I found the class discussion about ideology and how we can never truly escape it very interesting. We shouldn’t aim to avoid ideology since it’s not possible, but we should be aware of it and how it influences our lives. We first must acknowledge that something exists and is operating/upheld because of an ideology. Then we can try to decipher what kind of ideology, for what purposes, who does it benefit and harm, and what is its impact. Those in power, especially those that abuse their power, do not want us to question and break down ideology or even acknowledge that it exists. The ideology that keeps certain people and groups in power gains more power if we view it as invisible/nonexistent. Their ideology is the “truth” and the “way things are/should be.” This must be acknowledged if we are to change dominant ideology that can damaging and oppressive. Of course, this means one ideology replacing another ideology as dominant/mainstream.
I think part of the reason people struggled with the concept that we can’t move outside of ideology, we can only challenge ideologies is because we tend to think of ideology as harmful, controlling, narrow, and manipulative. When we think of the word ideology, I think most people first think of an ideology they don’t agree or maybe have experienced some form of violence from. Several people in the class talked about their negative experience with religion. I also first thought about religion. My parents are not particularly religious, but my dad was brought up in a Catholic family so its custom in his family that everyone goes to Sunday school and is eventually confirmed. According to them, I didn’t have to believe in it, but I had to be confirmed and go to Sunday school. Through Sunday school, the teachers pushed an ideology that promoted homophobia, looking down on other religions, and shaming sexuality. I don’t believe this represents Catholicism as a whole, but it represents the teachers’ interpretation of it. I had a negative experience with this type of ideology, but I am very ideology driven and I do try to get people to believe in the ideologies I do. I am a feminist, so I support causes that I believe will help women and other marginalized groups and I want other people to do the same. At the same time, I judge religious people for trying to convert people to their ideology when they are also operating on the belief that more people believing what they do will help make the world better. I’m still not ok with people pressuring people to believe in a certain religion, but I think it’s important that I acknowledge this slight hypocrisy.
I like the way you recapped what we discussed in class and how you talked about why some people find it so troubling that we are constantly guided by ideology in our beliefs and daily actions. I also found class really interesting this week when we got to hear more of people's personal stories with such ideologies like religion and Josh's experience in the army, and I appreciated reading about your experience with religion.
ReplyDeleteThese discussions made me realize how people can be affected by different ideologies and how our work in critical theory allows us to take a step back from being fully encompassed in these planes of consciousness in order to consider how they really affect us and people around us. It made me think about my own personal connections with religion, and how I have always been aware of different religions and beliefs. I was interested to read about your experience with Catholicism because mine has been different.
For instance, for me, as someone who practices their faith almost weekly by going to Catholic mass, our class discussion put me in kind of a weird spot. I know that by being a practicing Catholic I am fully engrossed in an ideology, and I also know that many of my peers do not believe in that same ideology.
However, I was thinking in class about Althusser's ISA's (Ideological Status Apparatuses) and how religion and family are both mentioned in the list. In my experience with religion, family is definitely a huge enforcer of the Catholic ideology. My dad's side of the family is a huge Irish Catholic family and I can equate so many good childhood memories with the general ideology of Catholicism. Furthermore, my grandmother was extremely religious.
Now, times have changed and I think a lot of people in my family and the church in general are not very strict about the 'the rules of the church' anymore. To be honest, I do not think I would even know all of them if you asked me about them. A lot of Catholics' beliefs vary from what people typically think of 'Catholic beliefs' such as homophobia or looking down on other religions. However, Catholicism is what we are familiar with and it has a sense of history in our lives/family.
This is a strange concept to me that I can believe in one ideology and someone else can belief strongly in an opposite ideology. It is weird to think that someone is controlling my thoughts when I am involved in a religious ideology. Although I acknowledge that this is true, I don't like the feeling.