Hegemony

Hegemony: by force and/or an ideological agreement of societal relations, a ruling group can sustain power.

• a continuous power struggle between the dominant ideology
• way of ruling: shaping notions of common sense, which are socially constructed but assumed to be our natural ideas of making sense of the world
• a form of cultural leadership that separates society by identity (class, gender, race…)
• Example of ruling by force: RSA, like violence used by the police can reinforce the dominant ideology, perpetuating the power of the ruling group
• Example of ruling by ideology: mass media reinforces the dominant narrative by mirroring that mainstream ideology in media

Reading: Althusser, Stuart Hall, Chapter 5

Media: Nicola Finetti Print Ad

• reaffirms a familial structure with a heterosexual relationship in which the husband has economic control
• reflects the ideology that creates a patriarchal society
• places homosexual couples, non-white races, and women outside the dominate narrative
• perpetuates wealth, status, and power of men in society