Cultural Hegemony and Power Structures

Cultural hegemony, a theory introduced by politician and writer Antonio Gramsci, refers to the dominance of one cultural group over another within society. To understand this concept, we definitely have to consider its relation to today’s media and power structures.

From films to music, we can see some cultural patterns more frequently than others. What lies behind this is that the dominant group in society generally influences the media, maintaining power structures. Some specific ideologies are embedded in different art forms, such as films, music, and literature. For example, in The Great Gatsby, we see the ideology of the American Dream, which reinforces the idea that hard work and ambition lead to success regardless of societal inequalities. Cultural hegemony refers not only to the domination of one society’s culture over ‘the others’ but it also shapes the way people think and perceive the world. In many Hollywood films, examples of racism and the normalization of stereotypes are seen, reinforcing false and offensive portrayals. A notable example can be seen in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), where an Asian character, Mr. Yunioshi, played by Mickey Rooney, is portrayed as a short-tempered and clumsy ethnic caricature. This portrayal is both offensive and a false representation’ of the Asian community.

The canonization of Western literature such as the works of Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Dickens prioritizes Western philosophy over non-Western literature. These works are considered universal classics, exemplifying hegemonic order. This dominance is not necessarily enforced through physical or direct force but rather applied through globalization and social consent so that the people willingly accept the system. This process of influence extends beyond media, literature, and even language. Today, English is considered the lingua franca, a universal language adopted by groups of people who use different languages, mainly due to historical colonialism and the dominance of Western countries. With consumerism and capitalism, fashion trends and beauty standards are also mostly dictated by Western countries, sustaining hegemonic power.

In essence, cultural hegemony is embedded in everyday life—from cinema to literature—and it molds our understanding of the world, constructing perception through media representation.