Structure of the Political Field: Right-Left Dichotomy
Keywords:
Political field, Political sphere, Duality, Right-left
Abstract
This paper seeks to shed light on one of the unique concepts within the structure of the political field, namely the dichotomy of the right and the left. Representation in the political sphere through its right-wing and left-wing dimensions reflects distinct orientations and ideologies. The paper aims to elucidate the true meaning of these two terms by examining the most significant aspects associated with each. Additionally, it investigates how political dynamics, such as elections and social movements, contribute to shaping the structure of the political field.
References
1. Gordon Marshall, (2007), Encyclopedia of Sociology (1st Edition). (Mohamed El-Gohary and others, translators) Supreme Council of Culture;
2. Abdul Majeed Labsir, (2010), Encyclopedia of Sociology, Dar Al-Huda for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, Algeria;
3. Bourdieu Pierre (1990), the logic of Practice, Stanford University Press.
4. Khalil Ahmed Khalil, (1984), Basic Concepts in Sociology, Dar Al-Hadatha for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, Beirut;
5. Mawloud Zayed Al-Tayeb, (2007), Political Sociology, National Library, Libya;
6. Ahmed Zaki Badawi, (1982), Dictionary of Social Science Terms: English-French-Arabic, Lebanon Library, Beirut;
7. Ismail Al-Khalfan, (2024), Contemporary Political Ideologies;
8. Philip Bro, (1998), Political Sociology, (Muhammad Arab Sasila, translator), University Institution for Studies, Publishing and Distribution, Beirut;
9. Imad Al-Din Khalil, (2014), The Right-Left Game, Dar Al-E'tisam for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo;
10. Mohammad Molla Abbasi and Sajjad Saffar Harandi (2017), Right and Left: A Critical Epistemological Perspective on the Concept, Islamic Center for Strategic Studies, Iraq.
11. Mokhtar Farzouli, Communication of Capability in the Political Field, A thesis submitted for a Phd in Media and Communication Sciences. Algeria, Faculty of Media and Communication Sciences - University of Algiers 3, Algeria, (2017-2018).
12. Drochon H (2022), From Dusk till Dawn: Bobbio on the left / right dichotomy, Journal of Political Ideologies, 27 (3), pp. 330-346;
13. Ostrowski M. S. (2023), The ideological morphology of left – centre –right, Journal of Political Ideologies, 28 (1), pp. 1-15;
14. Nawal Zouaoui (January, 2021), Theoretical Approaches to Analyzing the Concept of Power, Mudarat Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, pp. 572-588;
15. Bienfait F, & Van Beek W (2014), Political Left and Right: Our Hands-On Logic, Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2 (1), pp. 335-346.
16. Salim Jouri (July 20, 2024), BBC News, How were the terms left and right born ? And what do they mean ?, detailed web site: https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/c51yqrn7en2o (consulted on 15/march/2025);
17. Muhammad Hasan Alwan (April 19, 2019), detailed web site:
https://www.independentarabia.com/node/19061/%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1/%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1 (consulted on 08/march/2025);
18. Dictionary of Meanings, (undated), detailed web site:
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/arar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9/(consulted on 13/march/2025);
19. Right and Left... Terms in the World of Politics (October 14, 2022), detailed web site: https://www.annahar.com/arabic/say7at/11102022093719718 (consulted on 09/march/2025);
20. Faisal Baraa Matin Al-Marashi (February 8, 2016), The Concept of Political Science, detailed web site: https://political-encyclopedia.org/dictionary/%D9%85%D9%81%D9%87%D9%88%D9%85%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9 (consulted on 27/march/2025);
21. Thérien, J.-P (sd), The world is divided into the «gauche» and the «droite» ?, detailed web site: https://books.openedition.org/pum/19176 (consulted on 13/march/2025);
22. Turhan Mufti (January 27, 2023), The Science of Political Structure Formation, detailed web site: https://iraqadvisorycouncil.org/maqalat-detail?Jimara=2242 (consulted on 08/march/2025);
23. Ibrahim Saadi (May 17, 2015), The French Left and the Arabs … There is no longer a difference between right and left, detailed web site:
24. Fairuz Hammash (May 25, 2023), What is politics ?, from Confident, detailed web site:
https://wathiqoon.net/%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%87%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9 (consulted on 09/march/2025);
25. Lan Shapiro R. A (2025, Apr 10), Democracy, detailed web site: https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy (consulted on 21/march/2025);
26. Hisham Tiflati (February 21, 2022), The Far Right and the Far Left - Origins, History, Evolution, and Geopolitical Conflicts, detailed web site:
27. Abdul Salam bin Abdul Ali (October 30, 2023), Right and Left, detailed web site:
28. Hazem Saghieh (May 25, 2018), Right and Left: A Poor Duality in a Complex World, detailed web site:
2. Abdul Majeed Labsir, (2010), Encyclopedia of Sociology, Dar Al-Huda for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, Algeria;
