to attempt to legitimate structures of feeling beneficial

[rzezucha]

"All of these, of course, are ultimately economic and ideological issues. Ideology, while giving us a way to interpret our lives, also attempts to legitimate structures of feeling beneficial to dominant classes, sexes and races."

This phrase is just too packed for me...
Ideology tries to legitimate [to justify] structures of feeling beneficial [?] to dominant classes, sexes and races. Isn't it the same when we say that ideology works for the benefit of the dominant classes etc. ?

 

[Riverby]

Yes, you've said it much better than the original: "ideology works for the benefit of the dominant classes"

 

[Foofyhead]

attempts to legitimate structures of feeling beneficial to dominant classes, sexes and races."

attempts to legitimate isn't correct English at all.

It should read: Ideology, while giving us a way to interpret our lives, also attempts to add legitimacy by showing the benefits of dominant classes, sexes, and races.

 

[Riverby]

I disagree with Foofyhead's interpretation. The idea of legimating something to the benefit of the ruling class/sex/ethnic group is fairly common in postmodern writing.

 

[Foofyhead]

It must be very post-modern then.

 

[Loob]

"All of these, of course, are ultimately economic and ideological issues. Ideology, while giving us a way to interpret our lives, also attempts to legitimate structures of feeling beneficial to dominant classes, sexes and races."

Rzezucha, it looks as though the author is saying that ideology tries to legitimise "structures of feeling" which are beneficial to dominant classes etc.
Does "structures of feeling" make sense in terms of the wider context?

 

[rzezucha]

Perhaps it does. The whole paragraph is about resistive discourse and dominant discourse and the struggle between them (struggle to resist the powerful discourse). Ideology in this sense tries to justify structures of feeling which support the dominant classes. I think it makes sense