Thinking about Identity

and Ideologies

Chapter

1
▲
▲

Figure 1-1
KEY SKILL How do my actions reflect my ideology
Analyzing, organizing and and identity?
evaluating the underlying
assumptions of positions

KEY CONCEPTS
Exploring influences on individual
and collective beliefs

The following news story introduces a movement called The Compact.

Some people would say that those who join The Compact are acting on
Key Terms their personal ideologies. As you read the story, try to decide whether or
Ideology not you could be a member of this group. Does your decision indicate
Worldview something about your ideology? How important is it to act on your
ideology?

20 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Shunning materialism saves money
Candice Choi, The Associated Press, July 19, 2008
© The Associated Press 2008

NEW YORK—Give up worldly goods and help save month. Biking and walking conserves not just oil, but
the Earth. Oh, and save lots of money. piles of gas money. Gone too are the mindless drug
As the economy worsens, one group of Americans is store sprees where Tracey would blow $100 or more on
turning to an Earth-friendly way of life as a hardline cosmetics and snacks.
strategy for saving. The Compact started a few years “The real surprise is that it’s so much easier than you
ago in San Francisco as a group of people who vowed would think,” Perry said. “If you hang on, it’s like
to shun consumer culture for a year in the name of dieting—the hunger goes away.” Since so much of
conservation. Now it has over 9 000 members and consumerism is on making upgrades—faster gadgets,
spinoff groups are sprouting up across the country… the newest sneakers—ending such purchases isn’t even
It seems what’s good for the Earth is good for the all that painful, Perry said.
wallet. Since joining in January, The Compact has A sudden en masse withdrawal from consumerism
turned a flood light on [Julia Park Tracey’s] family’s might shock the economy at first, but industries would
frivolous spending—scented lotions, flavored lattes, likely adjust and perhaps even become more efficient
iPod accessories. Now they no longer dry clean their over time, said Brian Bethune, an economist with
clothes and even make their own cat food. Global Insight. Higher fuel prices, for example, are
“All that was money out the window. We could not spiking demand for smaller cars and in turn hurting US
keep going like that and make ends meet,” said Julia auto makers, Bethune said. But that means car
Park Tracey, whose budget is being stretched thin by companies need to adjust their strategies, he said. “I
escalating food and gas prices. don’t see that as being bad for the economy,” he said.
What makes The Compact compelling for average The conservation movement is nowhere close to
Americans is that there are no hard-and-fast crippling consumerism, however. Even devoted
rules…Members simply try to conserve the best they members of The Compact still buy things like shower
can. When necessary, they borrow, barter or buy second curtains or kitchen appliances. Tracey’s children, for
hand. Food and hygienic purchases are OK, but the idea example, may not eat out as often as some of their
is to cut back there too. friends, but they still have cell phones and iPods they
The goals sound a lot like those of a growing either got as gifts from their grandparents or bought
population of Americans squeezed by inflation. “People second hand.
are coming for all different reasons, with credit card “There are different levels of adherence. It’s what
debt or others who say ‘my kids are so materialistic and makes sense to your economic or personal conditions,”
out of control’,” said John Perry, founder of The said Rachel Kesel, one of the founders of The Compact.
Compact. Kesel, a 27-year-old San Francisco resident who
Perry didn’t start The Compact to save money, but describes herself as “anti-capitalist, anti-corporate” is
it’s one of the lifestyle’s intrinsic perks. He saves at on the more radical end of The Compact’s membership.
least a couple of hundred dollars a month, which leaves But many members resemble the average American
more cash for his mortgage, charity and children’s family.
savings accounts. Cutting out dry-cleaning and “It’s very low level activism. It can fit into a lot of
Starbucks alone is saving Tracey’s family $250 a different scenarios,” Kesel said.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 21

 Chapter Issue
In this chapter you will explore the concepts of personal and collective
identity, and identify the factors that influence the beliefs and values
that make up part of your identity. You will also think about how your
beliefs and values affect the way you see the world and your place in
society in order to better understand the relationship between identity
and ideology. You will be considering the Chapter Issue: To what extent
are ideology and identity interrelated?
It is important that you think about ideology in terms of your own
identity. This chapter will help you identify your own personal beliefs
and values and examine their connections with ideology. This chapter will
also help you examine the nature of ideologies: their themes and
characteristics. We will provide you with quotes, pictures, and examples
so that you are aware of what others have said about ideology and
identity. But it is up to you to conduct this inquiry and make the decision
about the extent to which identity and ideology are interrelated.
▲

Figure 1-2 Chapter Issue:

To what extent are
ideology and identity
interrelated?

Question for Inquiry Question for Inquiry

#1: #3:
What is the relationship What themes and
between ideology and characteristics should my
my identity? Question for Inquiry ideology include?
#2:
What factors influence
individual and collective
beliefs and values?

22 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Understandings of Identity
…the culture of individualism has come to represent not just personal
freedom but the essential shape of the social fabric itself. As British prime
minister Margaret Thatcher famously summed up this individualist ethos,
“There is no society, only individuals and families.” In the so-called do-it-
yourself society, we are now all entrepreneurs of our own lives.
—Charles Lemert and Anthony Elliott,
Deadly Worlds: The Emotional Costs of Globalization
(Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006), p. 3.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a

part of the main…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved
in mankind…
—John Donne, Meditation XVII, 1623.

What is identity? The term identity has a wide range of meanings, PAUSE AND REFLECT
depending on the context in which it is being used. In a very broad
sense, one’s identity is who or what one is. Social scientists and Do you agree or disagree with the
philosophers have described identity as a sense of personal continuity— ideas expressed in the quotes?
being the same identifiable individual over the course of time—and an
understanding of oneself as unique from others.
Two types of identity frequently discussed in sociology are personal
identity and collective identity. Personal identity is the idea you have
of yourself as a unique individual. It is the collection of traits that you
think of as distinguishing you from others. A collective identity is one
that you share with other people as a member of a larger social group,
such as a linguistic, faith, cultural, or ethnic group.
A person’s identity may be influenced by such things as gender,
religion, language, or culture. If a group of people have the same shared
experience, such as a particular religion, then their identities may be
influenced in a similar way by that shared experience.
Beliefs and values are important aspects of identity. Just as past
experiences and aspects of our lives such as culture and language form
our identities, they also help us choose sets of beliefs and values.
Although beliefs and values are abstract ideas, they can have real
effects on our lives; they influence our behaviour and choices and
guide us in our interactions with others.
Different understandings of identity may consider some factors to
be more important than others. For example, a holistic Aboriginal
perspective like the one on page 25 might stress the importance of
community and environment in the formation of one’s identity.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 23

 Aboriginal worldviews teach that everyone and everything is part of a
whole, and each is interdependent with all the others. Each person has a
right to a personal identity as a member of a community but also has a
responsibility to other life forms and to the ecology of the whole. It is
inconceivable that a human being can exist without a relationship with
the keepers of the life forces (totems), an extended family, or his or her
wider kin.
—Source: James (Sa’ke’j) Youngblood Henderson,
“Ayukpachi: Empowering Aboriginal Thought”
in Reclaiming Indigenous Voice and Vision,
ed. Marie Battiste (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2000), p. 269.

Ideology can also influence a person’s identity. Political scientists

consider an ideology to be a set of principles or ideas that explain our
world and our place within it. An individual might embrace a
particular ideology because it mirrors certain beliefs and values about
the world that the individual already has. Once people consciously
embrace an ideology, it may cause them to re-examine and reinterpret
their own lives according to the principles of that ideology. Similarly, a
group of people may choose to embrace an ideology that reflects its
members’ shared beliefs and values.

may influence
that ive beliefs a indivi
▲

Figure 1-3 rs nd v du
cto llect alu al
Fa nd co es
Understandings of identity vary from one a li e fs an d Val ue
Be s
society to another, and even from one
div
individual to another. This diagram is one nd In idual I
ea
possible illustration of the interrelationship
v

de
religion culture
cti

ntit
Colle

between identity and ideology. Various

factors may influence your beliefs and Personal i es
values, as well as your individual and Identity
collective identities and personal identity.
In turn, your individual and collective spirituality language
identities and beliefs and values can
guide you toward an ideology, a way of
explaining the world, that is in alignment
with your way of seeing the world. What gender media
factors do you think have the most
influence on your identity?

relationship environment
to land

ideology

24 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 ▲
Figure 1-4

This First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning

Model is one example of an Aboriginal
perspective on factors that influence an
individual.

The First Nations Holistic Lifelong Learning Model

represents the link between First Nations lifelong
learning and community well-being, and can be
used as a framework for measuring success in
lifelong learning.
For First Nations people, the purpose of
learning is to honour and protect the earth and
ensure the long-term sustainability of life. To
illustrate the organic and self-regenerative nature of
First Nations learning, the Holistic Lifelong
Learning Model uses a stylistic graphic of a living
tree. The tree depicts the cycles of learning for an
individual and identifies the influences that affect
individual learning and collective well-being.
—Source: Canadian Council on Learning,
“Redefining how success is measured
in Aboriginal learning.”
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/NR/rdonlyres/
93F93D9E-9CD4-482D-987D-
8009D1DC088D/0/CCLLearningModelMET.pdf.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 25

 Figure 1-5 ▲
This Métis Holistic Lifelong Learning The Métis Holistic Lifelong Learning Model represents the link between
Model is another Aboriginal perspective Métis lifelong learning and community well-being, and can be used as a
on factors that influence an individual. framework for measuring success in lifelong learning.
The Métis understand learning in the context of the “Sacred Act of
Living a Good Life,” a perspective that incorporates learning experienced in
the physical world and acquired by “doing,” and a distinct form of
knowledge—sacred laws governing relationships within the community and
the world at large—that comes from the Creator. To symbolize these forms
of knowledge and their dynamic processes, the Métis Holistic Lifelong
Learning Model uses a stylistic graphic of a living tree.
—Source: Canadian Council on Learning,
“Redefining how success is measured in Aboriginal learning.”
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Reports/RedefiningSuccessInAboriginal
Learning/RedefiningSuccessModelsMétis.htm.

