Ideology


 * Definition**

The //Oxford English Dictionary// (2012) defines the term “ideology” as “the science of ideas” or the “department of philosophy or psychology that deals with the origin and nature of ideas.” Ideology originates from the term “idéologie” coined by French philosopher Antoine Destutt de Tracy in 1796 (Freeden, 2003) and refers to both the “study of ideas” and the “philosophy of the mind which derives knowledge from the senses.” The study of ideology for Destutt de Tracy (Freeden, 2003) was a means to empirically verify the construction of ideas within the tradition of post-positivism. In 1909, the Greeks first recorded the definition of ideology as “a systematic set of ideas of doctrines.”


 * Historical Background**

As a concept, ideology started with French philosophers who sought psychological answers for philosophical questions during the Enlightenment (Grossberg, 2005 p. 175-178). In order to challenge an emerging democracy, Napoleon Bonaparte added a negative connotation to the concept of ideology by arguing that it was just abstract knowledge that had no real backing in life or experience. Nineteenth century conservatives used ideology against political platforms they found radical or extreme (Grossberg, 2005, p.175).

Ideologies are also systems of fragmented beliefs about political and social systems that people are conscious of in their world. Philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels determined that ideologies were a way to provide an illusion or false reality through politics by theorizing the link between ideology and political power. The Marxist tradition of philosophy used ideology to signify the changes in economic power and the point where people become aware of the power that is being held over them. Since the rich use ideology to define what is acceptable for society, according to Marx and Engels, the rich have the power to present a distorted reality to the poor in order to maintain their power over them (Grossberg, 2005).

Ideology remains a contested concept within sociological theory (Williams, 1986, p.155-156). According to Antonio Gramsci, society continually struggles to attain the perfect ideology that all can agree upon (Grossberg, 2005, p.176). Ernesto Laclau and Stuart Hall reiterate Gramsci’s belief that society will struggle with ideology when they claim that individuals’ different interpretations cause a consistent struggle for a dominant ideology (Grossberg, 2005, p.176-178). Unfortunately, the possession of an ideology still has a negative connotation that Bonaparte bestowed on the term during the Enlightenment period (Williams, 1986, p.157).


 * Ideology and Communication Studies**

A search for the term “ideology” on the National Communication Association (NCA) ([]) and the International Communication Association (ICA) ([]) websites returns articles and calls for papers that use ideology as a framework to address topics such as social change, government, organizations, religion, and a multitude of other topics. Ideology is a prominent concept in communication studies because of its influence on individual and group identities. Rhetorical studies, media, and organizational communication are three sub-fields of communication research that are influenced by ideology.


 * //Rhetorical Studies://** In rhetorical studies, ideology is most often associated with political rhetoric or conflicts. For example, Kumar (2010) argues the presidential administration of George W. Bush embraced a “clash of cultures” ideology in its rhetoric after 9/11 in order to garner political support. G.W. Bush created an “us” versus “them” mentality in his political rhetoric by claiming that Muslims have an ideology that is different from that of the United States. Framing Muslims in the following ways created this ideology: Islam is a monolithic religion (p. 260-261); Islam is a uniquely sexist religion (p. 261-264); the “Muslim mind” is incapable of science, rational thinking, and reason (p. 264-267); Islam is an inherently violent religion (p.267-269); and the West spreads democracy, whereas Islam spawns terrorism (p. 270-272). In these ways, the rhetoric of politics created an atmosphere of fear, for which the solution was supporting the Bush administration’s agenda to protect America against the Muslim’s ideologies.


 * //Media://** While rhetoric can be a powerful tool to build up or break down ideologies, the media is also a source of ideological thought. The framing of a news story can shape ideologies through what is both presented and left out of a story, especially when ideology professional norms, framing and policy intersect. While both organizations claim to be unbiased, ideologies seeped through in their coverage choices. This can affect viewers, which can be the case with almost all news reporting (Grayantes & Murphy, 2010, p.165).


 * //Organizational Communication://** In organizational communication, ideology is an important part of corporate culture and plays a role in employees identifying with an organization. According to Wines and Hamilton (2009, p. 439), “An ideology is a generally coherent set of values, beliefs, and hopes (sometimes fears) about how the world does and should work. Sometimes, embracing a certain ideology may be a requirement for belonging to a group.” Thus, workplace ideologies can become central for organizations, reflecting the culture, attitudes and beliefs of the organization.

Although the concept of ideology has been connoted as positive, negative, and neutral (Williams, 1986), it is important to understand that it is always an underlying current in communication studies. While this article uses rhetorical studies, media, and organization communication as exemplars for how communication is used in the field, it is important to recognize that ideologies are embedded deeply in other areas of communication studies and other academic fields and disciplines outside of communication.

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 * References**

Freeden, M. (2003). Ideology: //A very short introduction//. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Garyantes, D.M. & Murphy, P.J. (2010). Success or chaos?: Framing and ideology in news coverage of the Iraqi national elections. //International Communication Gazette//, 72(2), 151-170. doi: 10.1177/1748048509353866

Grossberg, L. (2005). Ideology. In T. Bennett, L. Grossberg, & M. Morris (Eds), //New keywords: A revised vocabulary of culture and society// (pp. 175-178). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Ideology. (n.d.). In //Online etymology dictionary//. Retrieved from [].

Ideology. (2012.). In //Oxford English dictionary//. Retrieved from [|http://www.oed.com.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/view/Entry/91016?rskey=WkYzfo&result=1#eid]

Kumar, D. (2010). Framing Islam: The resurgence of Orientalism during the Bush II era. //Journal of Communication Inquiry//, 34(3), 254-277. doi: 10.1177/0196859910363174

Williams R. (1986). //Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society//. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Wines, W.A. & Hamilton, III, J.B. (2009). On changing organizational cultures by injecting new ideologies: The power of stories. //Journal of Business Ethnics//, 89, 433-447. doi: 10.1007/s10551-008-0009-5