Cultural hegemony

Definition

Cultural hegemony refers to the dominance of one cultural group over others, where the values, norms, and beliefs of the dominant group are normalized and accepted as the societal norm. This concept highlights how power dynamics shape culture and influence various aspects of life, including identity, expression, and resistance.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cultural hegemony is often maintained through institutions like media, education, and religion, which disseminate the dominant group's values.
2. The concept was popularized by Antonio Gramsci, who argued that consent from subordinate groups is necessary for maintaining cultural dominance.
3. Hegemonic culture can be challenged by alternative expressions in art, music, and literature that seek to represent marginalized perspectives.
4. Social movements often emerge as forms of resistance against cultural hegemony, aiming to disrupt the status quo and advocate for diverse voices.
5. In a global context, cultural hegemony can lead to linguistic neocolonialism, where dominant cultures impose their language and norms on others.

Review Questions

• How does cultural hegemony manifest in media representations, and what impact does this have on societal norms?
  • Cultural hegemony manifests in media representations by promoting the values and beliefs of the dominant culture while marginalizing alternative viewpoints. This creates a narrow understanding of reality that influences societal norms and expectations. For example, when media predominantly features certain identities or lifestyles as 'normal,' it reinforces stereotypes and can lead to the exclusion of diverse perspectives in public discourse.
• Evaluate the role of street art as a form of counter-hegemony against dominant cultural narratives.
  • Street art serves as a powerful form of counter-hegemony by challenging dominant cultural narratives and expressing alternative viewpoints. Through public spaces, artists can communicate messages that critique social injustices or highlight marginalized experiences. This form of expression disrupts the normalization of hegemonic culture and encourages dialogue about issues often overlooked by mainstream media.
• Discuss how protest songs reflect cultural hegemony and its resistance within social movements.
  • Protest songs embody both the reinforcement of cultural hegemony and its resistance by addressing social injustices faced by marginalized groups. These songs often reflect the dominant culture's narratives while simultaneously challenging them through powerful lyrics that call for change. The widespread popularity of protest songs can galvanize social movements by uniting individuals around common struggles, illustrating how music serves as both a tool for expressing hegemonic ideas and a means of resisting them.

Related terms

Dominant culture: The culture of the most powerful group in society, which often sets the standard for what is considered normal or desirable.

Subculture:

A cultural group within a larger culture that differentiates itself from the larger culture by its beliefs, values, or behaviors.

Counter-hegemony: The efforts and movements that challenge and resist the dominant cultural narratives and practices in order to promote alternative viewpoints.