Identity = ideology ?

My group decided to center our theme around the word Identity. Each person in our group was assigned another word and connect each person's word to the theme word, identity. The word that was assigned to me was Ideology. The UWP 101 text book defines ideology as the theory of the origin and development of ideas. In my opinion, when i first read this definition, i was compelled to give up on reading the rest of the two pages explaining the word ideology. But for the sake of helping my group, i forced myself to read the rest of the section. The text book explains that ideas of the ruling class of a particular region is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. I believe the text book is trying to explain that the government or ruling class of a particular body of people influences their beliefs and ideology upon the rest of the population. I found this hard to believe because every group of people have different ideals. Take for example the United States, there are Democrats and Republicans, Conservatives and Liberals, etc. The views of the ruling body does not always influence the rest of its people. One person's ideology cannot be controlled by its government unless forced upon that person. Even if an ideology is force upon a person, there will always be a struggle to not comply. On another note, a person's ideology is incorporated into his or her identity. A person's identity is what makes that person unique, and there is no two people that have the same qualities that make that person who he or she is.