Similarly, cultural hegemony, a concept developed by Italian scholar Antonio Gramsci, refers to domination, attained through cultural means (Nicki, 2015). As Artz, Murphy, and Ortega (…) state culture for people is similar to what water is for fish; it surrounds us yet we don’t always notice its affect on our activity. Thus, it can be argued culture gets natuarlised through repetition, popular belief, and familiarity (Trotsky, 1973). Therefore, it is apparent certain social groups have the ability to create dominance through repetition of popular views and particular beliefs. As Cole (2005) states a substantial variety of literature details that women are thought of as more communal (sensitive and giving) and that men are perceived as more dominant (assertive and aggressive) – in other words, masculinity is associated with high status and femininity with low status. This has been entrenched by decades of cultural hegemony. Consent to these dominant ideologies of a social group is achieved with the use of social institutions, such as politics, media, religion, and law etc. (Cole, 2005). Congruently, institutions socialise people to the values, norms, and beliefs of the ruling group, hence, if a group owns the institutions that uphold social order, then that group dominates …show more content…
According to Doyle (1989) males in the media are shown as dominant, aggressive, and engaged in activities from which they receive rewards for their accomplishments. Thus, as Wood (1995) state due to media pervading our lives, this misrepresentation of genders may distort what we perceive as normal and desirable for men and women, hence, aiding male-cultural hegemony. When analysing sports news it is apparent men are representing in these stereotypical way. As Bryson (1987) states sport is a crucial arena in which masculine hegemony is constructed and reconstructed. Moreover, sport coverage is associates men with prized skills and the authorised use of force and violence; particularly in New Zealand, celebrating masculine contact sports such as rugby (Bryson, 1987). However, in recent times in New Zealand it seems evident societal norms are changing – with news media a driver of that. For example, University of Auckland Professor in sociology of sport, Toni Bruce (2016), states actions of the Chiefs rugby team regarding alleged sexual assaults of women would have once been shrugged off with a boys will be boys mentality. However, the coverage of the event showing it in the light of a scandal, moreover, giving the victims a voice, demonstrates a changing society (Bruce, 2016).