In this blog post, we explore how imagined order shapes social hierarchies and influences individual identity and life.
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens, humans have formed groups to protect themselves from external threats. Realizing that being part of a social group was more advantageous for their well-being than living alone, they maintained these groups and expanded their size. As the groups grew, Homo sapiens built vast cooperative networks both within and outside the group to manage them efficiently. However, most of these networks were hierarchical rather than egalitarian. At some point, a ruling class emerged to form a hierarchy, and the ruled accepted this, creating a structure in which they supported the small ruling class with the surplus resources they produced. To strengthen their power, the ruling class instilled an “imagined order” within the group to solidify the hierarchical structure.
An “imagined order” refers to social norms powerful enough to consistently align the thinking of group members. This order has permeated the lives of Homo sapiens so deeply that the only way for an individual to escape it is to withdraw from the community. In modern society, this order is called ideology, and as the world becomes increasingly integrated, its influence grows ever stronger. Consequently, the characteristics of each society exert a strong influence on individual identity.
Within this imagined order, an individual’s power is determined by their status within the group. This article focuses specifically on the identities that confer status—the origins of class systems and social discrimination. The primary identities include gender, sexual orientation, nationality and race, economic status, and religion. Society constructs ideologies for each of these identities, asserting that certain characteristics are superior to others.
Discrimination and privilege based on specific identities still exist in modern society. Although there have been subtle changes over time, men still tend to be superior to women, heterosexuals to those with other sexual orientations, citizens of developed nations to those of developing nations, and Westerners or white people to other races. Economically wealthy people hold a position of superiority over the poor, and in religious terms, Christians hold a position of superiority over those who follow other religions. What is surprising is that there is very little basis for these characteristics to hold such superiority. This is merely the result of characteristics arbitrarily designated as superior within an imaginary order.
As an example of gender identity, it is not natural for men to hold a position of power over women. In *Sapiens*, Yuval Harari cites physical strength, aggression, and survival strategies as reasons for this, but acknowledges the lack of evidence. In the film *The Imitation Game*, Alan Turing contributed to the Allied victory in World War II by cracking Germany’s “Enigma” code, yet he was punished by the state for being gay, underwent chemical castration, and ultimately took his own life. Despite his intellect making a tremendous contribution to the nation, he was unable to overcome social discrimination.
Society prioritizes the characteristics of specific groups, exerting a strong influence on the formation of individual identity. To overcome this hierarchical order, we must examine the pathways through which ideology is formed. An individual first encounters ideology from their parents at birth, and this influence subsequently expands through education, government, and religion. However, the greatest influence comes from the media. In modern society, the media serves as a pillar of the social structure, reinforcing and shaping ideologies, while the ruling class uses the media to spread the ideologies they desire. One example is a Bud Light beer commercial.
In this commercial, a man repeatedly says “Dude!” in specific situations, embodying a stereotypical masculine image. For instance, when a man is sitting on a sofa and another man sits close beside him, he reacts with discomfort and exclaims, “Dude!” This conveys a sexual orientation ideology that treats physical contact between men as taboo. In another scene, he smells spoiled milk and says, “Dude!”—reflecting the stereotype that men do not perform household chores. Through this advertisement, we naturally internalize stereotypes about men. John Swansburg of the renowned magazine Slate assesses that this ad contributed to Bud Light’s dominance in the industry because its message was easily accepted by the general public. The ad elicits empathy while further reinforcing stereotypes about male gender roles. In this process, the media instills the dominant ideology into members of the group.
Ideologies have evolved throughout history. One example is how societies have abandoned imperialism and turned toward globalism and liberalism. For the existing order to collapse, the new order must be stronger; when the new ruling class adopts and disseminates it, members of the group are influenced by the new ideology. However, modern ideologies have yet to overcome the existing hierarchical order.
The media plays a significant role in bringing about change to the existing order. While the ruling class has historically controlled the media to reinforce hierarchical structures, people now have access to media of diverse orientations. Individuals can resist the existing order by critically engaging with media that presents various perspectives. Parents and education are also crucial factors. From the perspective of parents and educators, they must use the media to foster independent thinking and convey sound ideologies. Since these individual efforts form the foundation for social structural change, they must be prioritized.
Ultimately, to overcome the hierarchical order reinforced by the current ruling class, a just and powerful new leader is needed. If individual efforts come together to bring about social change and give rise to a leader endowed with justice and humanity, this leader can spread a new ideology through the media. However, since a new ruling class may also become corrupt over time, members must not assume that the current order will persist into the future and must avoid conforming to the hierarchical order.
There is also concern that through the process of replacing the imagined order—that is, ideology—social anarchy will eventually emerge when order is no longer needed. However, I view anarchy not as chaos resulting from the absence of order, but as the outcome of order becoming unnecessary. I believe that through the continuous replacement and improvement of ideologies, we can achieve a just and powerful imagined order.