How do these illustrations (Figures 1-3, 1-4, and 1-5) explain the
relationship between identity and ideology?

26 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Conceiving the Self
Question for Inquiry
• What is the relationship between ideology and my
identity?

▲
Figure 1-6

Huxley’s Brave New World describes a

dystopian future society.

In Brave New World (1932), English writer Aldous Huxley describes a

futuristic society where the state controls human reproduction and
uses selective breeding to produce five separate castes, or classes, of
people. Each caste is genetically engineered to fulfill a specific range of
roles in society. Not only are the individual members of the castes
physically and intellectually matched to their prescribed roles in PAUSE AND REFLECT
society; they are psychologically conditioned to accept and enjoy their
roles. As the director of a laboratory for genetic engineering observes in • What are the similarities or
the book, “that is the secret of happiness and virtue—liking what differences between
you’ve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like Huxley’s fictional world and
their unescapable social destiny” (Brave New World, Chapter 1). our world?
The characters in the book are aware that they have been • Are we born into a way of life
engineered for their particular destinies. Lenina, of the Beta caste, and and a perspective on the
Henry, of the Alpha caste (the two highest classes), discuss what it world, or do we choose our
might be like to be a member of the Epsilon caste (the lowest class): future and our outlook? Do
we experience anything like
“I suppose Epsilons don’t really mind being Epsilons,” she said aloud. the conditioning in Brave
New World that might lead us
“Of course they don’t. How can they? They don’t know what it’s like
to embrace a particular
being anything else. We’d mind, of course. But then we’ve been differently
ideology?
conditioned. Besides, we start with a different heredity.”

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 27

 “I’m glad I’m not an Epsilon,” said Lenina, with conviction.
“And if you were an Epsilon,” said Henry, “your conditioning would have
made you no less thankful that you weren’t a Beta or an Alpha.”
—Source: Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
(New York: Bantam Books, 1932), pp. 49–50.

Who Are We?

Aldous Huxley was writing about a fictional future society, but can his
fictional scenario also be taken as a metaphor for contemporary
society? Do the immediate influences of family members, and the
more general influence of the culture in which we live, provide us with
a predetermined worldview?
There are some aspects of our identities over which we have no
control: our cultural background, gender, and family. Nonetheless, an
understanding of the influence these things have on our sense of self
might allow us to have more control over the choices we make.

The Influence of Our Beliefs and Values

Over time, the events and experiences of living cause us to form and
modify our beliefs and values. These new beliefs and values guide our
behaviour and help us answer questions such as:
• What is important to me?
• What are human beings like? How should they act?
• Are my concerns restricted to my own self-interest, or do they
extend to others as well?
• Should I also be concerned with the well-being of people I do
not know?
• What sort of world do I want to live in? What effect can I have
on my world, if any?
Every day we interact with a variety of other people, some of them
similar to us and others very different from us. The individuals with
whom you interact may have beliefs and values similar to your own, or
they may have beliefs and values different from yours. If your beliefs
are different, if they conflict in some way, what bearing will this have
on the possible outcome of your interaction? How do you go about
negotiating your differences?
As a set of principles that propose how society should work, an
ideology may provide you with answers to some of the questions
above. It can provide you with a framework of ideas about what role
you should play as an individual in society, and what you can expect
from society.

28 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

S K I LL P ATH

Discovering One’s Beliefs and

Values: What Lies Beneath?
People sometimes take for granted their beliefs about
what human beings are like and what kind of world is
desirable or possible. They may make a variety of
assumptions about human behaviour and how people Figure 1-7 ▲
should live together. Not all of our assumptions are
What assumptions are your beliefs and values based on?
necessarily false; in fact, many of them may be true. The
problem with assumptions is that they may not have been
tested or examined, so we do not know if they are valid or Until and unless you discover that money is the root of
not. In order to take an informed position on an issue, it is all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money
important to first uncover and evaluate one’s personal ceases to become the means by which men deal with one
assumptions. another, then men become the tools of other men. Blood,
whips and guns—or dollars. Take your choice—there is
Read one of the ethical statements provided and no other.
respond to it (I agree with this statement because…). —Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged (1957)
(New York: Dutton, 1992), p. 415.
Find another student in the class who holds a different
position. Spend a few minutes together identifying and If we go on the way we have, the fault is our greed [and]
discussing the reasons for your respective positions. if we are not willing [to change], we will disappear from
Repeat this process three times with other students who the face of the globe, to be replaced by the insect.
have positions that are different from your own. Note —Jacques Cousteau (1910–1997),
the variety of positions and reasons for supporting French marine explorer and ecologist
them. You can use the guiding questions provided to
analyze, organize, and evaluate the underlying Questions to Guide You
assumptions of the positions. These questions will help
you explore each position more deeply and allow you to 1. What are the different points of view that you and
consider each position from the level of some others shared regarding the ethical statements about
fundamental questions: What are people like? What is beliefs and values?
the purpose of life? What kind of society do we want? 2. What reasons did each of you give for your point of
view?
3. What are the factors that cause each of you to hold
Ethical Statements for Exploration and your respective point of view?
Response 4. How do the reasons for your position reflect your
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but beliefs about the nature of people, the purpose of
not every man’s greed. life, and the nature of society?
—Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), Now that you have examined some of your assumptions
Indian civil rights lawyer, activist, and beliefs, and those of others, has your point of view
and political and spiritual leader changed?

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 29

Beliefs and Values Inventory: Where Do You 9. My life is directed primarily by what I want to achieve
Fit In? for myself.
10. The most important thing in the world is to be yourself.
This quiz outlines some of the fundamental beliefs relating
Even if other people disapprove of your actions, being
to how people define a desirable society. Mark each
yourself is worth it in the end.
sentence often, sometimes, or rarely, according to how you
feel about it most of the time. Your teacher will provide you 11. When people agree on something, they can move
with a scoring guide. forward and accomplish anything.
12. What I earn I work hard for. My earnings belong to me.
When you have finished the quiz, work with a small group to Why should my money go to other people?
come up with three more statements to add to the Beliefs 13. At home, in school, and in life, it is important to know
and Values Inventory. that rules are for the good of everyone and that we
1. I feel that most things run better if planned by a team of should obey them.
people rather than by one person. 14. If I come across a regulation that is inconvenient to me,
2. If you are not in it to win, then you are not in it. I speak up and say why the rule should be changed.
3. Competition causes people to mistrust and fear one 15. It bothers me that just a few people control so much
another. Co-operation is a much better way to achieve a wealth. No wonder there is so much crime. They should
goal. share it with others who do not have anything.
4. People should take care of one another. We really are 16. Working hard and getting somewhere in life is what it
our fellows’ keepers. is all about.
5. You are a product of all the people you have met. 17. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
6. I dislike teamwork. One person always slacks off, and 18. I decide things for myself. Nobody has the right to
my contribution should not have to make up for make decisions for me.
someone else’s laziness. 19. A person’s sense of fulfillment comes mainly from
7. The buck stops with me. I am responsible for my own personal accomplishments.
actions at all times. 20. True personal happiness is found in doing things for
8. As a society, we would not be anywhere if everyone just others.
did as they wanted.

Explore the Issues

Concept Review underlying these statements. Work with a small
1 What is identity? group and compare your essential beliefs and
values. Identify the beliefs or values that are shared
2 What is an ideology?
by more than one member of the group.
3 What factors shape an identity? • Are there identifiable reasons why some
individuals may share the same beliefs and
4 What is the relationship between identity and
values?
ideology?
• Are there identifiable reasons why some
Concept Application individuals may have differing beliefs and values?
5 Select five statements from the Beliefs and Values • What tentative conclusions can you draw from
Inventory with which you identify or which you feel these observations about the relationship between
characterize you best. Based on your five chosen an individual’s identity and his or her ideology?
statements, identify the beliefs and values

30 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Sources of Identity
Question for Inquiry
• What factors influence individual and collective beliefs
and values?

It may be tempting to think that our belief system should be universal,

that what we hold to be true is true not just for ourselves but for
everyone. Many thinkers throughout history have constructed

www.CartoonStock.com
philosophical systems to argue that there are universal truths about the
world and our place in it. There are also philosophical traditions that
hold that there are no universal truths. The fact that there is
disagreement over the existence of universal truths—and what those
truths might be—means that people must negotiate to some extent
with the beliefs and values of others. Figure 1-8 ▲
How do your beliefs and values affect
What Can We Gain from an Awareness of the your interpretation of events in the
Sources of Our Beliefs and Values? news or in your own life? What is the
cartoonist’s perspective on this question?
The importance of knowing where your beliefs and values come from
may not be immediately obvious. The simple fact that you have
identified what your beliefs and values are may seem File Facts
sufficient to you to guide your interactions with others.
But considering the origins of our ideas may cause us to Nelson Mandela
examine them further and develop a deeper understanding of • was born in 1918 in South Africa
them. Thinking about where certain ideas come from may • studied and worked as a lawyer
also lead us to accept the validity of the beliefs of others, • became involved in the anti-apartheid
even if we do not necessarily agree with them. African National Congress (ANC) after
In his book, Long Walk to Freedom (1995), Nelson the election of the pro-segregation
Mandela wrote the following: “No one is born hating another
National Party in 1948
• became the leader of the armed wing of
person because of the colour of his skin, or his background,
the ANC in 1961, and organized a
or his religion. People must learn to hate…”
sabotage campaign against government
• What does his statement suggest about the influence and military targets
of ideology on the beliefs of individuals? • imprisoned from 1962 to 1990 for his
activities
Shaping Identities • awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for Peace
• served as president of South Africa from
In this section you will look more closely at some of the 1994 to 1999
factors, such as family, language, or media, that influence the • was the first president of South Africa
formation of beliefs and values. As you consider these factors, elected by universal suffrage
think about the relative importance of each of them in your
own life.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 31

 Family Influence
Families often have a strong influence on their children’s identities. For
most people, the earliest influence on their personal beliefs and values
is their family.
Many sociologists point to the importance of the family in the
formation of identity. According to Ernest W. Burgess, “Whatever its
biological inheritance from its parents and other ancestors, the child
receives also from them a heritage of attitudes, sentiments, and
ideals…” In his book Family, Socialisation and Interaction Process
(1955), Talcott Parsons argues that “it is because the human personality
is not ‘born’ but must be ‘made’ through the socialisation process that
in the first instance families are necessary. They are factories which
produce human personalities.”

