Read more
The definition of ideology continues to occupy scholars across a wide range of disciplines. In this book, Teun A van Dijk sketches a challenging new multidisciplinary framework for theorizing ideology. He defines ideology as the basis of the social representations of a group, its functions in terms of social relations between groups, and its reproduction as enacted by discourse. Contemporary racist discourse is examined to illustrate these ideological relations between cognition, society and discourse.
List of contents
Introduction
PART ONE: COGNITION
Ideas and Beliefs
Social Beliefs
Structures and Strategies
Structures of Ideologies
Values
Mental Models
Consistency
Consciousness
Common Sense
Knowledge and Truth
Identity
Social Cognition
PART TWO: SOCIETY
Ideology and Society
Groups
Group Relations
Elites
Dominant Ideologies?
Institutions
PART THREE: DISCOURSE
The Relevance of Discourse
Discourse Structures
Context
Reproduction
From Cognition to Discourse
Persuasion
Legitimation
Ideological Discourse Structures
The Ideology and Discourse of Modern Racism
Conclusions
About the author
Teun A. van Dijk is a Visiting Professor at
Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. From 1980 to 2006 he held a personal
chair as Professor of Discourse Studies at the University of Amsterdam. A world
leading scholar of discourse studies and author of over 250 books and articles,
he edits the SAGE journals Disourse &
Society, Discourse Studies, and Discourse
and Communication.
Summary
In this ground-breaking book, Teun A van Dijk sketches a challenging new multidisciplinary framework for theorizing ideology. In relations between cognition, society and disocurse he defines ideologies as a form of social cognition, and as the basis of social representation of a group.
Report
`Whilst the literature on ideology is legion, the concept remains as elusive and confused as ever. This book promises a fresh start. It begins the ambitious task of outlining a new, multidisciplinary theory which attempts to show how ideologies shape people's perceptions and understanding of society and, in subtle and complex ways, regulate social practices and relationships in the social world' - British Journal of Sociology
`Van Dijk has written a stimulating book presented as an invitation to multidisciplinary cooperation' - International Journal of Public Opinion Research
`A substantive book-length treatment of ideology, van Dijk tells us in his preface, has been an unrealized project he has always dreamed about. The project is at last realized, and is done so lucidly and thoroughly. Students will find it a helpful text in thinking about one of the most difficult key concepts in the social sciences' -European Journal of Communication
