Repressive State Apparatus is represented through prisons, courts, the police, the army, and other organizations that manipulate citizens with threats of brutality and aggression. This is why Althusser called it the repressive state apparatus, because these groups are designed to repress the population. These institutions have authoritative power over the citizens of their state and use their power to force the people to fall in line. The repressive state apparatus does not exist just for the purpose of enforcing; however, it is used to teach the citizens the ideology of their respective states and countries and make sure they follow the rules or suffer dire consequences. When a group of individuals or single individuals attempt to challenge the ideology of their state, the repressive state apparatus steps in to prevent their rebellion and these reactions are always violent. An example of this would be if you don’t follow the rules in school authorities step in and threaten you with detention, a trip to the principal’s office, a phone call to your parents, suspension, and even sometimes expulsion. Violence doesn’t always mean getting harmed physically but it can mean being stripped of your freedoms.
2. Let’s do the same for the Ideological State Apparatuses. What are they, how do they seem to work?
The Ideological State Apparatuses prevent change to present circumstances and are comprised of schools, politics, religious institutions, cultural groups, and the mass media. According to Althusser, the ideological state apparatus uses methods other than violence to accomplish the same things as the Repressive State Apparatus. Fear is not the key motivator in our lives. However, being considered normal, accepted, and being welcomed into a group are motivators that are just as powerful as violence. The ideological state apparatus does all the work so the police and the courts don’t have to intervene. The purpose of the ideological state apparatus is that you don’t need to think about the inequality that you may be experiencing. You forget about the injustices around you and don’t do anything to change or rebel against them. The only options you have are the illusion of choice between the status quo and the status quo. For example, this is like choosing between two political candidates who are seemingly different, but both have the same objective, to keep things as they are. According to Althusser, schools are the most essential ideological state apparatus. Initially it was the Church’s job to shape the minds of children, but today it’s the schools who teach children how to behave morally and ethically. They are taught how to behave, how to speak only when called on by their teacher, how to share, think, and act towards their peers, and not to go against the wishes of your authority figures. There is no true freedom in an ideological state apparatus.
3. How are the Repressive and Ideological State Apparatuses different from each other? What is the difference between the two?
There are many differences between the repressive state apparatus and the ideological state apparatuses. Although they both control citizens by using fear, the repressive state apparatuses, like the military or the police, compel its people into following the State’s ideology with the looming threat of violence. An ideological state apparatus like a church will generate fear amongst its members through the threats of being ostracized within the community. That fear of losing the sense of belonging is just as strong as the threat of violence. Places such as schools, the church, family life, and work, are institutions whose main function is to program people into accepting the State’s ideology. Different from the repressive state apparatus, the ideological state apparatuses use ideology and also operate while using repression. Therefore, people become compliant not through violence, but by the avoidance of contempt from their peers as well as embarrassment.
More differences between the two apparatuses include the fact that there is only one repressive state apparatus, violence. However, there are several ideological state apparatuses which extend throughout many aspects of culture. This is due to ideological apparatuses focusing more on the culture of their citizens, such as schools training their students how to think and churches telling their members what to believe in. To put it simply, the repressive state apparatus belongs to the people, or the state itself, whereas the ideological state apparatuses belong to private institutions such as schools, churches, and the family unit.
4. Post an example of ideology. This could be a piece of writing, an image, video, pdf document, visual art, or music, clip from a movie. Next to your example, specify if this is an example of repressive or ideological apparatuses at work. I’ll start us of off by giving an example.
I chose an image that depicts the liberal ideology of being pro-choice. The overturing of Roe V. Wade has not only profoundly affected me as a woman, but this decision has reversed a practice that has been essential for the health of women for nearly 50 years. This ruling by the Supreme Court has taken away the rights of women, reduced reproductive care, and dramatically impacted communities of color. The ideology of liberalism is centered around equality for all human beings. They strive to enhance public services, want a cleaner and healthier environment, defend the right to a higher minimum wage, the protection of laborers and their unions, social security, aiding the poor, the civil and human rights of an individual, and supports the government having a strong presence in the lives of citizens in order to protect people from harm.
Liberals are not anti-military but believe that the country should not pour so much money into them. The defense budget should be cut so they could put the money towards programs they consider more important. Liberals are fundamentality anti-gun, support a women’s right to choose, are pro-immigration, and equality for all genders, races, and sexual orientations. Liberalism and other political affiliations are considered an ideological state apparatus because by definition they prevent you from changing the present circumstances. They maintain the status quo by presenting you with two options that make you feel like you have a voice in society. However, the two political choices both have the same agenda and will not implement the changes the voters are looking for.