PAUSE AND REFLECT • What do you think of Parsons’s idea that families are “factories
which produce human personalities”?
What factors do you think have Possibly the most well-known family in North America is the
had the most influence on your animated Simpson family. Consider Parsons’s idea that “families are
beliefs and values (for
factories that produce human personalities” as you read the following
example, your family, gender, or
description of some of the Simpsons.
religion)? Do you think any of
these factors have led you
As for his family, Homer once offers thanks “for the occasional moments of
toward a particular ideology?
peace and love our family’s experienced…well, not today. You saw what
happened. O, Lord, be honest! Are we the most pathetic family in the
world or what?”
Bart (an anagram for “brat”) is their ten-year-old son. Bart is the
selfish but good-natured bad-boy, modeled in part on Eddie Haskell from
Leave It to Beaver, the kid that gets away with everything. When Homer
prays before a meal, “Rub a dub, dub, thanks for the grub,” Bart speaks
the unspeakable: “Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks
for nothing.”
Lisa is a good-hearted and gifted eight-year-old—often the show’s
conscience. She supports the poor, the powerless and the downtrodden; she
is critical of the rich. She questions conventional wisdom, regardless of
unpopularity. Asked to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” before a football
game, she uses the occasion to announce, “Before I sing the National
Anthem, I’d like to say that college football drains funds that are badly
needed for education and the arts.”
—Reverend John E. Gibbons, “Simpson Family Values”
(Unitarian minister, the First Parish in Bedford, Massachusetts),
excerpt from sermon, October 28, 2001.
http://www.uubedford.org/sermons/JEG-SimpsonsValues-10-28-01.htm

• After reading this quotation, you might conclude that Bart’s

lack of respect for religious values is in sharp contrast to Lisa’s

32 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 respect for others and for social justice. How can you explain
how two individuals from the same family would have such
different points of view?
• What impact does an individual’s family have on his or her
beliefs and values? How much influence do you think your
parents’ ideas have had on your own beliefs and values? Is it
possible to explain why two individuals from the same family
are often so different?

Relating Gender to Beliefs and Values

The way people understand gender is affected by their experiences—
personal, social, cultural—as well as their beliefs and values. How
a society perceives gender, sometimes even legislating what is
“appropriate” gender expression, can also affect people’s view of
gender and the freedom to express gender orientation.
Different cultures, for example, may assign specific gender roles to
their members. These roles may be based on a variety of factors—
economic and religious factors; ideas about family and child security;
and traditions. The specific qualities or behaviours that make up a
gender role vary from one society to another. They may include
particular beliefs and values, such as appropriate public behaviour;
which career choices are acceptable for a man or a woman; or what
kind of behaviour is expected from a mother or father when raising a
child. Gender and gender roles are powerful factors in determining a
person's identity.
The quotes below deal with gender roles assigned in western
society. Which quote, if any, seems to be most representative of your
experience of gender?
Man is the hunter; woman is his game…
Man for the field and woman for the hearth:
Man for the sword and for the needle she:
Man with the head and woman with the heart:
Man to command and woman to obey…
—Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892),
English poet laureate, “The Princess,” 1847

Woman is determined not by her hormones or by mysterious instincts, but

by the manner in which her body and her relation to the world are
modified through the action of others than herself. The abyss that
separates the adolescent boy and girl has been deliberately widened
between them since earliest childhood…
—Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986),
French author and philosopher, The Second Sex,
[Le deuxième sexe] 1949

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 33

 Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel, and the same law
of progress makes the woman of today a different woman from her
grandmother.
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906), women’s rights activist,
History of Woman Suffrage, 1881

Religion and Spirituality

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul?
—The Bible, Mark 8:36 King James Version

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), American president 1861–1865

What is the meaning of human life, or of organic life altogether? To

answer this question at all implies a religion. Is there any sense then, you
ask, in putting it? I answer, the man who regards his own life and that of
his fellow creatures as meaningless is not merely unfortunate but almost
disqualified for life.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955), German-American physicist,
received the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics.
The World As I See It (New York: Philosophical Library), 1949.

In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.

—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), German philosopher

Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its

evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: if it has been honest
and dutiful to society the religion which has regulated it can not be a
bad one.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826),
American president (1801–1809)

A society without religion is like a vessel without a compass.

—Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821),
French military and political leader

Religious belief and spirituality take many forms. They are not the
same thing, although they may be interconnected. Each plays a role in
shaping a person's ideology. An individual may be a practising or non-
practising member of a faith community, or adhere to a spiritual
tradition without belonging to an organized community. Sometimes
people consider themselves to be spiritual without following a defined
system of religious belief.
The world’s major religions and spiritual traditions share many
ideals that teach peace and respect between individuals. Religious or

34 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 The Gender Gap?
According to some analysts, the November 2008
election of Barack Obama revealed a difference in the
voting behaviour of men and women. This difference
is referred to as “the gender gap.” In other words, gender seems to be
related to how one votes in an election. What factors may influence this
gender gap? Do males and females differ in beliefs and values in a ways that
could affect decision-making? .

Barack Obama has made a strong showing among women, exceeding the
normal Democratic advantage, while fighting a virtually even battle among
men, who went heavily Republican in 2004. Mr Obama won 56% of the female
vote, compared with 51% of women who voted for John Kerry last time. And
he was essentially tied among men, erasing the 55% to 45% advantage that
President Bush enjoyed in 2004. Larry Sabato, political science professor at
the University of Virginia, says that the Democrat's appeal to women has been
one of the most important keys to his success.
—Source: BBC News Online, “Who Voted for Obama?” November 5, 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7709852.stm

In recent years, a great deal of attention has been focused on the gender gap
in electoral behavior. The appearance of this gap has both intrigued and
puzzled analysts. In seeking to explain it, researchers stumbled upon an even
more interesting gender gap, a gap between men and women in policy
preferences. Various explanations for the gap in policy preferences have been
offered: men and women are socialized differently, or, feminist consciousness
has altered opinions. Most such explanations share an underlying theme: the
idea that, for whatever reason, women have different values and priorities
than men. In effect, it is argued that there is a distinctive woman's perspective
that shapes how women view politics.
—Source: Pamela Johnston Conover, “Feminists and the Gender Gap”,
The Journal of Politics, Vol. 50, No. 4 (November 1988): 1004.

1 The sources suggest that women and men differ in their political attitudes
and behaviours, and the second source offers several reasons for these
different behaviours. Based on these sources and on your own experience,
offer some possible reasons for gender's influence on beliefs and values
or a person's decision-making. What other factors could account for
gender differences in people's actions, such as actions based on political
values?
2 In your experience, do the two sources accurately reflect gender
differences?

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 35

 spiritual faith can give meaning to people’s lives and provide them
with a moral system that informs their actions as individuals. Religion
or spirituality may also provide people with a set of shared traditions
or a sense of community. Adherents to religious traditions may be
inspired to express their belief systems through collective action.
Organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or Sojourners are

www.CartoonStock.com
examples of groups that engage in collective action based on religious
ideals. Nonetheless, armed conflicts can result because of intolerance
between different religious groups or belief systems.
Aside from influencing some people’s beliefs and values, religion
can also inform particular ideologies. Christian Democracy, for
example, incorporates many of the principles of Christianity into its
political values. Islamism uses the tenets of Islam and Islamic law as the
basis for a political system. Many other ideologies are secular, but
support the idea of religious freedom in society. Still other ideologies,
Figure 1-9 ▲
including some forms of Communism, are opposed to the practice of
religion. Karl Marx famously called religion the “opiate of the masses,”
claiming that the spiritual comfort of religion prevented oppressed
peoples from seeking political change.
PAUSE AND REFLECT Spirituality can be expressed outside of religious belief systems and
Do any of your beliefs or values can guide people's beliefs, values and worldview. Spirituality may be
originate in a religious or expressed individually or collectively and can incorporate many
spiritual tradition? Do these possible spiritual paths. These paths can be pursued and expressed in
beliefs and values influence many ways, including meditation, self-reflection, prayer, shared spiritual
how you think society should traditions and stories, or a sense of purpose.
operate? • To what extent do you think religion and spirituality can
influence an individual’s or a group’s ideology?
▲

Figure 1-10

Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Golden

Rule,” 1961

36 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 ▲
Figure 1-11

Guests representing 14 faiths join together

at the Interfaith Celebration of Edmonton’s
Centennial at City Hall in Edmonton,
Alberta, on Sunday, September 26, 2004.

