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CSS Sociology QUESTION #1678
Question 1
Louis Althusser, in his structural Marxist reformulation of the theory of ideology, distinguished between 'Repressive State Apparatuses' (which operate primarily through force) and 'Ideological State Apparatuses' (which operate primarily through ideology). Which of the following correctly identifies examples of ideological rather than repressive state apparatuses?
  • The military, police, and prison system
  • Religion, education, and media — institutions that reproduce ruling-class ideology by securing the voluntary consent of the dominated✔️
  • The judicial system and its courts of law
  • Bureaucratic administrations and formal political party structures
Correct Answer Explanation
In 'Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses' (1970), Althusser distinguishes between Repressive State Apparatuses (army, police, prisons — which operate through force) and Ideological State Apparatuses (religion, education, family, media, political parties — which operate through ideology, securing consent). Education was, for Althusser, the dominant ISA in capitalist societies.