Final answer:
An ideology is a set of beliefs or doctrines that guide one's views on how the government should work and how various aspects of society should operate. It helps individuals make sense of the world and influences their decisions on what is right or wrong. Ideologies can be individual or group phenomena.
Step-by-step explanation:
An ideology is a set of beliefs or doctrines that guide one's views on how the government should work and how various aspects of society, such as economics, politics, religion, kinship, and gender, should operate. It helps individuals make sense of the world and their place in it, and influences their decisions on what is right or wrong, good or bad, and appropriate or inappropriate. Ideologies can be individual or group phenomena and are often associated with specific groups or classes in society.