Dominant Ideology and the United States, Essay Example

The word ideology has a different definition and is utilized in different ways. It is usually used in our daily language to describe a wide and cohesive set of political beliefs and ideas like socialism, conservatism, and liberalism. Ideology, at times, is used in sociology, and also one can encounter ideology being used by Marxists (Cole, 2019). The concept of ideology, according to Marx, is a word that describes a set of beliefs and ideas that are prevalent in society and are utilized to justify the privilege and power of the ruling class. Even though the utilization of the word ideology is effectively neutral, it is a vividly negative concept of ideology that is used to interfere with the truth by giving individuals false illustrations of how the universe works in order to control and manipulate them. Ideology, also in other definitions, is used to define an official set of ideas and beliefs that are linked to a particular political system which is usually an authoritarian or oppressive system that is founded on a single ideology. The Marxist perspective of ideology is mainly shared by different feminists who claim that the patriarchal ideology is what preserves the dominant role of men in our current society. This paper will analyze the dominant ideology in America.

Components of Dominant Ideology in the U.S

Despite different consistent values, the American culture has many expressions. Cultures contain values that are greatly shared by the members of a particular nation or area. The values that are associated with a particular society can be easily recognized by noting which individuals’ honor, respect, and receive. Values are linked to the norms of a particular culture, even though they are more abstract and global than norms. Norms are those rules that are linked to behavior in precise situations, while values help to recognize that which should be judged as evil or good. For example, flying a national flag during the holiday is considered the norm, but it shows the value of patriotism. For example, wearing dark clothing is considered to be normative behavior when attending a funeral, and in some cultures, it shows the value of support and respect for family and friends.

Different cultures show different values. In U.S culture, it contains both the liberal and conservative elements like religious and scientific competitiveness, free expression and risk-taking, moral elements, political structure, and materialism (“Culture and the Dominant Ideologies in the U.S. | Boundless Sociology,” n.d.). Apart from some of the consistent ideological principles like egalitarianism, individualism, and democracy, the demographic diversity and geographical scale of the American culture have spawned different expressions. The flexibility of the American culture and its high symbolic nature have led some researchers to classify the American culture as either exceptionalism or a mythic identity.

The conservative and liberal elements are found in the two main political parties in the U.S, the Republican, and Democratic parties. These elements greatly impact the American policy debates, which are usually connected to the appropriate amount of intervention from the government on matters affecting social behavior and the economy. Through the conservative element, a conservative person usually believes that the government needs to be small and should operate at the local or state level. They prefer minimal interference by the government towards the economy and favor solutions derived from the private sectors. On the other hand, individuals that believe in liberal ideology feel that the government in the modern-day should intercede in the economy and give a wide range of social services that will ensure equality and well-being across society (“Ideologies of political parties: lesson overview (article) | Khan Academy,” 2022). The government should not interfere with the social behavior and private sex of individuals through the liberal element.

Acceptance of Dominant Ideology in the U.S

The American dream is described as the belief that every American possesses the freedom to have a better life, such as owning a nice car or a house or having a more comfortable life than the parents. Freedom has greatly fueled great rags to riches tales, like the former president of the U.S, Barrack Obama, starting from just a lecturer from low-income family background to becoming the first black American president of the country. Also, stories have been told of penniless immigrants that came to the country to become successful entrepreneurs. Also, there are stories of people dropping out is Universities to pursue their dreams and inventing things that keep them on the world map. Such stories greatly contribute to the political culture of America.

Every nation has a political culture where there is a wide sharing of values, norms, and beliefs that describe the relationship between the government and the citizens. Beliefs about economic life play a significant role in shaping the political culture since politics impact the economy of a nation. A good comprehension of a political culture of a particular nation greatly helps one to understand the way a particular government is designed and the political decisions made by its leaders. The American citizens have come to accept the dominant ideology through their actions. For example, people in America believe in liberty. The majority of individuals in the U.S believe in the right to be free as long as the rights of the other individual are not abused. For example, during the covid 19 pandemic, the majority of the countries forced their citizens to get vaccinated by limiting the crucial services to those individuals that were not vaccinated. In the U.S, the process of getting a vaccination was purely free without manipulating, threatening, or forcing the citizens to get the vaccination.

