1. Beliefs vs Ideologies Introduction for key terms

Beliefs and ideologies

1. Beliefs in Society

2. Option 2: Beliefs in Society For Paper 2 in Sociology, you study two topics: Families and Households (Topic A2) Beliefs in Society (Topic B1) The format of the exam is 2x 10-markers, 1x 20-marker for each topic 80 marks in total – 2 hour exam 1/3 of your A-Level

3. What is a belief? How would you define the word belief? A belief is an idea about the world that society holds to be certain or true. In society we tend to associate beliefs with things that are intangible - E.g. God, love, gravity, friendship, democracy.

4. Beliefs in Sociology Sociology is interested in how beliefs provide meaning on issues of the supernatural and therefore shape society. As a result, we will consider beliefs to be concerning issues of science and religion, rather than the nature of reality itself. Secular beliefs are non-religious beliefs (e.g. the world is made of matter). Religious beliefs are aligned to a religion (e.g. there is life after death).

5. Where do we get our beliefs from? Raise your hand if you believe the following: There is life after death Wealth is desirable Hard work should be rewarded Learning about politics is important Supernatural forces (e.g. gods, aliens, ghosts, superstitions etc.) exist I have free will to make my own decisions Health is important There are many sources of belief: Others such as peers Media Experience Environment Socialisation Events

6. Beliefs and Values Beliefs and values are slightly different. Beliefs are convictions that society holds to be true. Values are society’s standard for what is good, desirable or just. For example, American’s often believe in the ‘American Dream’. This is the belief that hard work will be rewarded with success. This is based on the value that wealth is good and important. Can you think of other examples of beliefs and values?

7. How do beliefs impact society? Ideologies inform what society considers to be morally justifiable and acceptable. Beliefs can unite society (functionalism - value consensus) Beliefs can distract society away from truth (e.g. the subjugation of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie) Beliefs can act as a force for social change (e.g. US Civil Rights movement) Beliefs can give meaning to what may otherwise be pointless. Belief institutions (e.g. religions) shape society as a whole

8. Ideology An ideology is a set of values that provides a way of interpreting the world, and justifies the actions of a particular social group. For example, many people believe that equality is desirable. However, this belief has been turned into an ideology by many socialists who use the idea of equality to promote political change.

9. Types of Ideologies You need to be aware of four main ideologies: Pluralist ideology Dominant (hegemonic) ideology Patriarchal ideology Political ideology Using page 5, make some notes on each of these ideologies

10. Pluralist Ideology Read p. 5 and add to your notes. A view of the world in which there are many different types of ideology, and none of those ideologies has a claim to be ‘true’ or ‘right. All ideologies live alongside one another. However, pluralism has been criticised for itself claiming superiority over other ideologies (there is an inherent belief that pluralism is the ‘right’ way of viewing the world). Therefore it can ignore power imbalances in society but legitimising all points of view.

11. Dominant Ideology Read p. 5 and add to your notes. Marxists argue that there will always be dominant ideologies in society Mannheim (1985) and Althusser (1971): these ideologies maintain power through ideological state apparatuses that often obscure facts e.g. education, family, media. Consider the ‘fake news’ epidemic Gramsci (1971) developed the idea of hegemony – the process by which the ruling class maintain power in society by enforcing their norms and values across all groups in society.

12. Patriarchal Ideology Read p. 5 and make notes Feminist sociologists have identified a patriarchal ideology Beliefs that men are superior to, stronger and more logical than women has subjugated women to household work and labelled them as ‘emotional’. As a result, the world’s power is largely held by men Feminists would argue that institutions (e.g. religions) are patriarchal as they promote the interests of men

13. Political Ideology Read p. 5 and add to your notes. A political ideology is one which proposes an idea about how society should operate. Political ideologies can be broad (e.g. nationalism, communism, liberalism) or specific (e.g Conservative Party, Labour Party). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_k_k-bHigM

14. Glossary There are a number of key terms from today’s lesson – create a glossary. Belief Ideology Pluralism Dominant ideology Ideological state apparatuses Hegemony Patriarchal ideology Political ideology Nationalism Liberalism