Teun A. van Dijk is a Visiting Professor atUniversitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. From 1980 to 2006 he held a personalchair as Professor of Discourse Studies at the University of Amsterdam. A worldleading scholar of discourse studies and author of over 250 books and articles,he edits the SAGE journals Disourse &Society, Discourse Studies, and Discourseand Communication.

`Whilst the literature on ideology is legion, the concept remains as elusive and confused as ever. This book promises a fresh start. It begins the ambitious task of outlining a new, multidisciplinary theory which attempts to show how ideologies shape people′s perceptions and understanding of society and, in subtle and complex ways, regulate social practices and relationships in the social world′ - British Journal of Sociology`Van Dijk has written a stimulating book presented as an invitation to multidisciplinary cooperation′ - International Journal of Public Opinion Research`A substantive book-length treatment of ideology, van Dijk tells us in his preface, has been an unrealized project he has always dreamed about. The project is at last realized, and is done so lucidly and thoroughly. Students will find it a helpful text in thinking about one of the most difficult key concepts in the social sciences′ -European Journal of Communication

• IntroductionPART ONE: COGNITIONIdeas and BeliefsSocial BeliefsStructures and StrategiesStructures of IdeologiesValuesMental ModelsConsistencyConsciousnessCommon SenseKnowledge and TruthIdentitySocial CognitionPART TWO: SOCIETYIdeology and SocietyGroupsGroup RelationsElitesDominant Ideologies?InstitutionsPART THREE: DISCOURSEThe Relevance of DiscourseDiscourse StructuresContextReproductionFrom Cognition to DiscoursePersuasionLegitimationIdeological Discourse StructuresThe Ideology and Discourse of Modern RacismConclusions