The U.S citizens have accepted the dominant ideology through practicing quality. This translates to equality of opportunity. In the past, individuals in the U.S had unequal opportunities, especially the colored Americans. The minority groups were being discriminated against, but the U.S government and its citizens have created and adopted policies that ensure every individual gets equal opportunities. The people in the U.S have accepted the dominant ideology through practicing democracy. The elected officials are always accountable to the citizens while the citizens take the responsibility of choosing the officials wisely and thoughtfully. The Americans practice nationalism. Despite negative attitudes and views toward the governments at times, the majority of Americans are proud of their country’s past and prefer to de-emphasize issues such as military setbacks or intolerance (Kohls, 1984). The value also entails the belief that the U.S is virtuous and stronger than other nations. Through individualism, people have accepted that the rights of people are more highly valued than those of the government. Personal responsibility and initiative are strongly encouraged. The individuals have accepted the rule of law where the government is founded on a body of law that applies laws in a fair and equal manner, not on the notions of a ruler. Through capitalism, the dominant ideology has been accepted where people believe that they have a right to have their own private property while competing freely in the open markets with very little intervention from the government (“American Political Culture [ushistory.org],” 2021).

Poor are Undeserving of Welfare

The poor are placed in two categories, the deserving and the undeserving poor. The deserving poor are those individuals who are in need and are not able to work because they are disabled, too old, or too sick. On the other hand, the undeserving poor are individuals who do not work, and most of the time, it is assumed that the able-bodied individuals that are unemployed usually fit in this category (Spade, 2020). The deserving individuals, because of the U.S belief in personal responsibility and initiative, cannot be blamed for their poverty because their poverty is not linked to their character or behavior; instead, it is caused by their macro and structural forces beyond their control capability. The undeserving individuals, in contrast, are seen as poor persons that possess bad moral character and do not need to be helped.

The poor, according to the U.S dominant ideology, are undeserving of welfare. The structure of the U.S ensures that all individuals in the country have the same opportunities. All it needs is one to work hard and utilize the opportunities created by the government. From the governmental structure, the government should have minimal interference in the life of its citizens. Every individual should be treated equally without exception. This will ensure that the citizens depend on their own efforts and thinks of ways of creating wealth that will help them elevate to a higher status. When an individual works or thinks of an idea, he is able to help himself and also the government. This is because the government will be able to collect more taxes, while the person may come up with a business idea that will employ more people and enhance the lives of the citizens. Giving the poor individual welfare is not a way of helping them, especially if they are physically able. This is clearly showing those people that they can rest and put no effort into finding a job or think of an idea that will help them accumulate wealth. The government should have minimal intervention in the lives of its citizens. Giving the poor welfare means another person will have to take the burden of an able person, which is not fair. A citizen who is working and building the country will have to be taxed extra in order to give welfare to a poor person who is able. According to the dominant ideology in the U.S, equality should be practiced by the government, and taxing a hardworking citizen for the sake of another citizen that is poor and is not willing to put effort is not fair.

References

American Political Culture [ushistory.org]. Ushistory.org. (2021). Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.ushistory.org/gov/4a.asp.

American Values and Assumptions | University of Portland. Up.edu. (2022). Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.up.edu/iss/advising-services/american-values.html.

Cole, N. (2019). What Is Ideology? A Sociologist Explains. ThoughtCo. Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.thoughtco.com/ideology-definition-3026356.

Culture and the Dominant Ideology in the U.S. | Boundless Sociology. Courses.lumenlearning.com. Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/culture-and-the-dominant-ideology-in-the-u-s/.

Ideologies of political parties: lesson overview (article) | Khan Academy. Khan Academy. (2022). Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-american-political-ideologies-and-beliefs/us-gov-ideologies-of-political-parties/a/lesson-summary-ideologies-of-political-parties.

Kohls, L. R. (1984). The values Americans live by. Washington, DC: Meridian House International.

Spade, D. (2020). Solidarity, not charity: Mutual aid for mobilization and survival. Social Text, 38(1), 131-151.https://doi.org/10.1215/01642472-7971139

What is Ideology?. tutor2u. (2018). Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.tutor2u.net/sociology/reference/what-is-ideology.