Antonio Vivaldi

Hegemony is obedience that is self-ascribed by a population. It is the willful following, subjugation or domination without resistance. The population views a certain way of acting as the standard and proceeds to engage in such acts without force or coercion against them. An example is religion, where a new devote follower changes the ways they act to be in accordance to the religions standards. This may include increased charity donations, to abstinence from sex or alcohol, to a change in…

I would argue that the main point of this chapter is that schooling has not been focusing on teaching students how to reflect, to critical think, and to judge the things they think and do. In addition, hegemony is a silent method of social dominance and subordinate groups seem to accept it without notice it. McLaren explains that critical pedagogy defines ideology in a way, in which we view the world with certain values, ideas, and beliefs. This gives our social and political life a…

For centuries, China has maintained its power and influence by enforcing the system of Feudalism. However, industrial developments, globalization, and exchange of political thought have forced China to reconsider its administration. Historically, China has gone through multiple transitions — through hierarchal feudal state, communist municipal and disciplinary regime. There is one notable unchanging, and static fact— that throughout these platforms, China was never ruled collectively (even…

Antonio Gramsci was an Italian communist most noted for his contribution of a Marxist cultural theory. Gramsci’s idea of ‘Cultural Hegemony’ is most relevant when it comes to The Handmaid’s Tale. Cultural Hegemony is concerned with the upper class using culture…

Coetzee's Waiting for the Barbarians is a novel which alters our idea of what a barbarian is by revealing that there is not much difference between those who are “civilized” and “uncivilized,” as we are shown a civilized society whose fear of a supposed attack from the “barbarians” is what justifies the members of the Empire's inhumane acts toward innocent natives. As the Magistrate attempts to speak for the natives, he shows control over them by taking away their voices and replacing them with…

According to Comolli and Narboni, the notion of category e films refers to an ideology that is firmly established at a starting point; the spectator must know that the film is sending the signal that a particular prevailing ideology is considered the “norm” or the order of things. The spectator has to literally disregard a sector of films in which consciousness of the ideology is elicited in a way that renders it in a straightforward fashion. Then, as the film progresses, the spectator notices…

It’s New Year’s Eve 2015. My family and I are walking the streets of downtown San Antonio heading to the Riverwalk. My heart is already pumping blood uncontrollably, not because of the lengthy walk we had to take in order to reach the Riverwalk, but of excitement. The feeling of excitement due to that I will once again be reunited with the Riverwalk; my favorite place in this whole world. This small stretch of river, which I’ve visited two times previously, has a special place in my heart. When…

Mistero Buffo was first performed October 2, 1969 outside Milan by Dario Fo (Behan 99). Oftentimes, his performances of Mistero Buffo were with his wife, Franca Rame, who stated that Fo began collecting these pieces seven years earlier. However, his revisions of Biblical texts date back to 1953 (Behan 95). Inspired by Marxist theories, he strove “to make audiences become aware that their position in society is a consequence of the privileges and oppression perpetrated at their expense by another…

Essay I: Ideology, a term that we all know exists, but very few truly understand the essence that lies behind such a word. Many questions arise when one thinks of ideology such as, but not limited to, “What is ideology?” and “Where do individuals come to acquire their ideology, as in is it born into the genetics that make up who they are, or is it created through the experiences of their life?”. Louis Althusser was a 20th century French philosopher that devoted much of his life to the study of…

Hegemony is rooted in the struggle for power and influence in a given community. In 1971, Antonio Gramsci wrote in “Selections from Prison Notebooks”, that the ruling class dominates the lower class through intellectual rule. Gramsci added, “The supremacy of a social group manifests itself in two ways, as domination and as intellectual and moral leadership.” This is the foundation of his ideas about cultural hegemony, intellectual and moral leadership. Gramsci started the conversation about…