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Gramsci'S Approach To Ideology Proposes That Oppressed

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Gramsci 's approach to ideology proposes that oppressed classes condone the ideas, values and authority of the hegemonic class because they limited motive to establish their own (Strinati, 1995). Gramsci’s contribution to ideology is noted due to the lack of force and focused on intellectual power. However, Gramsci fails to acknowledge that the working class work extremely long labour hours and do not have the opportunity to discuss their oppositional views with a group. Yet, Gramsci’s commentary and introduction to hegemony are particularly pertinent to the development of Marxist ideology as hegemony delivers a way of comprehending the circumstances in which informal educators function and ability to scrutinise and alter this (Burke, …show more content…

Althusser recognised that religion also plays a crucial role in communicating ruling class ideology to the masses. Relating back to Marx’s (1844) description of religion as ‘the opium of the people’. Acknowledging that the teachings of the church are imposed by the ruling class to allow for false consciousness as the church teaches the working-classes to comply with capitalism and provides measures to cope with hardship. Nonetheless, (Giddens, 1971. P: 7) claimed ‘the abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness’. However, ideology is necessary for social life. Regardless if a society has a class system the function of ideology allows for social cohesion (Rancière, 2011).
Positives of Althusser’s structural approach to ideology are the identification of the methods for alienation and subjection of the working-class and their beliefs, by classifying such forms of misleading ideology it has allowed for the working class to acknowledge their false consciousness and additionally for the sociology of knowledge to advance. On the other hand, (Miller 2002) argues that yes, the ruling class do influence capitalist social norms, however, the notion that ideology regulates and sustains social order has been over analysed and excessively inflated by theorists such as Althusser.
Concept of ideology and the contemporary
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