Hegemony

“Hegemony is the power or dominance that one social group holds over others…But hegemony is more than a social power itself; it is a method for gaining and maintaining power”(Lull 1) The influence of hegemony today is apparent in the country’s media through advertisements and news. The elite or more dominant group has influenced the public into trusting their beliefs in order to remain in control. For example, in the City of God movie, the drug lords had fought to remain in power. Hegemony was important to every drug dealer because for them it was a way to maintain a sort of order and safety. With the city in their hands, a drug dealer could abuse and kill without consequence. The idea of power became very inviting for each lord and a gate to retain respect from the city. With power in his hands, a dealer could spread his ideas and rules throughout the city. The public would submit to the violence and hate because it had become so consistent from lord to lord. The drug lords had negatively impacted the city in such a way that each person carried a gun and shot ruthlessly over and dispute. Violence had grown immensely and become so ordinary, so when a new drug lord took over, the fight for power always reignited. Hegemony had been a theme from City of God and I felt the movie was a great example.


Scene from City of God:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WUTlbkIAsw