The 3 most important types of indoctrination

Summary of the types of indoctrination: the most common ways of inculcating ideas and values.

We are constantly exposed to stimuli that seek to modify our ideals and beliefs. Some are subtle and some are less so.

We are going to a tour of the most common forms of indoctrination, starting first with a broad definition of indoctrination.The first step is a broad definition of this phenomenon, which will allow us to lay the foundations for the subsequent study of the types of indoctrination we may encounter in our daily lives.

The main types of indoctrination

In order to know the different types of indoctrination, it is necessary first of all to be clear about the term indoctrination, since it can sometimes give rise to certain confusions. What is certain is that the action of indoctrination is basically to transmit a doctrine to another person. Of course, this action has extraordinary implications..

Transmitting a doctrine means that one person is trying to instill in another a series of values, ideas, ways of thinking and even of acting. As the social beings that we are, this is a phenomenon that inevitably occurs in many of our interactions, especially with those closest to us.

This is the case of the transmission experienced from parents to children, as we will see later when reviewing the types of indoctrination. In this case, it is difficult to establish a boundary between the mere process of educating and that of indoctrination. Some authors introduce the nuance of critical thinking to differentiate the two concepts.

In this sense, we could say that indoctrination differs from education when the indoctrinator tries to prevent the indoctrinated from reasoning critically about the elements he is inculcating in themand therefore accept them without further hesitation. This issue has generated a heated debate among parents and educational communities about the boundaries between the two.

As with education, and as we shall see in the types of indoctrination, this concept also maintains strong links with that of socialization, making its separation in certain areas complicated. In any case, socialization is seen as a neutral process, while indoctrination unleashes a series of negative connotations..

The phenomenon of indoctrination has been dealt with historically, even in antiquity, although it has been given other labels. However, the modern term has been studied mainly in the 20th century, through research on the influence of the media carried out by such influential authors as Avram Noam Chomsky, or even the physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein.

Having built a theoretical foundation, we can now delve into the different types of indoctrination. To do so, we are going to review a list of the most common examples, although this does not mean that they are the only ones we can find, because indoctrination can occur in a multitude of fields.

1. Political indoctrination

Undoubtedly, when thinking about the types of indoctrination, one of the first that will come to mind is the one that has to do with the field of politics. In this sense, the different political doctrines would make up the set of ideals, values and ways of thinking and living that a certain group would try to impose on the rest. on the rest.

Indoctrination is a fundamental part of politics. Every message and campaign is aimed at strengthening the feeling of unity of those convinced voters but also at trying to generate interest in those who are hesitant between different formations.

Of course, in front of those parties that turn out to be opposed, they will generate a feeling of rivalry that is closer to enmity, blaming them for all the ills of society and never recognizing the goodness of a proposal or a measure taken by them.blaming them for all the ills of society and never recognizing the goodness of a proposal or a measure taken by them.

In addition, when we talk about politics, within the types of indoctrination, we must not forget the influence of new technologies, and how social networks are used to try to inculcate the ideals of the party constantly, so they are no longer limited to this action during election campaigns, as in the past, but currently but nowadays a daily state of tension is being sought..

Obviously, not all political movements have the same indoctrinating approach. The greatest exponents can be found, of course, in the totalitarian ideologies that emerged in the first half of the 20th century, such as National Socialism and Communism.

These types of movements went far beyond politics, making the doctrine a way of life. Even today we can still find vestiges of that past in countries like North Korea, where a cult of the supreme leader is maintained that borders on the divine and absolutely all facets of the lives of citizens are controlled, restricting their individual freedoms to the maximum.

2. Religious indoctrination

If one was that of politics, the second of the most obvious types of indoctrination can be none other than that of religion. Religion is in itself an indoctrination, because it raises a series of beliefs that are based on faith, i.e., that escape all critical and scientific thinking..

Religions have been linked to the history of mankind even since prehistoric times, as there is evidence of various behaviors encompassed in shamanism, and even funeral rites involving a series of spiritual beliefs. But later on, other creeds emerged, some of which are still alive today.

Why would religion be one of the types of indoctrination? Because they are not only composed of beliefs about a hypothetical afterlife, but they also impose a series of rules for earthly life, based on a higher power.. In other words, they tell people how they should act, since God (the one who corresponds according to the religion) commands it.

Major religions, in fact, have a series of ceremonial rites in which new members are welcomed or a vital moment or commitment is celebrated within the religious framework. These acts are another element that mark the way in which the person should act, another example of why religion fits as one of the types of indoctrination.

Religion is a fantastic means of population control, as it was in Western countries in the past, through Christianity, or as it is in many countries in Africa and Asia today, through Islam. Many of these nations are theocracies, where religious power is inseparable from political power, so that laws are based on belief..

But even in countries where religion has lost the power it once held, we cannot ignore the cultural imprint it has left. This phenomenon is easily observable if we think of the differences in the way of being and living between people belonging to traditionally Catholic countries and traditionally Protestant countries, as is the case in northern and southern Europe.

The most extreme form of indoctrination through religion is that carried out by fundamentalist movements, even convincing their followers to commit suicidal acts, as in the case of some radical Islamic terrorist groups.

3. Media indoctrination

The media are not exactly one of the types of indoctrination, but they are the ideal medium for indoctrination in various ideologies, some political and others that go even further.

Evidently, there is no such thing as an objective media. Each and every one of them will answer to some power, being in some cases evident and in others a more diffuse issue.

In any case, the media act as a loudspeaker of the ideals that certain sectors intend to spread and impose, and for this purpose they take advantage of informative programs, entertainment or any other. The messages can be introduced in a more veiled way or even explicitly.

It is only necessary to review the content of a television channel, radio station or newspaper for a moment to grasp the editorial line that underlies such media. This characteristic is also observed in social networks, not only because of the activity of their users, which will depend on each one of them, but also because of the filtering and censorship actions they can carry out, depending on the content they want to show.

Our way of life makes it almost impossible to isolate ourselves from the media and social networks.. An individual can try to choose the media he or she reviews for information, but he or she will never be safe from an attempt at manipulation, even when critical thinking is strong in him or her.

This is why the media is perhaps the most extraordinary type of indoctrination, because of the virtually unlimited power it wields. Perhaps that is why all powers strive to control them.

Bibliographical references:

• Callan, E., Arena, D. (2009). Indoctrination. The Oxford handbook of philosophy of Education.
• Ibáñez-Martín, J.A. (1981). Introduction to the concept of indoctrination. Revista Española de Pedagogía. JSTOR.
• Sears, A., Hughes, A., (2006). Citizenship: Education or indoctrination. Citizenship and Teacher Education. Citeseer.
• Snook, I.A. (2010). Concepts of Indoctrination (International Library of the Philosophy of Education Volume 20): Philosophical Essays.
• White, J.P. (1970). Indoctrination. Philosophy of Education.