Description
More than 60 years ago, Daniel Bell proclaimed the "end of ideology." Indeed, the concept of ideology in the social sciences and in political psychology was considered anachronistic not so long ago. Those who did use it were considered ideologues themselves and sometimes worse. With the rise of populism in the last decade, this has changed, and more scholars have begun to apply the concept again. However, most publications using the term do so rather loosely to denote political ideas and beliefs, this way circumventing the contested critical connotation of the concept. The aim of The Return of Ideology is to strengthen the social theoretical potential of ideology not by ignoring but by addressing its immanent problems. It does so in three parts: first, it explores the concept's ambivalent and contested history, beginning with its Marxist roots and evolution; second, it examines the methods used to study why people hold onto their beliefs even when it's against their interests; and third, it presents empirical studies of current ideological phenomena such as populism, racism, antisemitism, intersectionality, and conspiracy thinking. Accessible and comprehensive, this book offers valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding how ideas shape society today.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: A Return of Ideology? Ideology in a Post-Ideological WorldHeiko Beyer Part 1: Concepts and TheoriesChapter 2: The Sociology of Knowledge and the Problem of IdeologyJan Weyand Chapter 3: "A Notion that Cannot Be Used Without Taking Precaution": Michel Foucault's Contribution to the Analysis and Critique of IdeologiesChristian Schmidt Chapter 4: Systems Theory and Ideology: Traces of a ProblemIsabel Kusche Chapter 5: Good Reasons for Ideologies? A Rational Choice Perspective on IdeologiesAnnette Schnabel Chapter 6: The "Non-Identical" and the "Leftover": Critical Theory, Psychoanalysis and IdeologyChristine Kirchhoff Chapter 7: Nine Theses for a Theory of System JustificationJohn T. Jost and Jojanneke van der Toorn Part 2: Methods and Empirical ApproachesChapter 8: The Social Psychology of Authoritarianism and Ideology: Classic and Contemporary Theoretical and Methodological ApproachesAlexis N. Goad and Daniel SullivanChapter 9: Mixed Methods and Multimethod Research: Method Integration and the Critique of IdeologyFelix Knappertsbusch Chapter 10: The "Semi-Conscious Knowledge" About Ourselves: The Ideology of Common Sense and the Method of Collective Memory-WorkVirginia Kimey Pflücke Chapter 11: Cliches of Homelessness in Times of the Housing Crisis: A Depth Hermeneutical Case AnalysisSaskia Gränitz Part 3: Contemporary IdeologiesChapter 12: (Right-wing) Populism as an Ideology? Considerations on a Permanent Structural Defect of DemocracyOliver Hidalgo Chapter 13: "Those Were the Good Times": On the Significance of Critical Theory's Ideology Critique for Today's Critique of RacismUlrike Marz Chapter 14: Intersectionality between Ideology and CritiqueKarin Stögner Chapter 15: The Ideology of Antisemitism: On Its Persistent Presence as Resentment and Worldview in the Global AgeLars RensmannChapter 16: The Social Psychology of Conspiracy IdeologiesRoland Imhoff
