1A. Based on the videos and readings Ideology is a persons political point of view in society it’s their ideas and thoughts put together and what the person thinks is better for the government including things such as the economic system. The videos contained some examples about some groups that are called political ideology such as conservative and liberals and their beliefs.

B. An example In the video was liberals and their beliefs they believed that they should recieve more help instead of giving so much out to the military and defense. They think that their budget should be cut and their should be more money for things like social programs, aiding the poor and having more benefits for groups such as minorities women. Liberals see the government as a necessary agent in promoting equality.

c) The way I see and understand ideology is a persons own belief based on their social life and economics.Its not always correct or the same group of people but its just ideas and beliefs they have. These pass on through families for example the video gave us an example of how kids who respect their parents are most likely to continue and agree with their beliefs for example continue having conservative beliefs if the parents have, if they dont and oppose they would be seen as rebellion. Ideology is seen through many types of groups and people can be identify differently such as liberal,conservative, libertarian, sociologist and many more. As I mentioned before the position you are born in economically can play a role in what you believe. For example Latinos and African americans are most likely to be liberals due to most being poor while white catholics are most likely to be wealthy and have conservatives beliefs.

2. There are many big differences between Conservative and liberal ideology in the US politics. Liberals are mostly known as the left wing and conservatives as the right wing. Liberals prefer the government to help the citizens more and provide them with programs and help they need such as benefits and health care services while conservatives prefer to not get the government involved and have less help. Since conservatives are most likely to have more money they believe that the government should tax less and spend less while liberals have less money and believe that the government should provide more services to help to the poor and increase taxes on the wealthy people. Their social views are also different for example liberals are more freely when it comes to people and believe they should be able to do what they want such as abortion and being gay while conservatives point of view on that is the opposite. They oppose to gay marriages and abortion.

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Althusser argues that ideology is capitalist society in fundamental to social control and education is the right way to trasmit the idea of ideology. He defined two types of apparatus that controlled behavior. The first is called the repressive apparatus. The second one is called ideological . Repressive is when a person has the fear of violence and the fear and what may happen therefore the person follows what authority says and avoids punishment.Althussers also believed that the call of ideology, responding to it is what dooms you from the outset. He called that Interpellation. He believes that ideology is used to keep people under control and for them to obey and have discipline

Question 1

Ideology describes one’s view of the world, usually politically, but also religiously, morally, ethically, etc. Concurrently, it describes one’s beliefs on how to deal with the problems of the world, or how not to deal with them. It is informed by many factors, but the most common are parental influence, generation, the political climate of one’s upbringing, identity (sexual, racial, etc), and education. Ideologies are man-made.

An example of a common ideology is Conservatism. In America, conservatives operate on the belief that Government is a threat to individual liberty and must be as small and limited as possible. This core belief drives all of their other beliefs on policy, as well as how they interact with and view others in the world.

Question 2

Conservatives and liberals make up the bulk of the population in the United States. While they are essentially two sides of the same coin (capitalists), their differences come down to their beliefs on equality and uses/ideal size of the government. Conservatives favor a small, localized government handled by individual states. This stems from a belief that a big government poses a threat to individual liberty. In their view, the US government has taken on too much since the New Deal, and needs to be significantly rolled back. They believe that free market capitalism is fair and ideal, that the government should completely avoid handouts to impoverished communities, and that social programs need to be reduced or cut completely. In general, they favor traditional moral values, especially applied to issues such as gay marriage, abortion, etc.

For liberals, the most important and deciding issue is equality. Their policies grew out of the New Deal. They favor a large government and lots of government intervention, especially in the forms of higher taxes, regulation of large corporations, environmental regulation and protection, and cuts towards the defense budget. They are especially dedicated to the assistance of marginalized groups, which stems from their strive for equality. In general, they do not trust the fairness of the free market. Their social beliefs take the progressive route. As examples, they are pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, and fervent proponents of racial equality.

