We see that bourgeois culture and ideology are a profound force in the continuation of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. This culture and this ideology are tied directly to the holding back of working class consciousness. This culture is put forward by all the institutions of capitalist society: education, arts, sciences, state, courts, prisons, media, religions, etc.
“The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling class ideas: i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force...Insofar, therefore, as they rule as a class and determine the extent and compass of an epoch, it is self-evident that they do this in its whole range, hence among other things rule also as thinkers, as producers of ideas, and regulate the production and distribution of the ideas of their age: thus their ideas are the ruling ideas of the epoch.” K. Marx, The German Ideology
Hunger and oppression are necessary byproducts of the monopoly capitalist system. Bourgeois ideology serves to give these evils a “scientific” explanation. It also focuses the blame for them on the people and away from the ruling class. Bourgeois ideology brings us the myth of overpopulation to explain hunger, and the lie of the natural inferiority of women to rationalize sexual oppression. Thus, science, as it is used by the bourgeoisie, is another prop in the power base of capitalism.
Other ideological factors include: the arts, which maintain that a person must be an expert to understand and enjoy them; national chauvinism, whose spokespeople tell us that the U.S. is the greatest place on earth, despite malnutrition, disease, oppression and terror maintained in our midst; the nuclear family, which promotes stereotyped male-female roles, unquestioned obedience and antiquated social values; the sacredness of property; and the viewpoint that the capitalists, their flunkies and “expert” doctors, lawyers, assorted scientists and educators are of a substantially higher character and intelligence than working people.
We see the way to fight bourgeois ideology and culture is to maintain and build working class ideology and culture, and to educate ourselves as to the contradictions and oppressiveness of the bourgeois system. Working class culture ad ideology can only arise out of the struggle against monopoly capital.