Explain in your own words what you understand either by the term 'hegemony' - Essay Example

Because of the use of hegemony in a variety of contexts, it extends to other disciplinary, as cultural hegemony that discusses about philosophic and sociological concept, originated by the Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci, that a culturally diverse society can be ruled or dominated by one of its social classes. It is the dominance of one social group over another, e.g. the ruling class over all other classes. The theory claims that the ideas of the ruling class come to be seen as the norm; they are seen as universal ideologies, perceived to benefit everyone whilst really benefiting only the ruling class.

For Gramsci as a cultural hegemonist, he posits a strategic distinction, between a War of Position and a War of Maneuver. The war of position is intellectual, a culture war in which the anti-capitalist educators, agitators and organizers seek to have the dominant voice in the mass media, other mass organizations, and the schools (and actively conduct ideological subversion). Once achieved, this position will be used to increase class-consciousness each revolutionary theory and analysis, and to inspire revolutionary organization.

On winning the intellectual war of position, socialist leaders would then have the necessary political power and popular support to begin the war of maneuver - the armed insurrection against capitalism (Ratna) For Imperialist, Hegemony has its own specific concept that is called as cultural imperialism that is the domination of one culture over another by a deliberate policy or by economic or technological superiority. Cultural imperialism can take the form of an active, formal policy or a general attitude.

A metaphor of colonialism is employed: the cultural products of the first world "invade" the third world and "conquer" local culture. In the stronger variants of the term, world domination (in a cultural sense) is the explicit goal of the nation-states or multinational corporations that export the culture. The term is usually used in a pejorative sense, often in conjunction with a call to reject such influence. A Perspective of Hegemony in Contemporary Power Power as one of political imperialist’s instruments has created new dynamic purposes and targets to legalize the x-interest.

Here, x-interest is something hidden and can be only defined by one person who wants his or her power runs well. X-interest, which is not specifically designed under the social norms, has changed into general social norms, which is legalized by society under pressure and forces. Here, strategically mission is directed to the x-interest. Therefore, imperialist requires more than sacrifice to achieve the target. When the power has been a huge formation, it extends to other that we call as cultural imperialism.

This affects all aspects in social life including way of life, ideology and life tendencies. Mr. Muammar Qadaffi, the president of Libya is one of the examples that can be found in TV and becomes hot issues. To run his power, he uses many factors what I call “Regional Nationalism”. It talks about brute nationalist who defends his country from other states invasion. For years, stability had become the evidence that he can lead Libya well without any rebellion, protests or new revolutionists (Suhady).

Based on the issue, the concept of hegemony, in this case, directs to the strategically mis