Question 3:

In Althusser’s view, ideology is our subconscious belief about how we must function in society. This of course comes with a subconscious belief of how society should function. Specifically, that society must function capitalistically, and any questioning or rebellion against capitalism should result in violence (although not always literal physical violence. ex: incarceration). Althusser believed that these ideas are ingrained even before birth, giving the example of children taking their father’s last names. Another example of this definition of ideology is the belief that we must constantly be working in order to be “good” people. In my personal experience, every time I have a gap in employment or in school I eventually end up feeling lazy, useless, and ashamed.

1. In my opinion, ideology is a group of ideas and beliefs that are shared by a group of people. To elaborate, an individual can be part of democracy, for example, therefore, they will listen to the collection of ideas about democracy. I see the term ideology as a belief system where different people have a say on what they believe. Also, I consider ideology to be a concept where I think people exercise the highest power over the country. I understand ideology as one’s ideas and beliefs. For example, I can believe in the term democracy, therefore, I will continue searching for and exercising the utmost authority over government policies and governance.

2. As I read the reading, I came across some terms such as conservative, liberal, and other many terms. In this particular space, I will discuss what is the difference between the two ideologies conservative and liberal. As one should know, conservative ideology is when the individual has the freedom and contains human dignity. To elaborate, conservative ideology preaches the virtues of private initiative and self-reliance. The reading gave an example that “rich and poor pretty much get what they deserve; people are poor not because of inadequate wages and lack of economic opportunity but because they are lazy, profligate, or incapable.”(pg 52). This is an example of how conservative ideology can be defined. Liberal ideology carries protecting and improving the freedom of the individual to be the problem of politics. Liberal ideology is constructed on the liberty and equality of all human beings. I understand the differences between conservative and liberal ideologies by having the idea behind my head that conservative is the left-wing and liberal ideology is right-wing. Liberalism supports a democratic form of government, while conservative ideology supports a capitalist form of government.

3. I understand Althusser’s definition of ideology which he believes that ideology has little to do with awareness, it is deeply insensible. Althusser believed that ideology is spread by agents such as the media and helps to create society’s identities. 

1. I would describe ideology as a belief system or system of ideas installed into individuals. An example of this would be a football organization having its players represent themselves a certain way when being interviewed by the media. This organization is creating a mindset for its players on how they should behave and act. Further more ideologies are installed all around us. At work their is one form of ideology, with a group of friends there may be another and at your parents house a different kind. All these environments have the ability to create ideas in which dictate how one should act in such settings.

2. The difference I see between Liberal and Conservative ideology in America is that Liberals are more for big government and Conservatives are against big government. Liberal’s support ideas like universal healthcare, assisted living for the unfortunate and larger taxes on the ultra wealthy. Conservatives support less taxes on the ultra wealthy arguing that if they were taxed less they could provide better pay and opportunities for the working class. They support big spending on the military and less spending on the helpless. Liberals want the governments help but don’t want the government to be a police state over them. As for conservatives they feel the government should stay out of most situations and be the up most authoritative to the average citizen.

3. Althusser’s definition of ideology is that if you distract the members of a society with the “choices” of freedom then they will feel free. Which keeps them content enough to conform to the system that the people in charge want integrated. If this doesn’t work and people do try to disregarded the system then you threaten or punish them with violence. The whole idea is to give people a sense of freedom so they do not think about inequality or fight for change. For example giving the people the right to vote for president in America. In all actuality the odds of either candidate making substantial changes is slim but the powers that be want the people to feel like they have a choice so they don’t try to rewrite the whole system.

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

An ideology is a collection of beliefs and opinions of an individual person or group of people which has an effect on how people view the world they live in. Ideology is used to define the common interests and goals of a particular political party, as well as philosophies regarding cultural groups or religious backgrounds. Most people support several ideologies. For example, someone who affiliates with a certain religion and identifies with a political party follows at least two ideologies.  

Political parties come with an assortment of ideals that range from government and economics to healthcare and constitutional rights. The two major parties of the United States are often said to have major ideological differences. Someone’s chosen political belief dictates how they feel about the role of government in society. For example, the political ideology of an anarchist would be a society without a class system, monarchy, or political group, but instead relies on the people to govern themselves. Ideologies of fascism would be the need for a powerful state to achieve social and economic success, with the help of an authoritarian or totalitarian leader. Fascists often believe in racial supremacy like the ruthless and fascist dictator Adolf Hitler.  

