Ideology and History

Abstract

An ideology is a grand idea around which people cluster, and on the basis of its ideas and ideals and promises coalitions are built and activated. Ideology functions as a social system to organize and educate people, motivating them to develop certain attitudes, adopt certain worldviews, and seek, through collective action, certain objectives. As such, ideology tends to govern a broad range of human relationships and influence the course of change in society. Since culture represents the social glue that holds society together, ideology has become the core of many cultures and the organizing principle of societies in distress.