Social Studies 30

Key Issue: To What Extent Should We Embrace an Ideology? Related Issue 1 To What Extent Should Ideology Be The Foundation of Identity?

Ideology IIdeas as to how society ought to be run. IIdeas used to justify an economic or political theory.

Why do we study ideology? Maybe a rock song from the 1980's will help us...

Why do we study ideology? Ideologies help us answer the BIG questions.

 What is the meaning of life?  Why do we exist?  What are humans like (nature of humans)?  What is the nature of society?  What is the role of individuals in society?

The BIG questions NOTES ON EACH (3 KEY WORKS OR PHRASES)  What are humans like (nature of humans)?  Read pages  What is the nature of society?  Read pages  What is the role of the individual in society?  Read pages 14-15

What are humans like (nature of humans)?

What is the nature of society?

What is our role in society?

Individualism  A current of thinking that values the freedom and worth of the individual, sometimes over the security and harmony of the group.

Collectivism  A current of thinking that values the goals of the group and the common good over the goals of any one individual.  Anthill Socialism Anthill Socialism

Characteristics of Ideology All ideologies contain a set of beliefs and values about similar things. They are all concerned with the essential questions of life, such as:  What are humans like and why do they act as they do?  How should society be structured?  How has the world worked in the past?  How should it work in the future?

The Nature of Human Beings Those who believe that people are basically good must, of course, find an explanation for crime and war and the other evils of the world. They explain it by the weakness of people, whose basic goodness can all too easily be suppressed by bad upbringing, wrong education, or harmful society. Those who believe people are bad expect the world to be ridden with evils and expect the achievement of anything good to be a struggle against human nature Powrie, T. (1983) “Political and Economic Systems.” Ontario: Academic Press

 Look at the discussion on pages 10 – 11  Which of these quotes do you agree with more?

The Structure of Society The structure of society is dependant on peoples’ beliefs and values.

Identity – what is it?Identity – what is it? (Click here) “One’s identity is a carefully managed performance. We must act differently in different settings, since life is a theatre.” - Erwing Goffman

 culture  language  media  relationship to land  environment  gender  religion, spirituality  (Page – 30_1 and Page 10 – 30_2 - Flag)

 Text pg 51 – chart  Read pages 49 – 51 and summarize the viewpoints on each of the following:  The nature of human beings  The structure of society  Interpretations of history  Visions of the future  Can use a chart, web or point form notes

Click on the title

 Dictatorial capitalist Dictatorial socialist Democratic capitalist Democratic socialist Liberal, socialist Consrv. FascistComm.

Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one

 Thinking about what we have just discussed, answer the following:  What is your ideology?  What are your opinions of what we have discussed?  Do you think your opinions might change, or are you positive in your position  What are some questions that are still unanswered?  Write your journal entry in approx. ½ page. This first entry will help to map your progress through the course as you identify your ideological perspectives.

What does it all mean?

 Cave Man: collective – could only survive by working with the group; identity based on group membership  Early Christians – had all things in common  Aboriginal societies – Potlatch on the West Coast

 Medieval Times – (later Middle Ages) people identified with their group (clergy, peasant, craftsman) rather than their individual identity; authority came from God = little room for individualism in political matters  Renaissance – greater interest in the individual (revival of Greek and Roman attitudes); humanistic art (taking credit for works)  Protestant Reformation – individual challenges to the Catholic Church (religion became more personal)

Historical understanding

Individualism rule of law private property competition individual rights and freedoms economic freedom self-interest Government control is seen as interfering and counter-productive

 Rule of law – everyone is subject to the law, including the government – each individual is the same  Individual Rights – key to liberalism is for each individual to have the right to vote, freedom of conscience, association…  Balance of individual rights – freedom of speech  Private Property – real estate, physical property and intellectual property: respecting the individual  Self-interest/economic freedom: laissez-faire and invisible hand Text pages

Collectivism economic equality co-operation public property collective interest collective responsibility adherence to collective norms Government is seen as a positive force that can help by controlling society

 Economic equality – may not mean same amount of money, but access to goods and services  Progressive taxation  Public property (owned by the state) – in the interest of the collective society  Collective interest – unions  Collective responsibility – holding the whole group responsible for the actions of individuals within the group (connections)  Collective norms – often voluntary, but the ideological pressure encourages people to follow Text pages

 Read pages 88 – 91, 94 – 97 and make your own notes of how to identify if someone’s actions are individualist or collectivist.  E.g  Then compare your notes with a classmates to see if you agree on your criteria.  Debates:  Pg 76 – intellectual property rights discussion  Pg 92 – child care debate  Pg 98 – smoking laws Actions of an individualistActions of a collectivist

 Survey – textbook page 30 (30-1) and page 7 (30-2)  The Political Compass The Political Compass

What do you think?

CONFLICT OF IDEOLOGIES? Tiananmen Square, 1989