There is also an assortment of cultural and social ideologies that usually have an impact on their actions as well as the political party they side with. For instance, a social ideology that I would relate to personally is feminism. As an ideology, feminism promotes equality for all women in multiple fields such as economic equality, social equality, and political equality. It additionally focuses on the rights of women, including their reproductive rights. The contrasting ideology is referred to as a patriarchal ideology. This is where men are the predominant leaders within a society and hold all power. This power includes the development of laws and practices that must be followed by all citizens. All religions can be considered ideologies and consists of various beliefs. Some people who subscribe to a religion are devout and use the principles of their belief system to help them make important life choices, such as selecting what political party to align with.  

Frequently ideologies are spread by institutions like the church, the government, the media, the law, and sometimes even the school system. These are ideologies that exist in our everyday lives and are things we very rarely question because they are thought of as the norm. This discourages people from fighting back against these policies and in turn keeps society stable. Some examples of ideologies that occur in our day to day lives are beliefs about gender roles, stereotypes about people of a certain race and sexual orientation, and the notion of classism.  

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

The ideologies of liberals and conservatives are known to be fundamentally different. However, having two healthy political parties existing together is part of the necessary framework of the United States. Conservatives and liberals have similar goals when it comes to wealth, however, the two parties have opposite ways of achieving them. Conservatives and liberals bump heads on subjects such as the size of the government and how big a role it should play in the average citizen’s life. One party calls for big government that helps their people, while the other prefers that government take a much smaller position in their lives. Understandably, liberals vote for issues that conservatives will oppose, as well as the other way around. In general, it is easy to recognize what party someone affiliates with according to their social status, ethnicity, education, and household upbringing, however, locating them this way is not always accurate. Each group holds their own viewpoints and is a major part of contemporary political thoughts and beliefs in the United States.  

As mentioned before, conservatives believe that a sizable government is a danger to the citizens individual liberty. They wish to have the smallest government involvement possible in their daily lives. Although they agree that the government should aid in our national defense and believe that the spending should not be cut for the military. Nevertheless, ever since President Franklin Roosevelt proposed the New Deal the conservatives think that government has played far too big a role in the lives of the people, and they do everything they can to remedy this. According to conservatives, decisions should be made within each individual state. Organizations that provide disposable income should be controlled by the private sector, the part of the economy that is not under government control. By doing this the conservatives believe they will decrease the amount of money they country is spending. This reduction in spending, according to conservative ideals, will equate to lower taxes. The conservative party believes in the free market. A free market is a system in which all economic decisions and activities concerning money are voluntary and therefore it cannot be corrupted. Conservatives propose that this will provide benefits for many people as well as immense economic opportunity.  

Conservatives dislike flag burning and encourage incorporating faith into our education system because it provides people with their traditional ideological views. Due their religious background conservatives tend to be heavily against abortion, however there are occasions when they stray away from their party’s social believes. This is not the case when it comes to economic views.  

Liberals believe that equality is the most important virtue of their party and government is there to help them promote that virtue. Unlike conservative ideology, liberals rely heavily on the government to resolve any problems that may arise. They particularly appreciate the government getting involved in the form of higher taxes, and when they implement programs to assist marginalized groups such as people of color, women, and the underprivileged. Liberals are equally appreciative when the government helps the environment. This is because, contrasting to the ideological views of conservatives, liberals do not trust the free market and do not believe their decisions will be fair for all people. The liberals are aware that many of their proposals are extremely expensive, so they are in favor of high taxes on the rich as well as large money grabbing corporations. Liberals are not entirely anti-business, but they would rather see them regulated by the government, so the money is evenly distributed. Another major liberal ideology is that they believe that the country spends far too much money on the military. The money should be cut and given to programs that desperately need it. Additionally, liberals are primarily anti-gun and are sometimes labeled as New Deal Liberals because many policies they advocate for come out of President FDR’s New Deal.  

