Dorthy Smith

Dorthy Smith, like other women sociologists, talked about the inequality of women in their time (which is still apparent today).  This stretches to a variety of different realms, but Smith was also able to come up with the concept of ideology where she takes a “Marxist conception of ideology into Freudian categories of consciousness.” This first concept of the Marx’s ideology comes into play from the people in control or as Marx would say ‘The Bourgeoisie’.  From these people that are in control is where we get these ideas and concepts that a majority of the people think.   Also with this, you can see from Smith working off Marx’s ideas, without many women with this high power men’s thoughts over shadow women’s in a majority of social matters.  The people in power have the ability to give the public whatever information they choose, for instance you can take a local news company and how they always report on crime.  The top story always seems to be a plane crash or murder and at the end of the hour broadcast you will see a heartwarming story of an individual volunteering in your community.   It is apparent how a communities and all the way up to countries ideologies stem from the powerful.

Smith built off the Ideology concept into categories of consciousness relative to Freud.  She sums it up as these ideas get beat into our head time and time again until it becomes second nature.  It will be so far down into our consciousness that we don’t even know that we are doing it anymore.  An example in today’s society is the marketing that people will see within their lifetimes.  When shown pictures 5 year olds don’t know Abraham Lincoln but know Ronald McDonald.  Here: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/kids-mcdonalds-toyota-disney/story?id=10333145&page=2 is a small write up done by ABC news showing how kids identify Ronald McDonald so well.   We see that these people in power choose what they wish for the general public to consume and think.  It is much easier to control people that agree with you than free thinkers that are able to apply their own reason and view. 

Smith is able to tie these concepts to show how, for example, stereotypes can be formed.  It makes perfect sense that most of us don’t even recognize it because it is in our consciousness.