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Sociology vocabulary · Theories and Thinkers

Ideology

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒi/nounCore term

In sociology, ideology means: A set of ideas and beliefs that explains how society works and how it should work, and that often supports the interests of a particular group.

In Turkish: ideoloji

How it is used

In Marxist sociology, the dominant ideology is said to make existing inequalities look natural or fair. More generally, sociologists study political, religious and gender ideologies. In sociology the word is analytical, not simply a label for ideas you disagree with.

Example sentences

  1. The article examines how advertising spreads an ideology of consumption.

  2. In The German Ideology, Marx and Engels argued that the ruling class also controls the dominant ideas of its time.

Common collocations

  • dominant ideology
  • political ideology
  • gender ideology
  • ideological state apparatus
  • hegemonyLeadership or domination by one group that rests mainly on consent, achieved when its values and ideas come to be accepted by others as common sense.
  • powerThe ability of a person or group to achieve their goals or influence the behaviour of others, even when others resist.
  • valuesWidely shared beliefs about what is good, right, important or desirable in a society, which guide people's choices and the norms they follow.
  • conflict theoryA group of theories that see society as shaped by struggles between groups with unequal power and resources, such as classes, genders or ethnic groups.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Theories and Thinkers

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