3. How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words. Given an example. 

French philosopher Louis Althusser states that people are starting to become obedient to authority figures like politicians, police officers, and even schoolteachers. By complying with these people in charge the population it makes our ideology stronger. People do not do what they want when they want to because they are fearful of the consequences. Althusser proceeds to proclaim that schools are the most powerful state apparatus because it is mandatory for students all over the world. Schools have now taken the place of churches during the medieval feudal system. In school you learn how to read, write, and complete a math problem, but you are similarly taught how to be disciplined by those who outrank you. You follow a precise schedule, take the same classes every day, but you are also taught to surrender to the demands of your teacher, never speak out of turn, keep a tidy desk, and only speak when called on by your teacher. We follow these rules because of the looming threat of violence or punishment. Teachers are part of the ideological system; however, Althusser does not believe they are at fault because they are simply following the rules of the people they answer to, making it never ending cycle of fear-based compliance. 

1. In my own words ideology would be described as a system to keep everyone in check. Even though people would have some “freedom” ideology they make sure everything goes the way it is supposed to be like a structured system. An example of this would be the education system. Everything is in order and we have the “leaders” and the students that have to abide by every rule and do as they are told or there will be consequences. 
2. The way I understand the difference between conservative and liberal ideology is that conservative is conserved more structure and “rules” while liberal is more open and more likely to give the people what they want. The big difference between liberals and conservatives is liberals think that the government should focus more on economic issues and less on moral ones. Conservatives feel that the government should focus more on social concerns and less on economic issues.
3. I view Althusser’s definition of ideology more of a practice. Things of order. As in the second video the examples were school, the government, and the police system. All these examples are practices put in place to keep order.

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

Ideology is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual. Using ideology is also an impact on what side the people want to be on in the government. The beliefs influence the way individuals think, act and view the world. Often ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or set of ideas that characterize a particular culture.

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

As for political views conservative prefer smaller government, less regulation, most services to be provided by the private sector in a free market and a literal interpretation of the constitution. On the liberal side, they prefer more regulation and services like free universal health care to be provided by the government to all citizens.  

For economic views conservatives feel the government should tax less and spend less. Cutting spending to balance the budget should be the priority. Higher income earners should have an incentive to invest. Charity is the responsibility of the people.As for Liberals feel the government should provide more services to the less fortunate ( like health care) and increase taxes if necessary. High- income earners should pay a larger percentage of their income as taxes.

For social views conservatives opposednto gay marriage, abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Support the right to bear arms, death penalty , and personal responsibility as an individual. On the other hand liberals feel as if gay couples to get equal rights like everyone else; abortion should be legal; support embryonic stem cell research. Support restrictions and regulations around the right to bear arms. 

•  How do you understand Althusser’s definition of ideology? Paraphrase it in your own words.

Ideology is based on a person’s opinions. A group of people who have the same opinion will stick together and may probably go against people who have a different opinion than them. That is how I understand it. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to different peoples’ opinions and their beliefs. You cannot suggest someone is wrong because they believe something you don’t. Ideology helps the government have structure.

1. An Ideology to me, Tristan Flinn, is your beliefs in how you think society would work best, not always political, Sometimes it is just about how you think things would benefit more from.  For example an idea of an ideology in someone’s personal life could be like when Uncle Ben tells Peter, “With Great power, comes great responsibility” , This is an idea peter dedicates his life to as spiderman, he always puts the safety of others before his own, even if it means his own happiness. An Ideology is something you believe in, something you base your life and understanding of things around. It is how you learn to understand the universe, Government, issues within your own life. An Ideology that builds who you are is how we are all so unique and the same at the same time.

2. Conservatives and Liberals are relatively different in terms of beliefs. For example the main argument/difference in beliefs between the two have to deal with the Government. Liberals want a more involved Government cause they think inclusion with the people will help everyone from not having mistrust in the government. While Conservatives want a less involved government because that would mean less money being used to improve a lot of things, which also means less money on taxes. I would say that’s the biggest difference. So I would say your belief in how you want the government to interact with the public is a main tie breaker in deciding what your ideology title is. 

