| Review of: |
Ideology: Contemporary Social, Political and Cultural Theory by Robert Porter
University of Wales Press, Cardiff, 2006
Pages: 162. £17.99 |
| Reviewed By: |
Rebecca L. Graff |
| Reviewed in: |
Political Studies Review |
| Date accepted online: |
02/11/2007 |
| Published in print: |
Volume 05, Issue 02, Pages 248-316 |
Book Reviews: Political Theory
In Ideology, Robert Porter aims to present a critical conception of ideology: 'to map certain conditions and elucidate some key animating features of a critique of ideology' (p. 1, emphasis in original), and to explicate a relationship between theory, ethics and critique. Through a cross-cutting dialogue between Habermas, Deleuze and Žizek, Porter approaches three disparate images of ideology with an explicitly critical intent. He asserts that 'it is important to acknowledge that theorizations concerning how the ideological relates to the real are as old and as contestable as the concept of ideology itself' (p. 2). In order to arrive at the possibility of a critique of ideology, Porter embarks on two trajectories: first, reconciling the distinctions made by Habermas, Deleuze and Žizek between the ideological and the real - despite their apparent resistance to each other - with the concept of ideology as a contestable space (as outlined by Freeden and Ricoeur); and second, overcoming the 'potentially troubling' implications of a 'moral' or 'ethical' ground for such a critique (p. 13). This is a difficult project, and Porter should be lauded for attempting an innovative approach; however, several flaws prevent this potential from its realisation. Porter's deployment of film as a text through which to 'read' different configurations of ideology and the real is inventive and could insightfully link the abstractions of theory to social and cultural contexts. And yet, these connections are only partially made - the use of film is not adequately interwoven with either the analysis of individual theorists, or Porter's wider thesis. While Porter's intentions are critical, his methods innovative and his arguments complex, their effectiveness is often hindered by his writing style, which appears stranded between repetition and reiteration: Porter frequently repeats points of argument that have already been established - at times nearly verbatim. Yet, he constantly rephrases his own thoughts, oscillating between one adjective and another, reformulating any insight to the point of distillation. It is difficult to ascertain precisely who this book is aimed at: the complexity of the analysis suggests a more advanced student of political theory, and yet the redundancy of repetitive arguments would likely only be tolerated by undergraduates. This stylistic annoyance points to an overall hesitancy or uncertainty within the work itself: rather than embrace the inherent contestability of ideology (p. 8), Porter seems more concerned to circumvent it. Despite its shortcomings, however, Ideology does succeed in presenting an intriguing dialogue between three powerhouses of contemporary theory.
