What Is Sociological Propaganda?

The article discusses Jacques Ellul’s concept of sociological propaganda. The author provides the analysis of commentarial literature and examines the concept’s weaknesses paying a special attention to the definition, the challenges of sociological and political propaganda, the organization of sociological propaganda and its relation to the cultural propaganda, as well as the effectiveness of propaganda and its ability to overcome individual’s resistance. The article highlights that this type of propaganda is non-conscious, and it is capable of mimicking those social forms which are least suspected of propaganda. For this reason, sociological propaganda can manipulate people’s negative attitudes, for example, through dehumanization the enemies of the people, as it is shown in the case of the USA. The author argues that the analysis of modern propaganda requires a deep understating of its complexity and transformation ability; and this is clearly presented by Ellul. A rock music case study describes the role of the American sociological propaganda in the Soviet times; the US presidential election case study illustrates its modern role.