1. This video described ideology very differently, in a very dark way, but also pretty realistic. Not too much comedy added to it. Athusser touches on the idea of ideology at a way deeper sense then the video before hand ( no offense to makers). The idea that our lives are shaped by ideologies made by people and passed on, the idea of being judged in a society if you disagree is very important. You can trace back ideologies to a lot of bad moments in time, like fascists.

Task #1

A) Describing ideology

Ideology is your understanding and beliefs on how society’s politics and economy should be. It’s formed from who you identify to be or your views on society.-An overall perspective of how people would like to be governed by your government. Essentially ideology is the security and protection an individual would like their government to provide for them.

B) Example

Conservatives advocate for capitalism and little to no government involvement. Their ideology stems from Darwin’s survival of the fittest; that is how they would like society to be shaped. Those who identify as conservatives would not have supported FDR’s new deal plan that provided regulation on business, consumer protection, minimum wage law, and worker protection. They believe government does not need to involve itself in “repairing” or “constructing” a better and fair society.

C) What is ideology to you?

I believe ideology is an individual’s way of asserting their views on society. I think it is vital for each individual to have an understanding of what governments do. If you are contributing to the growth of a society you have the liberty to have a voice in it. Ideology helps you identify with others in calling out unfairness or recognizing an inhumane condition. It is the people’s right to choose how they’d like to be governed and it is the responsibility of the government to maintain ethics and prosperity.

However, though ideology is fundamental for people to have they are not always correct. It is necessary for there to be a code of ethics people agree to and follow. That is why there is so much complication and it is necessary to think of all aspects before ruling a decision. During Hitler’s regime in Nazi Germany, their society was flourishing. Though not all Germans believed in the ideology at hand they did prosper with it.-But at what cost? The benefit for many can be the destruction of others. Before deciding what your ideology is you must first have a code of ethics on a humane level of understanding. There are so many factors that contribute to one’s opinion and it should not be entirely based on biased factors.

Task #2

Conservatives’ concerns surround the prosperity of business and the economy. While most conservatives might not come from wealth they consider the growth of the economy to be essential in their day-to-day lives. Conservatives also believe in upholding traditional values and that government involvement should be minimized.

Liberals believe in the expansion of government as a means to produce a better society for its inhabitants. They prefer government involvement to maintain ethics and fairness amongst the economic classes. Liberals believe more in progressive ideas than in upholding traditional ones.

Conservatives believe the expansion of government takes away from individual liberty whilst liberals believe it protects it. It is also important to mention that this is because of who the majority of the people behind these ideologies are. Most conservatives don’t want the government to have so much control so they can “preserve the privileges and traditional practices of the upper strata”(page 52). Liberals believe the government has to be involved with its people in order to improve “public services..wage support..(and) aid for needy children”(pg54).-Which conservatives believe “private charity can take care of…and that there is no need for government handouts”(pg53). The key difference between these two ideologies is their view on how much power the government should have.

Task #3

Ideology in Althusser’s definition is to give the individual a feeling of power with the means to maintain the status quo of the capitalist system in place. This means the individual has no real power only a sense of it due to the democratic apparatus installed by the system. There are multiple apparatus that give individuals in capitalist society to have the illusion of choice. There are two vital apparatuses in Althusser’s school of thought, repressive and ideological. Repressive is when an individual follows authority because they are controlled by the fear of violence or punishment. Ideological is when an individual is accepted by sharing something in common with a group. There are different apparatus in ideology that gives you “artificial allegiance”. These apparatus distract you from “thinking of inequality” and rebelling, making you more compliant with authority.

The way the system is maintained is through mandatory attendance in schools. The school’s function in the capitalist system is that of the church’s in the feudal system. It teaches children to follow authority even if it isn’t a good one. If you do not follow the rules you get punished. This reinforces control in the capitalist system for you are less likely to rebel again the status quo. You learn about the system’s unfairness but you are also made aware that it does not entirely change. Interestingly enough, unless you are in a place of power or have connections to power punishment is not applied. It demonstrates how capitalism is maintained by those in the upper class and the rules do not apply to them. The system has not changed it has simply been given a new name.

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.