What is an ideology and do we need them in our lives?

Ideologies are belief systems based on ideas and constructs about the world and the people in it. For example, democracy is a political ideology based on the belief that people have the right to choose their leaders, laws, and so on. In terms of political systems, an ideology serves as the basis for how a nation will be governed, which is a fundamental aspect of collective living. 

Ideologies are usually shared between a group of...

Ideologies are belief systems based on ideas and constructs about the world and the people in it. For example, democracy is a political ideology based on the belief that people have the right to choose their leaders, laws, and so on. In terms of political systems, an ideology serves as the basis for how a nation will be governed, which is a fundamental aspect of collective living. 

Ideologies are usually shared between a group of people and serve as the basis for how those people think and behave. Capitalism, for example, is both an economic system and an ideology. Capitalism is a system in which manufacturing and the provision of services is provided by private businesses in exchange for consumer dollars. Yet it is also an ideology because it is undergirded by a particular set of beliefs about how a market economy will operate and to what extent it will intersect with the government or other institutions. For instance, if you live in a capitalistic society, you wouldn't go into a store and try exchange a sheep for a bag of oranges because capitalism dictates that you are expected to pay for the item you desire at the price it is being offered, which is usually in dollars, not sheep.

As for whether we need ideologies in our lives, that is a tricky question. Technically, we need very little to live (food, shelter, water); however, societies probably wouldn't be very successful without ideologies. As previously mentioned, ideologies heavily influence behavior, particularly around what is and isn't acceptable. Given that, it's hard to imagine a society creating laws or social order without an ideology to dictate what's considered right and wrong. So while it is technically possible for people to live without an ideology, it would make life very, very challenging.