Environment
Most scientists now agree that human activities are having a significant
negative impact on the environment. News stories about global
warming and other environmental concerns have become commonplace
in the media. A British government study predicted the damage from

www.CartoonStock.com
unabated climate change will eventually cost between 5 per cent and
20 per cent of global gross domestic product each year. Rising sea levels,
flooding, and drought may displace as many as 200 million people
worldwide by 2050. North Americans produce almost a quarter of the
world’s greenhouse gases, which are a major cause of climate change.
Concern for the environment is not new. Many modern ecological
movements have their origins in the social activism of the 1960s. Since
then, organizations such as Greenpeace, founded in Vancouver, British Figure 1-12 ▲
Columbia, in 1971, have fought to raise public awareness about issues
such as nuclear weapons testing, nuclear power, overfishing,
deforestation, pollution, and, more recently, genetic engineering.
Increasing environmental awareness has had an enormous influence
on the lives of many individuals. It has changed their daily habits, with PAUSE AND REFLECT
practices such as reuse and recycling becoming more commonplace. It
has influenced their behaviour as consumers. It has also influenced how What impact has
some people vote. environmentalist ideology
As more and more people realize the importance of their had on you?
relationship with the natural environment and the impact of their
environmental footprint, calls for environmental stewardship are being
heard by many national governments. Nonetheless, the December 2007
climate conference in Bali, where 190 countries attempted to agree on
how to deal with environmental issues such as climate change,

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 37

 Perspective on Relationship
to Land
As energy-producing companies have begun—with
the support of local councils—to expand their plants onto prime land,
some Canadian farmers have welcomed the move and have benefited
greatly by selling their land to these industrial interests. Edmonton-area
farmer Wayne Groot represents another perspective on the value of land.
Below are two submissions made by Mr. Groot at provincial hearings held
to discuss land use.
Farming is in my blood. Our family has been farming for centuries, in
Holland and now for over eighty years in Canada. When I walk on a piece of
land that I farm I feel a connection, with something that is alive and fruitful.
There is a sacredness about it, perhaps similar in ways to the relationship
that First Nations have with the creation. This land is certainly not something
that I consider a commodity, to be sold to the highest bidder. And yet that is
what we are being asked to do…Everything has a price, everyone can be
bought. I can understand that in this complex world of ours some sacrifices
have to be made for the greater good, but the sad part is that I can see very,
very little of anything that contributes to the greater good in this rapid
exploitation of our natural resources, or destruction of fertile soil.
Local food production is becoming a more and more important part of our
society. We are starting to realize that the cost of transporting food many
miles costs much more than the price we pay for it in the store…We are
starting to realize that prime agricultural land is worthy of protection…One
finds this to be true when one reads the new Land Use Framework that has
just been released by the provincial government. I have a letter dated June
9, 2008 from Premier Stelmach indicating that securing Alberta's prime
agricultural lands is a provincial priority. It is time we started acting on
these priorities.
—Wayne Groot, submission to the Energy
Resources Conservation Board, June 2008.

1 In what ways are Mr. Groot’s values and beliefs about land similar to and
different from some Aboriginal values and beliefs about land?
2 How might a spokesperson for the industrial interests respond to
Mr. Groot’s submissions? Compare Mr. Groot’s values and beliefs with
theirs. Why might these values and beliefs differ?
3 Visit the Energy Resources Conservation Board website to determine its
beliefs and values regarding land.

38 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

demonstrated the great diversity of opinions that countries have about
these important issues. These opinions are rooted in specific ideologies.
While numerous countries were pushing for significant reductions to
be made to greenhouse gas emissions, for example, others were
resisting such initiatives. (“Stark Words at Bali Conference: Ban Ki-
Moon Warns of Climate Change ‘Oblivion’”, Spiegel Online, December
12, 2007, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,
522929,00.html)
Environmentalism has also spawned the political ideology known as
“Green politics”. There are Green parties in numerous countries in
Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including Canada. Although the
specific policies of Green parties may differ from one country to another,
the general principles of Green politics stress environmentalism, ecology,
and sustainable economics. Many Green supporters see their ideology as
an alternative to more traditional political ideologies such as socialism,
conservatism, and liberalism, in that it approaches many political issues
from an environmental perspective.
• What influence do you think Green politics has on the beliefs
and values of individual Canadians?

Relationship to Land
The Great Land of the Inuit is the sea, the earth, the moon, the sun, the
sky and stars. The land and the sea have no boundaries. It is not mine
and it is not yours. The Supreme Being put it there and did not give it to
us. We were put there to be part of it and share it with other beings, the
birds, fish, animals and plants.
—Source: Sam Metcalfe, quoted in Report of the Royal Commission
on Aboriginal Peoples, Vol. 4, Perspectives and Realities,
Chapter 3, “Elders’ Perspectives”, 1996.
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ap/pubs/sg/cg/cj3-eng.pdf, p. 2.

The relationship you have to the land you inhabit is another factor that
influences your beliefs and values. For example, if your livelihood is
connected to land or natural resources, this might exert a strong
influence on your identity: a farmer might have a different worldview
than a journalist living in a city. Many people who live on the prairies
rely on the land for their livelihood, as this region has a long tradition
of farming and ranching. Small-town fairs and rodeos, or larger ones
such as the Calgary Stampede, celebrate this tradition and demonstrate
an economic and cultural connection to the land. How we connect to
the land and our experiences with our environment determine some of
the beliefs and values we hold that shape our identities.
Aboriginal peoples have a long relationship to the lands they
inhabit. This relationship has social, cultural, spiritual, and economic
aspects. It also involves a responsibility for the environment, as the

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 39

 quote from Sam Metcalfe illustrates. Because many traditional
Aboriginal activities are dependent on land, many Aboriginal people
have an understanding and respect for the environment and natural
resources. Consider the following remarks by Narcisse Blood and
Cynthia Chambers:
The notion of repatriation, which is commonly understood to mean the
return of ceremonial objects, is offered as a model for authentic
participation of Blackfoot in protecting and preserving these sites.
Repatriation, as an idea and a practice, acknowledges the Siksikaitapiiksi
(Blackfoot) view that places are animate, with whom humans live in
relationship. Like any relationship based on interdependence, the one
between people and the places that nourish them must be nurtured
through unimpeded access, continued use and ceremonies of renewal such
as visiting and exchanging of gifts.
It is easy to romanticize Niitsitapiiksi’s (Real people, all indigenous
peoples of North America) relationship to the land. Leroy Little Bear
(Blood and Chambers 2006) points out that Blackfoot relationship to the
land has almost become rhetoric. Such a simplistic formula as
“Niitsitapiiksi equals ecological” infantilizes, and Disneyfies the vast
knowledge Niitsitapiiksi hold collectively and individually about the land;
such a stereotype reduces a complex cosmology to simplistic schemata,
colour-coded medicine wheels mapping the four directions…
—Source: Narcisse Blood and Cynthia Chambers,
“Love Thy Neighbour: Repatriating Precarious Blackfoot Sites”,
International Journal of Canadian Studies, Issue 39, 2009.

The importance of land in Aboriginal cultures becomes especially

evident when the relationship is disrupted. Consider the impact that
bituminous sands projects are having on local indigenous groups in
northern Alberta:
Current tar-sands development has completely altered the Athabasca
delta and watershed landscape. This has caused de-forestation of the
boreal forests, open-pit mining, de-watering of water systems and
watersheds, toxic contamination, disruption of habitat and biodiversity,
and disruption of the indigenous Dene, Cree and Métis trap-line cultures.
“The river used to be blue. Now it’s brown. Nobody can fish or drink
from it. The air is bad. This has all happened so fast,” says Elsie Fabian,
63, an elder in a Native Indian community along the Athabasca River…
The de-watering of rivers and streams to support the tar sands
operations now poses a major threat to the cultural survival of these
indigenous peoples. The battle over the tar sands mining comes down to
the fundamental right to exist as indigenous peoples.

40 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 “If we don’t have land and we don’t have anywhere to carry out our
traditional lifestyles, we lose who we are as a people. So, if there’s no land,
then it’s equivalent in our estimation to genocide of a people,” says George
Poitras of the Mikisew Cree First Nation.
—Source: Clayton Thomas-Müller,
“Tar Sands: Environmental Justice and Native Rights.”
Tar Sands Watch, March 25, 2008.
http://www.tarsandswatch.org/tar-sands-environmental-justice-and-native-rights

As treaties were signed between the Canadian government and

Aboriginal peoples, some First Nations were forced to leave their
traditional lands and relocate in unfamiliar territory. Oscar Kistabish
(Osezima) of the Algonquin spoke about the impact of relocation
before the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples:

It is on this concept of territory that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people

do not understand one another. Territory is a very important thing, it is the
foundation of everything. Without territory, there is no autonomy, without
territory, there is no home. The Reserve is not our home. I am territory.
Language is territory. Belief is territory, it is where I come from. Territory
can also vanish in an instant…
—Source: Oscar Kistabish, Val d’Or, Québec, November 30, 1992,
quoted in Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1, 2,
Chapter 11, “Relocation of Aboriginal Communities,”
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/sg/sg41_e.html

What do these quotes tell you about the Aboriginal relationship to land
PAUSE AND REFLECT
and resources? What do these quotes tell you about the factors that How does your relationship to
help shape ideology? your natural environment
Compare the Aboriginal relationship to the land with remarks made inform your beliefs and values?
by Floyd Elgin Dominy, the commissioner of the United States Bureau How might your beliefs about
of Reclamation from 1959 to 1969. The Bureau was responsible for people’s responsibilities toward
developing irrigation in the arid Western states. Dominy stated, “I’ve their natural environment
seen all the wild [that is, undammed] rivers I ever want to see.” He once change if your livelihood was
described the then undammed Colorado River as “useless to anyone.” connected to land or natural
How do you think someone’s views on natural resources might resources?
affect his or her ideological beliefs?

Language and Ideology

There is a powerful relationship between language and ideology.
Language is one way in which people comnunicate beliefs and values,
worldview, cultural and societal understandings, and sense of self.
Individuals who belong to the majority linguistic group in a society
may not give much consideration to the role that language plays in the
formation of their identity. When people are surrounded by other

