Authoritarian ideologies are political systems that prioritize the authority of an individual or group over the rights and freedoms of individuals. These systems often seek to maintain power through strict social control, including regulating personal behaviors and beliefs such as intimacy, purity, and obedience. One way they do this is by controlling sexual practices and identities, as well as shaping public discourse about sex and relationships. This can include promoting heteronormative gender roles, condemning homosexuality, restricting access to contraception and abortion, and criminalizing consensual non-normative activities like polygamy, polyamory, and kink. By doing so, authoritarian ideologies create a society where people feel pressure to conform to traditional gender roles and moral expectations, which helps them maintain their grip on power.
These ideologies may also encourage conformity and compliance through fear tactics, punishing those who break norms and reinforcing societal norms.
In some countries, people have been arrested for expressing dissent online or engaging in certain types of intimate behavior, while others face heavy fines or jail time for violating dress codes or alcohol consumption policies. In short, authoritarian ideologies use intimacy, purity, and obedience as tools for social control, creating a climate of surveillance and fear where people must conform to strict rules and values to avoid punishment.
References:
1. "Authoritarianism." Oxford Reference. Accessed April 30, 2022. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/978019539668841.0013.00001/m_en_itoc_20007051109091
2. Bussemaker, J., & van der Walt, L. (2018). 'Sexuality and Power: The Politics of Sexual Control Under Authoritarian Regimes.' International Journal of Human Rights Education, 6(2), 1-21.
3. Cohen, E. S. (2007). 'The Stalinist System: The Thought War in the Soviet Union, 1928-1953.' Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 610(1), 170-185.
4. Donnelly, P. (2003). 'Facing the Beast: Interpreting Totalitarian Oppression in Modern History.' The American Historical Review, 108(4), 11207-1130.
How do authoritarian ideologies maintain control by regulating intimacy, shaping expectations of purity, conformity, and moral obedience?
Authoritarian ideologies maintain control through the regulation of intimacy, the establishment of socially accepted expectations for purity and conformity, as well as moral obedience. These elements are all closely intertwined with one another and help create an environment where individuals feel pressure to adhere to strict social norms that promote order and stability within their society.