Cultural Hegemony (Sumblog 9)

In class we discussed the concept of cultural hegemony and related it to media in the United States of America. Cultural hegemony is the idea or concept that one nation or culture has an excessive influence into how other cultures should conduct themselves, both in terms of values and political and economic goals. The idea of cultural hegemony was promoted by the writings of the Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, but he did not necessarily create the concept. A ruling class social structure has existed throughout human history in many regions.

 

American culture is centered on a thriving and diverse media industry. Through movies, television, music, and print entertainment, as well as the marketing of products through extensive advertising, American culture has a huge influence on the values of many nations where people aspire to a more consumer-based lifestyle. This influence is often seen in a negative light, as it has the potential to suppress local cultural expression to the point where diversity, in many forms, is lost.

One of the main arguments against cultural hegemony throughout history is that it is wrong to assume that smaller cultures are forced to take on the identity of more dominant ones. They do it by choice, and often go to extraordinary efforts to obtain access to foreign cultural ideas and products, despite an attempt to suppress this by their own governments. Another main argument against the concept of cultural hegemony is that, while dominant cultures may spread their influence to diverse regions, these regions tend to not abandon their own values and interests, but merely incorporate the new ones into a broader view of the good life.

Overall, cultural hegemony determines who has the most influence on those around them. This includes what the media portrays and how society acts. It is something that we do not often think of but is a vital part of our society.