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 41

 people who speak the same language—and when their community is
Get to the surrounded by advertising and other media using that same language—
Source they may take their language for granted or not fully realize its
The Canadian Charter of influence on shaping their worldview.
Rights and Freedoms was
How do you think belonging to a minority linguistic group might
enacted in 1982. Section 16.1
affect an individual’s conception of language and its importance to
of the Charter, which reflects
identity? Belonging to a linguistic minority means living where a
previous legislation
language other than one’s own dominates the public space. Language
recognizing Canada’s two
in this situation may be more important to the formation of identity
official languages, states:
because it is not shared with everyone.
16. (1) English and French are Minority language speakers may also struggle to overcome the
the official languages of
forces of linguistic assimilation. For example, in Alberta, one of the
Canada and have equality of
stated purposes of Francophone schools is “to reverse assimilation”
status and equal rights and
(Source: Affirming Francophone Education—Foundations and Directions:
privileges as to their use in all
a Framework for French First Language Education in Alberta
institutions of the Parliament
[Edmonton:Alberta Learning, 2001), http://education.alberta.ca/
and government of Canada.
media/433070/cadreeng.pdf, pp. 17–18).
Do you think the inclusion of Spanish scholar Manuel Castells claims that “in a world submitted
section 16.1 in the Charter to culture homogenization by the ideology of modernization and the
has had an influence on the
power of global media, language, the direct expression of culture,
identity of Canadians?
becomes the trench of cultural resistance, the last bastion of self-
Explain.
control, the refuge of identifiable meaning.” A similar idea can be found
in the Canadian Heritage report on Aboriginal Languages in Canada:
“Preserving Aboriginal languages is an extremely high priority, because
of the link between cultural preservation and language—without
language, the main vehicle for transmitting cultural values and
traditions no longer exists.” As a vehicle of cultural transmission, the
influence of language on an individual’s identity is primal: “It is through
language that a student self-realizes himself, as he expresses himself
and makes connections with the world around him.” (Source: Cadre
commun des résultats d’apprentissage en français langue première [M-12],
1996, p. ix, translated in Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, La
Francisation: Pour un état des lieux, Section 2.3 [Toronto: 2002], p. 3.)
These beliefs about the importance of language and identity are also
shared by Francophones in Canada and play a part in why
Francophones have fought to have their official language rights under
the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms respected.
PAUSE AND REFLECT
• If language can be a means of “cultural resistance”, what impact
Francophones make up 2.2 per might it have on an individual’s choice of ideology?
cent of Alberta’s population. Francophones have been in what is now known as Canada since the
How would being a member of
first European settlers arrived around 400 years ago. As members of
a linguistic minority affect an
one of the two official language groups in Canada, Francophones share
individual’s identity?
a linguistic bond that expresses a unique perspective on the world.
Both protected and promoted by the Canadian constitution, the French

42 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 English – 2 576 670
Chinese – 97 275 (including Cantonese,
Mandarin and other dialects)
German – 84 505
French – 61 225
Punjabi – 36 320
Tagalog – 29 740 (Philipino)
Ukrainian – 29 455
Spanish – 29 125
Polish – 21 990
Arabic – 20 495
Other languages – 269 555 (including
Dutch (19 980), Vietnamese (19 350),
Cree (17 215), Italian (13 095),
Portuguese (7 205), Greek (3 305),
Inuktitut (155), and multiple
responses (34 930)

Source: Statistics Canada, “Population by mother tongue,

Figure 1-13 ▲ by province and territory (2006 Census)” (Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia)
This pie chart shows Alberta’s population according to mother http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo11c.htm[10/21/2008
tongue based on the 2006 census.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

language is an integral part of a national identity. Efforts to protect the
rights of Francophones date back as far as the Québec Act (1774) and • In 2001, approximately 7.6
more recently include the Official Languages Act (1969) and the million Canadians, or 22.7 per
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982). cent of the population, were
Francophone heritage in Alberta dates to the arrival of French and Francophone. One million of
Canadien explorers and fur traders in the 18th century. In the late these people were living
19th century, Alberta’s Francophone population grew, mostly due to outside of Québec. In what
migration from Québec. In 2008, Francophones in Alberta numbered ways would a shared
language provide Canada’s
65 990, or 2.2 per cent of the population, and the struggle to maintain
Francophones with a common
their language and culture remains an important part of the values and
source of identity?
beliefs of many Franco-Albertans.
• How would the impact of
On a quelque chose, mais on ne sait pas d’où ça vient. On ne sait pas
language on identity differ for
quel prix a été payé, on ne sait pas que ça a duré 100 ans. a member of an official
Translation: We now have something (Francophone schools), but people language minority group,
don’t know where they [the schools] come from. People don’t know what such as Francophones in
price was paid, or that it took 100 years. Canada, and a member of
another language minority
—France Levasseur-Ouimet, professor emeritus, University of Alberta,
group, such as a first-
“Fort MacLeod: Une fête pour le cinéma francophone”.
generation immigrant
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/alberta/2008/04/27/001-cinemagine_n.shtml
Canadian?

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 43

 The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA), founded in
1926, promotes, defends, and lobbies for the recognition of Francophone
rights in Alberta. The ACFA and other community organizations also
work to raise the profile of the Francophone community in the province
and affirm the diversity of Francophone people.
• Could the desire to protect the rights of a language group be
considered an aspect of an ideology?
• How do you think the struggle to uphold their language rights,
as found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, has shaped
identity among Alberta’s Francophones?

Media, Beliefs, and Values

▲

Figure 1-14

What influence do the media have on

your perception of events?

www.CartoonStock.com
Copyright © 2006 Off the Wahl Productions

44 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

As new forms of media emerged and spread in the 20th century, many
thinkers turned their attention to the effects they might have on
individuals and whole societies. Canadian theorist Marshall McLuhan
claimed that the “medium is the message”—that the form of the
communication was more important than the actual content.
According to McLuhan, the predominance of print media prior to the
20th century had favoured the rise of individualism. He thought that
the increasing dominance of electronic media would lead to the
formation of a “global village”—a trend toward a collective identity
shared by all consumers of the same media. McLuhan did not
necessarily consider this to be a positive development: he felt that if
people were unaware of the effects of electronic media, it could be
used against them to establish a form of totalitarian control (a
totalitarian state is one in which a powerful central government
exercises strict control over all aspects of citizens’ lives and does not
allow political opposition). Some critics of McLuhan disagree with his
dismissal of the role of content in media’s influence on its audience.
Like McLuhan, many media theorists focus on the potential of
media for the establishment of hegemony—the political control
exerted by one group over others. Edward S. Herman and Noam
Chomsky, for example, claim that the content of mainstream media
sources reflects the commercial and political interests of the
corporations that own them. In the words of Herman,
…the dominant media are firmly imbedded in the market system. They are
profit-seeking businesses, owned by very wealthy people (or other PAUSE AND REFLECT
companies); they are funded largely by advertisers who are also profit-
• In your opinion, to what
seeking entities, and who want their ads to appear in a supportive selling
extent do most media
environment. The media are also dependent on government and other major
sources provide information
business firms as information sources, and both efficiency and political in an unbiased manner?
considerations, and frequently overlapping interests, cause a certain degree
of solidarity to prevail among the government, major media, and other • How much influence do you
corporate businesses. think the media have on
people’s opinions? Do you
—Source: Edward S. Herman, think people are fully
“The Propaganda Model Revisited.” conscious of the impact of
Monthly Review (July, 1996).
media?
http://www.chomsky.info/onchomsky/199607--.htm

As a result of hegemony,
…producers of a media text design it with a certain meaning in mind.
They hope that audiences will decode their text in a certain way—
particularly if the text is an advertisement. Preferred readings are those
which tie in with hegemonic beliefs—for instance, the idea of beauty and
the “ideal” female shape propounded in Western magazines. It is accepted
as “natural” that models in women’s magazines should be young and
drastically underweight. Since the 1960s the preferred reading has been

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 45

 that these women are beautiful. However, there are signs that, as
hegemonic belief begins to adapt to the concerns of many that this body
shape is actually unhealthy, the preferred reading is beginning to shift…
—Source: Karina Wilson, MediaKnowAll, “Ideology.”
www.mediaknowall.com/alevkeyconcepts/ideology.html

• Can you think of specific examples of the media’s influence on

the beliefs and values of you and your peers?
• Who owns the major sources of news? To what extent do you
think the media are used to reinforce the values and ideologies
of the most powerful members of society, or can media also
provide opportunities to challenge these powerful interests?

Government Shaping Identity

Canada is made up of citizens from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Visible minorities make up 13.4 per cent of the population. According
to Communications Canada, 85 per cent of Canadians describe Canada
PAUSE AND REFLECT as a “multicultural society.” Various government policies recognize this
perception, by seeking “the preservation and enhancement of the
In 1965, during the inauguration multicultural heritage of Canadians.”
of Canada’s maple leaf national Multiculturalism is a manifestation of pluralism. A multicultural
flag, the Honourable Maurice society comprises diverse cultural, religious, linguistic, or ethnic groups.
Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, In a political context, pluralism is a policy that actively promotes the
declared, “The flag is the acceptance of diversity in a society. Other manifestations of pluralism
symbol of the nation’s unity,
in Canadian society include official bilingualism, Charter rights
for it, beyond any doubt,
prohibiting discrimination, and the constitutional guarantees of the
represents all the citizens of
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Canada without distinction
The recognition of pluralism has not always been government
of race, language, belief or
opinion.” To what extent do policy in Canada. Policies such as the head tax on Chinese immigrants
you think it is possible for a and several amendments to the Immigration Act in the first half of the
symbol such as our national 20th century sought to control the ethnic makeup of Canadian society
flag to help create a collective by excluding immigrants on the basis of ethnic background.
identity and a unifying ideology Government efforts to create a more inclusive society based on
for all Canadians? pluralism and the accommodation of diversity date back to the first
Canadian Citizenship Act (1947) and include among other measures
the Multiculturalism Policy (1971). The Multiculturalism Act of 1985
states that it is the policy of the Government of Canada to
…recognize and promote the understanding that multiculturalism reflects
the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society and acknowledges
the freedom of all members of Canadian society to preserve, enhance and
share their cultural heritage…
—Source: Canadian Multiculturalism Act R.S.,
1985, c. 24 (4th Supp.).

46 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

• What are the benefits and challenges of a multicultural society?
How do Canadians benefit from the diversity of our country’s
citizenry?
• How do you think the policy of multiculturalism, which is
based on pluralism (valuing diversity), has affected Canadians?
• How does it help foster certain collective beliefs among
Canadians?

Explore the Issues

Concept Review 3 Consider the items on your list, and consider what
1 a) What factors can influence the formation of kind of ideology each item reflects. Are they
personal and collective beliefs and values? indicative of individualism, collectivism, or a
b) For each of the factors, identify a specific middle ground between the two?
example of the influence it has had on the 4 Explore the relationship between identity and
beliefs and values of an individual or a ideology. Ask friends and family to talk about their
group. beliefs and values. Encourage them to reflect on
factors from this section of the chapter by asking
Concept Application them directed questions. How did they come to
2 Make a list of no more than 10 beliefs or values form the beliefs and values they hold? What
that you consider to be the most fundamental influenced them the most? Do their beliefs and
aspects of your personal identity. Review the values reflect a conscious choice of ideology?
factors discussed in this section of the chapter
and consider how they have influenced the 10
items on your list. Create a concept web showing
the origins of the items on your list.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 47

 The Themes and Characteristics
of Ideology
Question for Inquiry
• What themes and characteristics should my ideology
include?

