Pick one of the essay topics belowand discuss it in relation to on one of the following “ideological apparatuses”—the family, education, political (political system and political parties) or cultural (literature, the arts, sports). Make sure you use course texts to define ‘political ideology’ and the particular ‘-isms’ you will focus on. You must useat least two readings from the courseas well as at least two secondary sources.The order of presentation is something you need to think deeply about: what are the questions you are seeking to answer and what is the best order to answer them? Aim to strike a balance between direct textual analysis of the readings we are using in the course with your own research. Devote an early paragraph to defining and exploring key conceptsusing course texts. All papers must devote a section to examining the concept of‘political ideology’. Papers should be double spaced, with 12 point font (Times New Roman, Arial or Cambria are common ones) and one inch margins. Provide a title pageand a bibliography. Essay Topics1.Compare and contrast two of the following political ideologies: liberalism, conservatism and socialism. How do they see the nature of human beings and society, key political values and the most desirable institutional arrangements? 2.Critically examine Sassoon’s account of the history of socialism in the 20th C. How did it succeed? How did it fail? Is there a future for socialism?3.What are the key attributes of racial ideology, according to Fields? What does Winant’s ‘racial formation’ approach entail and how can it help us understand contemporary political dynamics? 4.Critically examine Coole’s reconstruction of the history of feminism. Are struggles around the production and management of subjectivities just as political as struggles around domination and exploitation?5.How can fascism be defined in historical terms, according to Finchelstein? What are the key attributes of fascist ideology? According to Adorno, what are the personality traits of someone who is predisposed to fascism?
