Hegemony Is A Process Of Coercion And Consent

Hegemony is a process of coercion and consent. What does this mean, and how useful is it in explaining the role of culture in maintaining dominant ideologies?
The expression ‘hegemony’ can be considered in a number of ways, the first and most apparent definition: a leader or representation of a certain ideology with the ability to gain control over another, weaker power. An example of this shown through history is the Soviet Union’s expansion over Eastern Europe, through the use of dictatorial powers. Whilst there are necessary levels of ‘consent’ included within this, as Gramsci describes, it is important to note that the dominant power will, as a rule, continue to maintain their authority , if successful in their persuasive strategies. Whilst …show more content…
the leading ideology holding all power, when there are many aspects to our societies that are almost or entirely reliant on balanced forms of the process – practises such as finance and education are instances that one can regard as the hegemons of a smaller civilisation – one would not stand without the other. Although we may choose to reject such repressive societies – given our cultural ideology and understanding of it – alongside our role in maintaining the levels of economic stability, it can be suggested that we accept our position in order to fulfil the interests of ourselves and the wider society. Drawing on the ideas of Gramsci “My study . . . leads to certain definitions of the concept of the state that is usually understood as a political society (or dictatorship, or coercive apparatus meant to mould the popular mass in accordance with the type of production and economy at a given moment)” it can be said that, certainly hegemony can, to a certain extent explain how societies choose to, be it consciously or unintentionally, preserve leading ideologies – we must evaluate to what extent we are willingly accepting the conditions of the …show more content…
Particularly when speaking of culture in the west, the hegemons of our daily lives constantly repress us: when a particular ideology is successful, it is then that it is easily concealed as not being a repressive power – “One cannot speak of the power of the state but only of the camouflaging of power, through hegemony in civil society” therefore we are able to live without the feeling of subjugation, and it is through this that we are able to achieve the balance between the dominant and those who seek to preserve it. Further, due to the systems of communication – for instance the media – our opinions can be influenced, and formed. Through using methods of marketing, the media is able to form a judgement from which we take on, without always being aware of this change. We are being repressed into believing in a certain ideology, but are not always conscious of this. To illustrate this, clothing branches often use celebrities as a method of persuading its target market that they should dress in a certain manner, because the chosen celebrity does. This is a technique that is used widely across the commerce sector, through successfully altering our judgment on something, they are able to dominate their sector, a particular ideological