Cultural Hegemony

Abstract
Antonio Gram sci bring out the idea of cultural hegemony and he was born in Italy in
1891.According to Antonio Gram sci he realized that hegemony will locked up the society even more
tightly and language will help this idea spread widely . Education that bring social interactions will
help to developed this idea .Cultural hegemony is domination by consent , everyone will view it as
common sense and in politic , society and education , cultural hegemony do works in this area.
Cultural hegemony lead out popular culture , not only youths involved them self nowadays and the
industries , advertisement also involve because they try their best to earn profits by fulfilling the needs
of the society . The Masculinity and femininity also occur in nowadays and becoming a issue problem
for the society .

Introduction
Cultural Hegemony was created by a Italian Marxist Gram sci .Gram sci have a student his
name is Louis Althusser and when Gram sci died, his influence was developed .In 1971, there is a
selection from the prison Notebooks were not translated and it is written by Gram sci. (Goldberg, 1993)
Antonio Gram sci is an theorist , activist and also he is one of the founder of Italian Communist Party.
He is very contemplate with how power works in the social and for those who hold the power
what will happen to him or if the power successfully change the society how will its look like. Cultural
hegemony is like a dominant idea for the Marxist , what is trying to do is to success in achieving the
power and unlawfully occupy the production and the administration, assume control the factories that
helping the growth of economy and of course the state. Antonio Gram sci personally feel that all of this
action is not adequate . When he was young, he witnessed how the society conquer each other for
example in Turin, he saw the workers successfully taking over the factories and the workers will hand
back the factories to the owner because they have totally no idea what to do with the factories and how
do it works and what themselves should do with the factories as well. By using observation, Antonio
Gram sci witnessed how Catholic Church using the ability to perform its power and maintaining the

people's loyalty. He understand that in order to establish and holding the new society, what he should
dois to establish and maintain a new perception to the society. Only using this way, society will using
the perception to judge everything that they see. (Duncombe, n.d.)
Antonio Gram sci actually was refering on Karl Marx's theory concept about this dominant
ideology of the society. He believed that cultural hegemony can affect on the beliefs and the benefits of
the ruling class which mean the one who govern the society . The permission for using this ideologies
was apply by the one who spreading this ideologies by using the way of education which mean social
institution , media that the society always approach to get information , Religion that everyone
holding ,politics and law that enacted by the government etc. Institutions will be selected become of
one the method to spreading this thinking , the reason was institution provide the work of socializing
with people. It can changing the norms, values, belief of the dominant social group. Through this , the
one who control and owning the institutions will automatically spreading the same ideas to the society
while they approach themselves with the society. Cultural hegemony that developed by Gram sci was
strongly expressed to the dominant group .The economic and social conditions are inherent and cannot
be avoid. It is not created and order by anyone who want to posses and occupy the benefits in the
social , economy or in politics. (Cole,2015)
Concept and Definition
The concept of cultural hegemony that developed by Antonio Gram sci is the success of the
ruling class present their own definition in the reality , their own perspective and opinion and they want
their perspective accept by the others and view their it as a common sense. By using cultural hegemony
this theory will help the public have the same thinking which mean the agreement in viewing
everything .Those groups who have their own view or others idea will be view as they are not
important to be worth as consideration or they are trying to act contrary . (Goldberg, 1993)
Culture hegemony attempt to taking over the intellectual production , material production and trying to
making ineffectiveness in self development. (Semmes , 1995)
The supremacy of the community demonstrate them self into two ways , they are the one who
exercise all the power and control all the things and intelligentsia compare with others and the one who
can lead the society in sense of ethical. Hegemony in parliamentary political power used combination
of coercion and concur .Hegemony try to make it balance to each other without overly in force of
ruling or too much in concurring. Furthermore , the ruling party use mass culture to build up others
public into target market and the when they purchase good and services , they will involved themselves

