What is hegemony and how are schools and corporate curricula hegemons? These slides explain the basic concepts of hegemony and how schools can perpetuate ideologies that contribute to hegemony.

1. Defining Hegemony
Controlling Ideas, Possibilities,
and People
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

2. Hegemony
• In Marxist philosophy, the term Cultural
Hegemony describes the domination of a culturally
diverse society by the ruling, who manipulate the
culture of the society—the beliefs, explanations,
perceptions, values, and mores—so that their ruling-class
worldview becomes the worldview that is
imposed and accepted as the cultural norm; as the
universally valid dominant ideology that justifies the
social, political, and economic status quo as natural,
inevitable, perpetual and beneficial for everyone,
rather than as artificial social constructs that benefit
only the ruling class
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

3. Hegemony:
Maintenance of Power and the Status Quo
• For a minority* to ‘rule’ over a majority—especially
when there are privileges and benefits unique to that
minority—those with power must maintain control
over those without political or economic power (the
masses). This can happen in two ways:
Hegemony:
controlling ideas (and possible
resistance) through “ideological
violence”
Hegemony
Physical Violence
or threat of violence &
repression of dissent
Vs.
*Minority in this sense means those with distinct characteristics which separate them from the majority. This can include race/ethnicity, but it can
also include members of a socioeconomic class, members of a social hierarchy, a group bound by a specific set of beliefs, etc.
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

4. • Power in most societies is not maintained through
overt physical force—though that is the case in some
repressive nations (e.g., dictatorships).
• The powerful in most modern societies legitimize
their views and make these views virtually
unquestionable by constantly repeating them through
myriad ‘official’ sources (schools, textbooks, teachers, school
rules), media outlets (mainstream news organizations), and
less official sources (parents, peers, clergy, entertainment
outlets).
Hegemony
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

5. • Power in most societies is not maintained through
overt physical force—though that is the case in some
repressive nations (e.g., dictatorships).
• The powerful in most modern societies legitimize
their views and make these views virtually
unquestionable by constantly repeating them through
myriad ‘official’ sources (schools, textbooks, teachers, school
rules), media outlets (mainstream news organizations), and
less official sources (parents, peers, clergy, entertainment
outlets).
Consider some of the views that other
nations or particular groups have
perpetuated in an attempt to control a
population and thereby maintain power.
How did they push these views (overtly and
tacitly)? Why were few people willing to
challenge these views?
Hegemony
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

6. Hegemony
• Power in most societies is not maintained through
overt physical force—though that is the case in some
repressive nations (e.g., dictatorships). The powerful
in modern societies legitimize their views and make
these views virtually unquestionable by constantly
repeating them through myriad ‘official’ sources
(schools, textbooks, news) and media.
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

7. • Hegemony is powerful because it is
subtle, tacit, and frequently
misconstrued as “common sense.”
• Hegemony is easily perpetuated because it is ubiquitous but
tacit. People are seldom aware of the fact that they are being
manipulated.
• The notion of manipulation tends to disappear (or never
appear in the first place) when ideas are repeated enough to
become common sense. One is also unlikely to be aware of
being manipulated when alternative ideas are never taught or
made readily available.
• When ideas are presented in ‘official’ forums (textbooks,
newscasts, etc.) they are given greater legitimacy by the
public.
• When ideas become common sense, they are unquestionable;
those who do question are often viewed as social outcasts or
troublemaker.
Hegemony
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

8. Hegemony • Hegemony succeeds because it is
constantly reinforced from multiple
influential sources
• Schools via teachers
• Textbooks
• Newspapers and Broadcast Media
• Churches
• Social Groups
• Popular culture
• Social media*
• Peers
• Language
When virtually everyone believes something to be true, it
becomes increasingly more difficult for one to counter their
‘truth’ with other alternatives. Even were one brave enough to
try, few would listen because it goes against the dominant
paradigm.
* Notice, for example, how the things one has searched for—goods and
services—online appear in the ‘sidebars’ of social media, thereby reinforcing the
ideas.
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

9. Hegemony Hegemony can also be a means toward greater
global domination. Nations today seldom
‘invade’ or conquer other nations militarily.
Rather, they expand their influence through
the exportation of their ideologies and
economic pressures.
Consider some of the ways nations (the U.S.A. in
particular) pushes its ideology onto other nations.
- Monetary policy (dollar as international currency & borrowing/lending)
- Political pressure (“with us or against us”)
- Exportation of movies and music
(and with them, ideology)
Consider how former global powers—e.g., England,
Spain, France, the U.S.S.R.—controlled their colonies
(in addition to military control)
Consider the role that missionaries have
played in civilizing and controlling nations
and tribes
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

10. Hegemony
What are some of the big ideas
perpetuated by multiple sources (that we
are seldom taught to question)?
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

11. Hegemony
What are some of the big ideas
perpetuated by multiple sources (that we
are seldom taught to question)?
1) Money brings happiness
2) Staying in school brings social and
economic mobility
3) Americans have more freedom than
people in other nations
4) The rich are better (the poor lazy)
5) Meritocracy
6) Religious faith & adherence to doctrine
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida

12. Hegemony
What are some of the ideas perpetuated
by multiple sources (that we are seldom
taught to question)?
1) Meritocracy (Bowles & Gintis)
- the notion of social mobility through schooling and hard
work (Bowles and Gintis).
- that creativity and cognitive function are the driving
force behind schooling (and that companies want these
people for employees).
- it’s what you know, not who you know.
© 2013, John Wesley White, University of North Florida