For her wedding to the love of her life, Calgarian Clare Stoeckle wore her
mom’s circa-1970s wedding dress, “raw, unbleached cotton with little
embroidered daisies on it.” She borrowed a pair of white leather flip-flop
sandals and carried a bouquet of lilacs and daisies, freshly picked by her
aunts and bridesmaids.
Her husband, Paul Kelly, rode his bike to the church—a 50-kilometre
trip from Calgary to Okotoks—and their guests ate locally grown organic
food, including a “cake” made from green tea and banana cupcakes…
PAUSE AND REFLECT
…The theme of her bridal shower was “no plastic, no electric
• How have Clare Stoeckle and appliances,” so friends gave no-nonsense gifts such as manual egg beaters
Paul Kelly incorporated and measuring cups.
beliefs and values into their Instead of a department store gift registry, the couple signed up with
identities? What ideological Sedmek, a Calgary company specializing in renewable energy systems.
stance have they adopted? “Now our laundry, hand washing and showers are all heated by the
• What impact have their sun, which is wonderful,” Kelly says.
choices had on their social Welcome to the world of eco-weddings, planned by and for people who
community? care deeply about the environment.
—Source: Shelley Boettcher, “Green Wedding: Calgary couples hitch
• Can you think of specific
their nuptials to the eco-movement.” Calgary Herald 2007.
beliefs and values that have
Material reprinted with the express permission of:
had a direct impact on your
“Calgary Herald Group Inc.”, a CanWest Partnership.
identity? Do these beliefs
http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/organicfoodguide/
and values reflect a
story.html?id=4601fde8-65ee-4eb4-9170-dee513bde93e&k=3715
particular ideology?
As some of the examples in this chapter have illustrated, the beliefs
and values that help make up an individual’s identity can influence him
or her to adopt an ideology that reflects those beliefs and values.
Alternatively, an individual’s beliefs and values may be part of an
ideology that he or she is not even aware of having embraced.
If you embrace a particular ideology, it can have profound effects
on your identity. It may influence your actions and choices. It may
provide you with a particular perspective on the world. As a blueprint
for a society, an ideology can affect groups as well as individuals. It may
determine how members of a society relate to one another.
In this section, you will look at some themes and characteristics of
a few different ideologies and examine how those aspects of ideology
have influenced people’s identities and actions.

48 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

The Characteristics of Ideology
All ideologies contain a set of beliefs and values about similar things.
They are all concerned with the essential questions of life, such as
• What are humans like, and why do they act as they do?
• How should society be organized?
• How has the world worked in the past?
• How should it work in the future?
The answers an ideology provides to these questions form the
characteristics of that ideology.

The Nature of Human Beings

Beliefs about human nature—about whether people are essentially
good or bad, for example—are fundamental to any ideology. Do you
usually trust people until they give you a reason not to, or do you
generally approach people with caution? If you approach people
openly, it is likely that you believe humans are essentially good. If you
are cautious, you likely believe that they are not. This core belief will
be part of the way you deal with the world.
For example, consider the following quotation from the Edicts of
Ashoka, which were made by the Emperor of India from 273–232 BCE.
Ashoka had converted to Buddhism and was determined to spread
Buddhism across his empire.
People see only their good deeds saying, “I have done this good deed.” But
they do not see their evil deeds saying, “I have done this evil deed” or “This
is called evil.” But this [tendency] is difficult to see. One should think like
this: “It is these things that lead to evil, to violence, to cruelty, anger, pride
and jealousy. Let me not ruin myself with these things.” And further, one
should think: “This leads to happiness in this world and the next.”
—Source: Ven. S. Dhammika [trans.],
“Seven Pillars Edicts.” The Edicts of Ashoka.
www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html

• How might such a view of human nature influence your choice

of ideology?

The Structure of Society

Social structures are what bind us together as a society and help the
society to function in an orderly fashion. The social structures of any
society reflect the beliefs and values of that society.
Economics is an example of a structure of society. For example,
there are both wealthy people and people living in poverty in
Canadian society, but our provincial governments do have minimum
wage laws, meaning that all businesses must pay a minimum amount of

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 49

 money to their workers. Through these means, these governments are
trying to maintain the structure of what they perceive to be a fairer
society.
There are also informal social structures. Informal social structures
are the unwritten rules about acceptable social behaviour and actions.
For example, some societies show more respect for people who are
elderly and disadvantaged, or place more importance on gender
equality, than others do.

Interpretations of History
Interpretations of history, or the past, are another characteristic of
ideology, because the events of our pasts tend to influence the beliefs
and values that we hold. An individual whose life has been difficult
may have a pessimistic view of life and consider that life is a struggle
against the odds. Other individuals may grow up believing that it is
their duty in life to help people who are disadvantaged because they
themselves have been privileged. Their views of the past affect their
identities and the way they interpret the world.
Countries also have ideological interpretations of their histories that
affect the identities of their citizens. This is sometimes manifested as
demonstrations of patriotism, in which the citizens tell their stories to
themselves and the world. Remembrance Day ceremonies are an
example of such an event, as Canadians pay tribute to the men and
women who made sacrifices to protect the liberal democratic traditions
of Canada. These stories inform a nation’s or a country’s historical
interpretations, which provide it with an ideology that guides its
subsequent actions.

Visions of the Future

Graduating from high school is a sobering experience for many 17- and
18-year-olds. Students getting ready to graduate sometimes experience
anxiety about what is in store for them in the future. You most likely
have a good idea of what you want your future to look like. If your
vision of the future is something like having a job you love, enough
money for you to be comfortable, and a happy family, you need to
think about the actions you need to take in order to achieve these
goals.
The same is true for an ideology, which has a vision of what the
world should be like in the future. This vision of the future will help
guide the actions of people who embrace the ideology.

The Themes of Ideology

Typical themes of concern to ideologies include nation, class, race,
environment and relationship to the land, gender, and religion, among

50 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

others. Most ideologies talk about, or are concerned with, these themes.
In some cases, it may seem as though one or two themes predominate
in an ideology—for example, Marxists concentrate heavily on the
theme of class, and capitalists emphasize the theme of freedom.
Progressivism is an umbrella term for various ideologies that
advocate moderate political and social reform through government
action, such as using anti-trust laws to prevent corporations from
establishing monopolies in the marketplace. Progressive ideologies
generally support social justice and the rights of workers.
The table below displays some of the more important themes of
ideologies and examples of each of them.

Theme Description Example

nation a community of people usually The Kurds live in parts of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran and seek
occupying a defined territory, often self-determination as a nation. Although they number 30 million,
politically independent the Kurds of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran are not recognized as a nation-
state. One aspect of their ideology is to seek self-determination
as a nation.
class a division of society, such as the Some ideologies which embrace collectivist values, such as
middle class, usually defined by communism, seek to eliminate class distinctions in society through
income, wealth, privilege, or role in income and wealth redistribution. Other ideologies see class as
society evidence of a fair distribution of society’s resources based on
people’s talents and initiative.
race a grouping of human beings Some ideologies seek to eradicate racial discrimination; a few
distinguished according to biological ideologies, such as Nazism, have asserted the superiority of one
traits such as skin colour race over others and have sought to separate people along racial
lines.
environment the natural surroundings in which a Green ideology espouses, among other things, the principle of
and relationship person lives, and his or her connection ecological wisdom, or respect for ecology. Some thinkers believe
to land to those surroundings that the landscape has an influence on how the people of that
land see the world. For example, people living in a mountainous
region might have a different worldview than those living in on an
agricultural plain.

gender the male or female sex considered as Feminist ideologies are concerned with attaining equal legal and
a sociological category political rights for women.

religion the worship of one or more deities and Some ideologies, such as liberalism, promote freedom of religion.
acceptance of a particular set of values Other ideologies try to create a society based on the values of a
associated with that worship particular religion.

Ideologies in Practice
Read the quotations that follow by three very different thinkers and
use a retrieval chart to analyze their ideas. What kinds of themes are

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 51

 addressed in the three speeches? Can you find evidence of beliefs
about human nature, beliefs about the structure of society, and visions
for the future? Is there evidence of concerns about nation, class,
environment, relationship to the land, gender, religion, and change?
Which of these themes and characteristics of ideology do you consider
most important? Why? Which thinker’s ideas are closest to your own?
How does this demonstrate the relationship between your personal
beliefs and values and your ideology?

Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas said the following as he was speaking about
File Facts his legacy to a New Democratic Party audience in Prince
Tommy Douglas Albert, Saskatchewan, on November 27, 1970:
• lived from 1904 to 1986 Sometimes people say to me, “Do you feel your life has been
• was a Member of Parliament from 1935 wasted? The New Democratic Party has not come to power in
to 1944 (Co-operative Commonwealth Ottawa.” And I look back and think that a boy from a poor
Federation [CCF]) and from 1962 to 1979 home on the wrong side of the tracks in Winnipeg was given the
(New Democratic Party) privilege of being part of a movement that has changed Canada.
• was the premier of Saskatchewan from In my lifetime I have seen it change Canada.
1944 to 1961 (CCF) When you people sent me to the House of Commons in
• led North America’s first socialist 1935, we had no universal old age pension. We have one now.
government as the premier of It’s not enough, but we have one. We had no unemployment
Saskatchewan insurance. We had no central Bank of Canada, publicly owned.
• created Canada’s first publicly owned We didn’t have a wheat board, didn’t have any crop insurance,
automobile-insurance program (1945) didn’t have a Canada Pension plan, didn’t have any family
• introduced the Saskatchewan Bill of allowances.
Rights, Canada’s first general law Saskatchewan was told that it would never get hospital
prohibiting discrimination (1947) insurance. Yet Saskatchewan people were the first in Canada
• created Saskatchewan Medicare, the
to establish this kind of insurance, and were followed by the
first universal health-care program in
rest of Canada. We didn’t have Medicare in those days. They
Canada (1960)
said you couldn’t have Medicare—it would interfere with the
“doctor-patient relationship”. But you people in this province
demonstrated to Canada that it was possible to have Medicare.
Now every province in Canada either has it or is in the process
of setting it up.
And you people went on to demonstrate other things with your
community health clinics. You paved the road, blazing a trail for another
form of health service, to give people better care at lower cost. You did
these things. You have demonstrated what people can do if they work
together, rather than work against; if you build a cooperative society
rather than a jungle society…
Sure things have changed. Hair has gone down and skirts have
gone up. But don’t let this fool you. Behind the beards and the miniskirts,
the long hair, this generation of young people, take it from me, is one of the
finest generations of young people that have ever grown up in this country.

