Ideology as false consciousness permits a way of thinking that prevents a person from identifying the true nature of their social or economic status. Society makes fetishes or beliefs that tend …show more content…
This claims the values and morals that are established in each period of history. The ruling class, for example economic and political leaders, defines these values. Marx believed the working class accepted society’s dominant ideology as natural and was inescapable to them. Individuals with the economic power controlled society and used the working class, the ones without power for personal gain. Dominant ideologies helped the more fortunate (capitalist class), taking advantage of the less fortunate (working class). The balance of power stays constant through these principles. This theory explained that laws, educational opportunities, and class division kept the lower class in its place. The working people are not aware that they are being treated unfairly or being used, they accepted the dominant ideology as the way in which the world works. Marx believed these factors were important to an operating society, which maintained the status quo. “The ruling ideas are nothing more than ideal expressions of the dominant material relations...” (Marx and Engels, 2001, 39). This quote enlightens how the ruling class expresses their ideas as if they are for the society as a whole and for the common good when in reality they are mostly directed to the dominant class. Dominant ideologies were beliefs that we live by everyday; which we often do not question, as these beliefs become a norm to society. This discouraging people from protesting against them, which allow society to keeps a sense of stability through their so-called beliefs natural A natural development of dominant ideology is consumerism. The working class strived to achieve more wealth, they ignored immorality of the people in power and the negative results of attaining more possessions. The working class tend to overlook the damage to the environment consumerism