Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses
Althusser was a Structuralist Marxist. He wrote ideology and ideological state
apparatuses in French which was published in 1970. In this essay, Althusser tells how
the conditions of means of production and productive forces are reproduced and
maintained in the society.
Reproduction of Conditions of Production
According to Althusser the reproduction of the productive forces is ensured by the
wage system that pays a minimum amount to the working class so that they may have
to work every day and also may not raise in status. Wages are set not by biological
needs but by the historical minimum.
On the other hand, the conditions of production are also needed to be reproduced. The
conditions of production include machinery, skills, raw material etc. The
reproduction of conditions of productionand reproduction of relations of
production takes place through the state apparatuses which are controlled by the
ruling ideology of the capitalist class. The capitalist class is the base and the
working class is the superstructure. Capitalist class at the base controls
the superstructure through two tools:
1. Repressive state apparatuses
2. Ideological state apparatuses
Repressive State apparatuses
According to Althusser state is a repressive apparatus. It is a machine of repression
that makes the ruling class to dominate over the working class. This is done through
police, courts, prisons, government, administration etc.
The repressive state apparatuses function as a unified entity. Whenever an individual
or a group of individuals challenge the dominant ideology of the state, the latter uses
repressive state apparatuses in order to stabilize the former. These apparatuses are
always violent.
Ideological state apparatuses
Ideological state apparatuses on the other hand function behind the shield in the form of
morals and ethics. Ideological state apparatuses are quite different from the repressive state
apparatuses as these are not violent. They include educational institutions, religious
institutions, family, media outlets, trade unions, cultural groups, political groups, legal groups
etc. In all ideological state apparatuses, the set of ideological discourses at work are always
dominated by the ruling ideology.
According to Althusser, the educational institution is the core of ideological state
apparatuses. In earlier times Church used to shape the minds of the people and today it
is the school which makes the children learn morals and ethics. The students are
taught the proper ways of behavior, ways of talking, interacting, thinking and acting.
Those who dominate become capitalists while others become workers. Ruling
ideologies do not enjoy freedom in ideological state apparatuses. Thus they form
subjects.
Features of Ideology
1. According to Althusser ideology has no history as history represents change and
ideology has remained same throughout the ages.
2. Ideology has material existence. It is in the Repressive State Apparatuses and hence
controls their actions.
3. It represents an imaginary relationship of the individuals to their conditions of
existence.
4. It makes the people subjects.
5. Ideology controls the people.
Interpellation
Interpellation means giving identity to a person. Althusser considers ideology to be
an important factor in terms of interpellation. According to him, there are two
functions of interpellation1. recognition, and,
2. misrecognition.
The ideological state apparatuses like family, religious, institution, educational
system, and media give us an identity. It is a truth that through this identity that we
recognize each other. For example, we may recognize our friends in the street and
shake hand with him that shows that we have recognized him. In different areas, there
are different rituals to express recognition.