52 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Sure they’re in rebellion against a lot of our standards and values and
well they might be. They have got sick and tired of a manipulated society.
They understand that a nation’s greatness lies not in the quantities
of its goods but in the quality of its life. This is a generation of young
people who are in revolt against the materialism of our society. They may
go to extremes at times but this is a generation with more social concern,
with a better understanding of the need for love and involvement and
cooperation than certainly any generation I have seen in my lifetime…
We ought to expand our economy. There ought not to be one idle able-
bodied person in Canada. We need a million new homes in Canada. We
need schools. We need recreation centres. We need nursing homes, housing
projects, particularly for old people and for people on low incomes. We’ve
got pollution in this country that needs to be cleaned up before we strangle
ourselves in our own filth. We need a reforestation program. Many things
need to be done. We could put every able-bodied person in this country to
work, not just making holes and filling them up but doing useful work.
That’s the first thing we ought to do.
The second thing we ought to do is to recognize that we haven’t had
inflation in Canada. What we have had is maladministration of income.
What do I mean by that? Well, what is inflation? According to the
economic text books, inflation is too much money chasing too few goods.
Do you think there is too much money chasing too few goods? Where has
this too much money been? Any around here? Do you think the old age
pensioners get too much money? Or the unemployed? Or the farmers? Or
the fishermen? The Economic Council of Canada says that there are five
million Canadians who live below the poverty line. Do you think they’ve
got too much money? That’s a quarter of our population, living in poverty.
What about this too few goods? How many supermarkets have you seen
close at two o’clock in the afternoon because they haven’t got any more
goods to sell? We’re not short of goods. What we have is inequitable and
unfair distribution of income. Raising the old age pension would put money
into the pockets of people who spend it. Unemployment insurance of $100
a week would be spent and the economy would begin to move again.
The other thing we could do to redistribute income is to bring in tax
reforms. The Carter Commission said that too large a share of the taxes
falls on people with incomes of under $10 000 a year. The commission
said that if we made the banks, the insurance companies, the mining
companies, the gas companies, and those who live off capital gains pay
taxes the same as the rest of us do, we would lower the income tax by 15
per cent for everybody with incomes under $10 000 a year and the
government would still have $600 million a year more coming in than is
coming in at the present time…
—Tommy Douglas, “On His Legacy: to a NDP audience in Prince Albert,
Saskatchewan—November 27, 1970.” Tommy Douglas Research Institute.
http://www.tommydouglas.ca/speeches/legacy-1970

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 53

 Milton Friedman
File Facts This is an excerpt from Milton Friedman’s speech “Economic
Milton Friedman Freedom, Human Freedom, Political Freedom,” which he
delivered on November 1, 1991:
• lived from 1912 to 2006
• won the 1976 Nobel Prize in Economics A free private market is a mechanism for enabling a complex
• was a prominent member of the structure of cooperation to arise as an unintended consequence of
Chicago School of Economics Adam Smith’s invisible hand, without any deliberate design. A
• was a highly influential advocate of free private market involves the absence of coercion. People deal
free-market economics with one another voluntarily, not because somebody tells them to
• was the economic advisor to former or forces them to. It does not follow that the people who engage in
American president Ronald Reagan; his these deals like one another, or know one another, or have any
ideas also influenced former British interest in one another. They may hate one another. Everyone of
prime minister Margaret Thatcher, us, everyday without recognizing it, engages in deals with people
former Canadian prime minister Brian all over the world whom we do not know and who do not know
Mulroney, and former Chilean dictator us. No super planning agency is telling them to produce something
Augusto Pinochet for us. They may be of a different religion, a different color, a
different race. The farmer who grows wheat is not interested in
whether it is going to be bought by somebody who is black or
white, somebody who is Catholic or Protestant; and the person who buys
the wheat is not concerned about whether the person who grew it was white
or black, Catholic or Protestant. So the essence of a free private market is
that it is a situation in which everybody deals with one another because he
or she believes he or she will be better off.
The essence of human freedom as of a free private market, is freedom of
people to make their own decisions so long as they do not prevent anybody
else from doing the same thing. That makes clear, l think, why free private
markets are so closely related to human freedom. It is the only mechanism
that permits a complex interrelated society to be organized from the bottom
up rather than the top down. However, it also makes clear why free societies
are so rare. Free societies restrain power. They make it very hard for bad
people to do harm, but they also make it very hard for good people to do
good. Implicitly or explicitly, most opponents of freedom believe that they
know what is good for other people better than other people know for
themselves, and they want the power to make people do what is really good
for them…
If you consider medical care, which is another major problem now, total
spending on medical care has gone from 4% of the national income to 13%,
and more than half of that increase has been in the form of government
spending. Costs have multiplied and it is reasonably clear that output has
not gone up in anything like the same ratio. Our automobile industry can
produce all the cars anybody wants to drive and is prepared to pay for.
They do not seem to have any difficulty, but our government cannot produce
the roads for us to drive on. The aviation industry can produce the planes,
the airlines can get the pilots, but the government somehow cannot provide
the landing strips and the air traffic controllers. I challenge anybody to

54 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 name a major problem in the United States that does not derive from
excessive government…
The important point is that we in our private lives and they in their
governmental lives are all moved by the same incentive: to promote our own
self interest. Armen Alchian once made a very important comment. He
said, “You know, there is one thing you can trust everybody to do. You can
trust everybody to put his interest above yours.” That goes for those of us in
the private sector; that goes for people in the government sector. The
difference between the two is not in the people; it is not in the incentives. It is
in what it is in the self interest for different people to do. In the private
economy, so long as we keep a free private market, one party to a deal can
only benefit if the other party also benefits. There is no way in which you
can satisfy your needs at the expense of somebody else. In the government
market, there is another recourse. If you start a program that is a failure
and you are in the private market, the only way you can keep it going is by
digging into your own pocket. That is your bottom line. However, if you are
in the government, you have another recourse. With perfectly good intentions
and good will nobody likes to say “I was wrong” you can say, “Oh, the only
reason it is a failure is because we haven’t done enough. The only reason
the drug program is a failure is because we haven’t spent enough money on
it.” And it does not have to be your own money. You have a very different
bottom line. If you are persuasive enough, or if you have enough control over
power, you can increase spending on your program at the expense of the
taxpayer. That is why a private project that is a failure is closed down while
a government project that is a failure is expanded.
—Milton Friedman, quoted in Micheline Ishay, The Human Rights
Reader (New York: Routledge, 2007), pp. 343–346.
Used with permission of: The Smith Center for Private
Enterprise Studies College of Business and Economics
California State University, East Bay http://thesmithcenter.org

Ovide Mercredi File Facts

This is an excerpt from a speech Ovide Mercredi made at Ovide Mercredi
the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations’ All Chiefs • was born in 1946
Legislative Assembly in 1992. • became a lawyer specializing in
It is not easy for me to put a human face to the AFN [Assembly constitutional law
of First Nations]. I am a very private person. I am also a very
• was the regional chief of the Assembly
of First Nations for Manitoba, 1989
quiet individual and most of all I am a very serious man.
• was the national chief of the Assembly
Part of our job is to make ourselves stronger, to make each
of First Nations, 1991–1997
other stronger. And I’ve wondered how we do that myself. I am
• is the chief of Misipawistik Cree Nation
coming slowly to the realization that you do not become strong
• is the chancellor of University College
by politics.
of the North, 2007– present
Power politics in the community, in our organizations, do not • advocates for non-violent methods
heal our people but they create more problems that divide our for change

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 55

 people. So we have to do more than just become politicians as leaders. We
have to, I think, try to escape the Indian Act and we have to try to
operate with the traditions and the values of our society.
The principle of respect, and if you consider it, kindness, a very simple
principle, goes a long way to healing people. In our communities, when we
grew up, we were taught at least those two basic principles from the time
we were crawling until to the time we left home—respect and kindness.
So the challenge for us is not so much the Constitution. The challenge
is how we heal ourselves. The challenge is how much faith we have in our
own way of doing things and how willing are we to sacrifice our
individual advancement for the sake of the community.
You see I am an optimist. I have full confidence in my people. I know
we are in pain. I know we are suffering. I know we have problems, social
problems. But I also believe that we have the knowledge, we have the
talent and we have the strength to change life for the better.
The strongest members of our society are Indian women. Our men,
many of our men have fallen and they have fallen because they have lost
confidence in themselves. They have fallen because they have given up
because there are no opportunities for them and they feel inadequate
because they cannot meet the social and economic requirements of their
families. But the women have maintained the hope. They have maintained
the prospects for a better future and our men are beginning to heal.
That’s why I say that I am an optimist about our future because I
know that when we come together as men and women, as Elders and
children, for the collective good of our people and the advancement of our
communities and our societies, not only will we benefit, but Canada as a
whole will benefit.
—Ovide Mercredi, quoted in Saskatchewan
Indian, 21, 3 (May, 1992), p. 7.

