What is Gramsci's theory of hegemony?
Hegemony describes the way in which a ruling class achieves and maintains its dominance by actively shaping the beliefs, values, and norms of the subordinate classes, leading them to accept the existing social order as natural or inevitable. It's not simply coercion, but a process of cultural and ideological leadership. This consent is crucial; it renders the use of brute force less necessary. My 'Prison Notebooks' explored how this operates within civil society.
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