is the securing of our ideological consent through the institutions of religion, the family, a binary political system, unions, the media, sport, literature and the arts, and, supremely, education.

Althusser’s list of ISAs includes religion, the family, the political system of elections and parties to choose from, the unions (in so far as they set out to improve the existing order but not to change it), the media, sport, literature and the arts, and, supremely, education.

is not a set of homogenous institutions; sometimes they can be bitter, but they have the effect of securing our conscious or unconscious consent to the way things are, by making them appear at best in our interests and at worst inevitable. Above all, they seem obvious.

These institutions, while not homogeneous in their output, and not without internal conflict, sometimes bitter, have the effect of securing our conscious or unconscious consent to the way things are, by making them appear at best in our interests and at worst inevitable. Above all, they seem obvious.

ISA, n.All

ISA