3. Bourdieu Pierre (1990), the logic of Practice, Stanford University Press.
4. Khalil Ahmed Khalil, (1984), Basic Concepts in Sociology, Dar Al-Hadatha for Printing, Publishing and Distribution, Beirut;
5. Mawloud Zayed Al-Tayeb, (2007), Political Sociology, National Library, Libya;
6. Ahmed Zaki Badawi, (1982), Dictionary of Social Science Terms: English-French-Arabic, Lebanon Library, Beirut;
7. Ismail Al-Khalfan, (2024), Contemporary Political Ideologies;
8. Philip Bro, (1998), Political Sociology, (Muhammad Arab Sasila, translator), University Institution for Studies, Publishing and Distribution, Beirut;
9. Imad Al-Din Khalil, (2014), The Right-Left Game, Dar Al-E'tisam for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo;
10. Mohammad Molla Abbasi and Sajjad Saffar Harandi (2017), Right and Left: A Critical Epistemological Perspective on the Concept, Islamic Center for Strategic Studies, Iraq.
11. Mokhtar Farzouli, Communication of Capability in the Political Field, A thesis submitted for a Phd in Media and Communication Sciences. Algeria, Faculty of Media and Communication Sciences - University of Algiers 3, Algeria, (2017-2018).
12. Drochon H (2022), From Dusk till Dawn: Bobbio on the left / right dichotomy, Journal of Political Ideologies, 27 (3), pp. 330-346;
13. Ostrowski M. S. (2023), The ideological morphology of left – centre –right, Journal of Political Ideologies, 28 (1), pp. 1-15;
14. Nawal Zouaoui (January, 2021), Theoretical Approaches to Analyzing the Concept of Power, Mudarat Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, pp. 572-588;
15. Bienfait F, & Van Beek W (2014), Political Left and Right: Our Hands-On Logic, Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2 (1), pp. 335-346.
16. Salim Jouri (July 20, 2024), BBC News, How were the terms left and right born ? And what do they mean ?, detailed web site: https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/c51yqrn7en2o (consulted on 15/march/2025);
17. Muhammad Hasan Alwan (April 19, 2019), detailed web site:
https://www.independentarabia.com/node/19061/%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1/%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1 (consulted on 08/march/2025);
18. Dictionary of Meanings, (undated), detailed web site:
https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/arar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%A9/(consulted on 13/march/2025);
19. Right and Left... Terms in the World of Politics (October 14, 2022), detailed web site: https://www.annahar.com/arabic/say7at/11102022093719718 (consulted on 09/march/2025);
20. Faisal Baraa Matin Al-Marashi (February 8, 2016), The Concept of Political Science, detailed web site: https://political-encyclopedia.org/dictionary/%D9%85%D9%81%D9%87%D9%88%D9%85%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9 (consulted on 27/march/2025);
21. Thérien, J.-P (sd), The world is divided into the «gauche» and the «droite» ?, detailed web site: https://books.openedition.org/pum/19176 (consulted on 13/march/2025);
22. Turhan Mufti (January 27, 2023), The Science of Political Structure Formation, detailed web site: https://iraqadvisorycouncil.org/maqalat-detail?Jimara=2242 (consulted on 08/march/2025);
23. Ibrahim Saadi (May 17, 2015), The French Left and the Arabs … There is no longer a difference between right and left, detailed web site:
24. Fairuz Hammash (May 25, 2023), What is politics ?, from Confident, detailed web site:
https://wathiqoon.net/%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%87%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9 (consulted on 09/march/2025);
25. Lan Shapiro R. A (2025, Apr 10), Democracy, detailed web site: https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy (consulted on 21/march/2025);
26. Hisham Tiflati (February 21, 2022), The Far Right and the Far Left - Origins, History, Evolution, and Geopolitical Conflicts, detailed web site:
27. Abdul Salam bin Abdul Ali (October 30, 2023), Right and Left, detailed web site:
28. Hazem Saghieh (May 25, 2018), Right and Left: A Poor Duality in a Complex World, detailed web site:
Published
2025-06-30
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
