Ideology

Ideology definition = A shared set of ideas + views that a common group of people hold about the world.

• Provides a means of understanding, interpreting and explaining the world

  • This is why many people turn to religion in order to find meaning and understanding within their lives

Marxist view: Althusser = Ideology is used by powerful groups to share their ideas to distort reality to justify their own power + interests

Marxist view: Gramsici = defined ideology as terms of leadership where certain ideas dominate society at any given time.

• Ideological control of the working class is never total as the ruling class has also had to fight to sustain their leadership

• Marxists then identified religion being used as a revolutionary force rather than as a support mechanism.

Feminist view: Beauvoir = Patriarchal ideology is the centre of religious views where holy texts portray women as having significant status + respect in life

Criticisms:

• Pluralists = reject Marxist + feminist views that a single group have a domination of power

  • Argue that different groups have their own ideologies and society reflects this diversity/plurality

Science

Science definition = associated with natural sciences that consists of structure, reliability, objectivity + measurability.

• Some sociologists claim that society is becoming more secular & more reliant + trusting of science as religion is less measurable

Functionalist view: Durkheim + Comte = Science should be: observable, dethatched from emotions + objective. It should be able to demonstrate correlation, cause and effect

Popper = thinks that science should be based on falsification

• All knowledge is temporary as there is a possibility for it to be falsified

Falsification = if a theory can be proven wrong then it is true.

Khun =