into culture and advertising profession .The ruling parties will according the public interest their
structure of the population ,sex , income , the division of the society etc. (Goldberg, 1993)
Cultural hegemony appear in its indiscernible .For example it is not like a soldier holding his
weapons or the the public affairs of the country was support with a lot written regulations. Cultural
hegemony is like a things that we cannot see but automatically appear in our mind like what we should
like , what we think it is consider beautiful , and in which way what will make us feel pleasant .what
we called it as a 'common sense'. (Duncombe, n.d.)
Gram sci emphasize to the eliminate of the economic determinism that developed by the
Marxism .He use his own explanatory power with his abilities and he support that conflict of interest
between the workers and the ruling class in capitalist society must always with ideas and coming with
ideas all of the conflict will be settle and all the troubles will be prevent. Gram sci highlighted that the
role of a person in performing human agency mechanism was refer to the changing of the past events
and the financial crises will not flatten the power of the capitalism. Gram sci prefer investigation
seeking the truth of the cases rather than judging , he try his best to create a new theory that identify
with the self government, the one who have the supreme power and the significant of the culture and
political theory and policy. From his point of view, he concluded that hegemony of the bourgeoisie
actually was because they conquer the economic and the scholar and ethical guider . The meaning for
cultural hegemony is a theory that create by a person and it's theory successfully influence and
convince other classes of the society to accept in the area of moral , political and cultural values. The
idea of the cultural hegemony was giving the permission by the others to the particular direction that
recommend by the one who have the authority.(Gauntlett , n.d.) Nowadays, Hegemony focus on media
, politic,society. Money make culture , this is what we know ,that why most of the people's thinking are
based in culture. Like how we judge America, this country is a well developed and everyone staying in
America must be rich and their culture sure higher than African people. The characteristic of the
hegemony is predominant and it can influence others people thinking. In media , because we don't want
to be outdated ,we will keep on rely on the information in the media for example the language and also
through media we can see how particular society work .Media can change human mind and thinking.
This is how hegemony work on media and influence human .Furthermore, in politic .We view the
leadership is always the smarter and capable and come with great talents . By using democratic ,
cultural hegemony is on works .Without power, nations would not be running effectively .(Joy ,2015)
Besides, applying cultural hegemony in society getting the agreement not always as amicable
as we think, the authority will be using physical coercion in noetic , value and cultural inducement.

Once it is understandable by the public, it is consider so called 'common sense' , this theory has been
successfully practiced and disseminate. The motive of this idea is to shape and influence human
thinking and another ideas was have a consensus with the leadership which mean the subordinate have
the permission from the leader .(Gauntlett , n.d.) Cultural hegemony also provide intellectual and
cultural historians an chances to think with 'social matrix'.His work and ideas bring out a lot of point
about how we should understand cultural hegemony function in society , the hegemony bring out the
view of the differences of the wealth and the power and when talk about democracy , there was
unfairness happened in the society as well.(Lears , 1985)
Only the privileged social class in the society can enjoy the prestige ,their position in the
society normally was those 'deputies' of the ruling class. In Economic and political system , the social
class stratified was licit which mean that the dominant class for ruling the society was authorized as
well. For nowadays, this method can be apply in education purposes that teacher teaching the students
what should they do , learn and obey .(Cole , 2015) The main purpose of the economic exploitation not
only with capitalism , it is about the idea and the values of the ruling class. (Heyhood , n.d.)
Hegemony is important for single country because it is like a single power for the authority to
influence other countries to behave what they should behave. The country like British Empire in mid
19th century, it totally bring a great impact to the others country in the control of getting the military
force and control the trade industries. Hegemony normally exist in the single country which mean it
dominant and of course they are the most influential people that can influence the policy of the country
and at the end the one who obtained the greatest advantages is the dominant group .For example,
United State when come to tax laws it is consider wealthy for the dominant group .(Wallis ,2012)
Com temporary issues regarding the Cultural Hegemony
Nowadays , women and men especially youth, most of them involved themselves in the popular
culture .They involved themselves in the subculture sure they have their own purposes and meaning
and the goods for trading as well. All the products nowadays are design and change into according the
demand form the people and not from the producer. Because the youth subcultures,the behavior of the
youth in the ways of their taste ,things they choose ,the way hey speak will have the rejection especially
in parents cultures , the both dominant. This will happen due to the reason of the commercial
internalization and the spreading of ideological , cultural hegemony. Furthermore, the marketing for
industries nowadays will survive or even able to earn profit because they follow the subcultural and
use it for general consumption for the society . Youth cultural style are always challenging because they
always new, constantly changing ,the old one must rejuvenating .Cultural hegemony help the youth that

