PRECARIOUS IDEOLOGICAL SUBJECT POSITION OF A DIASPORA FAMILY: AN ALTHUSSERIAN STUDY OF THE DOMESTIC CRUSADERS

Abstract

This study examines the precarious ideological subject position of a diaspora family in Wajahat Ali’s The Domestic Crusaders through the theoretical lens of Louis Althusser’s concepts of Ideology, Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs), and Interpellation. The research investigates the role of media and family as ISAs in shaping the identity of diaspora individuals, illustrating how dual ideological interpellations create a state of ideological liminality and identity crises. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the study highlights the unconscious internalization of dominant ideologies and their impact on diaspora subjectivity, demonstrating that diaspora individuals navigate conflicting ideological landscapes that shape their self-perception, attitudes, and social interactions. This article contributes to the broader discourse on diaspora studies by offering an Althusserian interpretation of ideological subjectivity in post-9/11 American society, where Islamophobia and cultural hybridity intersect to produce existential ambiguities.