56 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

Government Responses to Crises—
Evidence of Ideology INVESTIGATION
Something to Think About: Many people believe that one of the key
jobs of governments is to support and care for their citizens. We assume
that governments will respond when citizens are in danger or when a
natural disaster strikes. How do the actions of a country’s leaders in a
time of crisis reflect the beliefs and values that underlie their ideology?
An Example: The world was shocked to witness a devastating cyclone
smash into an ill-prepared land, and see its government doing nothing.
On May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the southern delta regions of
Myanmar, killing thousands, destroying homes, cutting off electricity,
destroying food supplies, and contaminating major agricultural fields
with salt water and sewage. One month after the storm, an estimated
100 000 people were dead, 56 000 were missing, and 2.4 million were
displaced. In the face of this catastrophe the government of Myanmar
reacted by trying to shut out the world, restricting reporters, refusing
aid from neighbouring countries, and refusing to issue visas to disaster
experts from agencies such as the Red Cross and Médecins Sans
Frontières. However, rather than facilitating relief efforts itself, the
government put its resources into holding a national referendum on a
new constitution.
Many countries immediately offered assistance. Relief teams and aid
materials were waiting to be deployed from Thailand, Singapore, Italy,
France, Sweden, Britain, South Korea, Australia, Israel, the United
States, Poland, Japan, and other countries. The United States had four
ships in the area and offered to use helicopters and marines to get food
and water to inaccessible areas. Yet only agencies that were in the
country before the cyclone were allowed to do what they could to help
the situation. No foreign personnel were allowed into the country by
the government, which was especially determined to keep foreign
military personnel out of the country. Many people died waiting for aid.
Eventually, terrific pressure was put on the government by
neighbouring countries and by the United Nations. Myanmar
reluctantly agreed to allow food, medicine, and supplies into the
country but only if it was distributed by government forces and under
government management. Soon stories began to circulate that some
areas of the country, those friendly to the government, were receiving
supplies, while other areas went without. Other stories surfaced about
packages from relief agencies being re-addressed to military generals.
The government, according to these stories, was using aid selectively, to
reward loyal citizens and punish others. Three weeks after the cyclone
struck, very little aid had reached the people who needed it.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 57

 File Facts News Stories About the Situation

Myanmar (formerly known as After several days of praising the work of the United Nations and
charities, the regime’s official newspaper renewed its attacks on
Burma) foreign aid and insisted Myanmar could survive without outside
• In 1948, Burma (formerly a colony of help. “The government and the people are like parents and
Britain) became independent and
children,” the paper said. “We, all the people, were pleased with
almost immediately began to
the efforts of the government.”
disintegrate as ethnic groups,
The paper said that granting free access for aid workers in the
communists, and Muslims all competed
delta means donors “are to be given permission to inspect all the
for power.
houses thoroughly at will.”
• In 1962, a left-wing army revolt led by
General Ne Win deposed the troubled Myanmar needs 11 billion dollars to recover from the storm,
democratic government and set the but donors have pledged just 150 million dollars so far, it said.
country on the path of socialism. “Myanmar people are capable enough of rising from such
Over the next 25 years, the Burmese natural disasters even if they are not provided with international
economy crumbled. assistance,” the newspaper said. “Myanmar people can easily get
• In 1988, clashes between pro- fish for dishes by just fishing in the fields and ditches,” the paper
democracy demonstrators and the said. “In the early monsoon, large edible frogs are abundant.”
military resulted in 3000 deaths in “The people (of the Irrawaddy delta) can survive with self-reliant
a six-week period. efforts even if they are not given chocolate bars from (the)
• In 1989, the government placed Aung international community,” it added…
San Suu Kyi, the popular pro-democracy —Source: Sukhpal Singh, “Myanmar condemns foreign
opposition leader, under house arrest. aids for linking aid money to have full access in the region.”
Despite her imprisonment, her party MindTalks.org, May 30, 2008.
scored an overwhelming victory in a http://www.mindtalks.org/misc/myanmar-condemns-foreign-aids-
1990 election. The military government for-linking-aid-money-to-have-full-access-in-the-region.html
did not accept the election results.
• The military regime has brutally On Saturday, [US Defense Secretary Robert] Gates accused
suppressed ethnic groups wanting Myanmar’s military, which has ruled the isolated nation for 46
rights and autonomy, and many ethnic years, of being “deaf and dumb” to pleas to allow in more foreign
insurgencies operate against it. aid and relief workers.
Successive military governments have Than Shwe’s pledge a week ago to allow in “all” legitimate
been accused of corruption, heroin foreign aid workers has yielded more visas for UN relief experts,
trafficking, and human rights but red tape is still hampering access to the delta.
violations—including forcible Gates contrasted the generals’ refusal to accept aid from the
relocation of civilians and use of forced US military after Cyclone Nargis struck four weeks ago with the
labour. The head of state in 2008 is willingness of Indonesia and Bangladesh to accept assistance after
Senior General Than Shwe. natural disasters in recent years.
• Myanmar is the world’s second-largest “With Burma, the situation has been very different—at a cost
producer of illicit opium, after
of tens of thousands of lives,” Gates said.
Afghanistan.
The United States is expected to decide in a few days whether
to withdraw its aid-laden ships from waters near Myanmar.
Singapore, one of the biggest foreign investors in the former Burma, said
the generals feared giving greater access to foreign aid agencies would
show that the regime was incapable of handling the disaster.

58 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 However, Myint reiterated that his government was open to all aid
provided that it is not politicised.
“In carrying out the relief, resettlement and rehabilitation tasks, we will
warmly welcome any assistance and aid which are provided with genuine
goodwill from any country or organisation provided there are no strings
attached,” he said.
—Source: C. Moore (Reuters), “A month after Nargis,
junta still under fire.” France 24, June 3, 2008.
http://www.france24.com/en/20080603-burma-
myanmar-nargis-cyclone-junta-aid

The number of people killed in the storm may never be known. The
government has not updated its toll since May 16, when it said 77 738
people were killed and 55 917 were missing.
In a country that has not had a full census in decades, it is not even
certain how many people had been living in the area before the storm.
Itinerants who worked in the salt marshes and shrimp farms were
probably not counted among the dead, aid workers say. But it is clear
that in many villages, women and children died in disproportionate
numbers, said Osamu Kunii, chief of the health and nutrition section of
Unicef in Myanmar.
“Only people who could endure the tidal surge and high winds could
survive,” Mr. Kunii said. In one village of 700, all children under the age
of 7 died, he said.
With only minimal food supplies in villages, aid workers say, delta
residents will require aid until at least the end of the year. The United
Nations, after weeks of haggling with Myanmar’s government for
permission to provide assistance, is now using 10 helicopters to deliver
supplies to hard-to-reach places and alerting relief experts at the earliest
sign of disease outbreaks…
—Source: “Burmese Endure in Spite of Junta,
Aid Workers Say.” From The New York Times,
June 18, 2008 © 2008 The New York Times.
All rights reserved. Used by permission and
protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States.
The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission
of the Material without express written
permission is prohibited. www.nytimes.com

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 59

 QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1 Use the Skill Path: Discovering One’s Beliefs and Values to answer the
following questions:
a) How does the information in this Investigation make you feel about the
actions of the government of Myanmar? What values and beliefs do you
hold that cause you to feel that way?
b) How would you describe the beliefs and values of the members of the
military junta controlling the country? What about the beliefs and values
of the foreign countries and organizations who tried to provide aid during
the crisis?
2 What are possible reasons the leaders of Myanmar could give to explain
their actions in response to Cyclone Nargis?
3 To what extent do countries who disagree with Myanmar’s government have
a responsibility to help the people of that country?
4 To what extent do individuals like you have a responsibility to help the
people affected by Cyclone Nargis or other natural or human-made disasters?
5 One definition of ideology might be, “a system of ideas about how the world
is and how it ought to be.” Based on your answers to questions 1, 3, and 4,
describe your ideology.

Explore the Issues

Concept Review 3 Which of the themes of ideology is most
1 a) Identify the four common characteristics of important to you? What beliefs and values
ideologies. account for your selecting this particular
b) Identify at least four of the themes of theme?
ideologies. Concept Application
c) For each of the three speech excerpts in this
4 In the context of recent historical events, do you
section, identify what you believe to be the
think that some ideologies carry some of the
speaker’s most important theme.
themes of ideology to an extreme? Provide
2 What circumstances would cause an ideology to evidence for your answer.
emphasize one theme of ideology over another?

60 Chapter 1: Thinking About Identity and Ideologies

 Reflect and Analyze

In this chapter you were presented with many Once you have completed gathering the data
perspectives on ideology and identity. You looked and have identified the beliefs and values,
at different understandings of identity, and how characteristics, and themes of an ideology, and
ideology can influence identity. You considered the the connections between identity and
factors that influence beliefs and values, such as ideology, compose a response that
family, gender, and language. You also explored the demonstrates what you would do to promote
characteristics of ideology, such as interpretations or challenge the ideology you have discovered
of history and visions of the future, and themes of in your inquiry. How is this promotion or
ideology such as nation, class, and race. You can challenge an important part of being a citizen
now respond to the Chapter Issue: To what extent in a democratic society?
are ideology and identity interrelated?
3 Reread the story of The Compact at the
Respond to Issues beginning of the chapter. Using the points
1 Identify one factor that influences identity. below to guide you, write a letter to a
Write a research paper, create a PowerPoint member of a community group to convince
presentation, design a web page, or create him or her to think about forming a group
some other form of digital product on a like The Compact. In your letter, do the
historical situation in which that factor had a following:
direct impact on the collective identity of a • Reflect on the various factors that may
social group. Consider multiple perspectives have influenced your identity: for
on the situation in your response. example, family, culture, language, media,
environment, relationship to the land,
Recognize Relationships among
gender, and religion and spirituality.
Concepts, Issues, and Citizenship
• Consider your answers to the Beliefs and
2 Select a medium such as a newspaper or news Values Inventory quiz that you took
magazine, a television or radio news program, earlier in the chapter. To what extent do
or an online news source. Examine the news your answers reflect aspects of
stories presented in this medium and collect individualism, collectivism, or both?
data that will show you the extent to which • Think about the fundamental questions
people follow an ideology. You will need to that people have tried to answer: What is
follow this medium for several consecutive the purpose of life? What are people like?
days. As you examine this medium, attempt to What kind of society do we want?
identify the beliefs and values of the people in
the news stories as well as those constructing
the story. Include how the themes and the
characteristics of an ideology are present along
with how these reflect the connections
between the people’s identities and their
ideologies.

Part 1 Issue: To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity? 61