Theory and ideology at work

Abstract

The concepts in a discourse are related as a system, they are part of a theory or ideology, that is, a system of concepts and images which are a way of seeing and grasping things, and of interpreting what is seen or heard or read. All perception involves theory or ideology and there are no 'raw', uninterrupted, theory-free facts. In the case of political and social ideologies, the challenge posed by anomalies has a particular urgency. They occur in the context of an ongoing conflict between alternative ideologies that is a direct part of generally antagonistic social conflicts. And the gap between reality and theory is so great that there is a continual stream of 'awkward facts' which opponents will exploit if they are not successfully denied, suppressed or reinterpreted. The chapter talks about the shooting and killing of unarmed people that was described in the reports from The Times and Guardian was an event of ideology at work.

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