involved in popular culture free themselves from a lot of limit especially those things that occurring
before in time.(Storey , n .d.)
The example of contemporary issues regarding the cultural hegemony that occur nowadays is
the Femininity and the Masculinity . Nowadays , psychical modification is a latest phenomenon in
western culture. People are trying to change their physical so that they can accept by others ,normally
the self evaluation can be seen in the media commercial. There are a lot physical modification
included waxing and shaving of hairs , piercing on nose ear and others part of the body .Women should
be looking femininity and boys are suppose to look masculinity this is how to express cultural
hegemony . Normally what we see and defined beautiful women normally femininity only defined
Caucasian , they are slim , they are just beautiful how they look but masculinity are Caucasian as well.
Masculinity must look tough , outstanding , capable. All of this characteristics becoming contents and
always emphasize and portray in the media .Women and men will convinced themselves this is how
they should be like , how they should look like because they are always surrounded by the commercial
media that they don't even have other choice to choose , there is the only way to make you feel better in
society .The commercial media often portray gender ideals of physical appearance .It bring lot
influencing to the society .Furthermore, the products that selling in the market also containing
hegemony ideas which mean in this case it is like desired gender look . For example , the boxes of
children toys , the female children with long hair and the male children with short hair .This show
stereotype that girl should not having short hair while boy should not having long hairs. Long hairstyles
defined as feminine , short hair is for masculine and automatically it become the norms of the society .
(Madeline , 2014. ) Furthermore, what we see nowadays, the top hits songs that sang by western
country ,the male rappers or the singer always surrounded by a bunch of girls that wearing sexy or the
trying to hints that female become one of the accessories for the male .Beside that , the women
nowadays should have big booty ,thick lips , big breast and small waist .This was like the idea that
women must tally with the needs and the desires of men . The example is Nicki Minaj , an America
Rapper .She having surgery and transform herself into the ideal look and represent herself how
femininity should look like , of course her looks influence a lot of women to do the same things like her
to gain acceptance by the society .
Social and Cultural Implication
Nowadays the women and men try to have body modification to make themselves look good .
Women try to have physical modification on themselves like shaving or waxing or tanning on the
body , having surgery on their body like enlarge their boobs by using silicone and increase the cups or

inject silicon on their bottom ,do nose job to make them look alike their admired celebrity .Besides that,
society think that it is a very common practice like choosing a pair of shoes .For male, they will make
themselves look great and fit, they will consume a lot of protein supplement and maybe they are over
consume of it and cause a lot consequences for example kidney failure , liver failure unable to function
because excessive of the chemicals. Some of them even inject the oil , alcohol and testosterone inside
the body to make himself look great and big in fast and effective way.
Teleological theory will be apply this issue. Theory for teleological theory is about a normative
ethics that from the Greek means goal of a person .It is about the morality that derives duty or moral
obligation , as long as it is good and satisfaction can be achieved. Nowadays ,women and men try to
their best to achieved their goals in sense of body modification , they are successfully fulfill the desired
of the society and able to follow the trend for latest culture. Women undergo surgery , men inject
testosterone inside his body , they know this is bad for their health and will suffer from consequences
but they don't even care about it. After doing all of this , their self esteem increase because they accept
by the society .Actually culture hegemony in this issue of female should look femininity , men should
look masculinity bring a bad impact for the society. Women who try to upgrade themselves will suffer
from the risk of surgery failure and they health will be harm because of the injection of chemical inside
the body .For men who trying to make themselves look bigger by consuming the protein or misuse the
injection of testosterone will suffer from long term illness. Women and men should not influence by
this and they should feel happy be themselves. They should change their mindset and not influence by
the media , they should know that everyone is different and cannot compare , everyone is unique and
look great just the way they are. Having self confidence is the best for everyone , it better than trying so
hard to make yourself look good like what media poetry the pictures and how media describe the
desired women and men.
Conclusion
Cultural hegemony bring good and bad for the society .The good impact is its bring consensus
for the public and renew and upgrade the culture .It is good for the nation because the concept of
cultural hegemony success for the the ruling class present their own definition in the reality , their own
perspective and opinion and they can use this perspective accept by the others and view their it as a
common sense. By using cultural hegemony this theory will help the public have the same thinking
which mean the agreement in viewing everything .
Cultural hegemony does bring bad impact to the society as well .People blindly follow the trend
without thinking and analyze. For example , femininity vs muscularity in nowadays .People should

analysis what should they do and what should not do to harm themselves, think about the consequences
and should focus more on inner beauty and self confidence . Blindly following the trend and popular
culture will only bring benefits for the industries and prejudice and stereotype will appear in our
mindset if we continue to think and act without thinking.

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