Hegemony is the social, economic and/or political supremacy of one group or state over another(s). The word “hegemony” is attributed to Antonio Gramsci for his writings in prison during the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. Gramsci describes hegemony as “predominance obtained by consent”. It also focuses on the process of obtaining and extending this power, through coercion and consent respectively. The method of hegemony consists of careful manipulation of the social foundations by the authoritarian class, to impose its beliefs on the masses at large, in such a way that the modified social culture is considered the norm. Such a cultural state leads to absorbing the resulting social, economic and political inconsistencies as conventional. These social constructs, in turn, are perceived as natural and beneficial to the masses as a whole, when in reality they only serve the dominant group. Its ultimate goal is to replace the worldview of the majority with that of the ruling social class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Over the past 200 years, the media method has transformed from newspapers, radios, televisions to social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. the thing remained the same everywhere, ie. Many of these media outlets and newspapers are owned by incredibly wealthy people. They will therefore tend to have an editorial line that supports political parties or policies that legitimize the existence of broad wealth equality. {Even if social platforms are not owned by rich people, they are used to manipulate the public – e.g. Trump's victory and its link with Facebook}. However, these outlets do not present this as one side of a multi-faceted argument. They present it as a simple “common sense” worldview, which is how this idea becomes deeply rooted in the masses. Taking a simple example of one of the oldest systems of social stratification in the world, the caste system in India, where Hindus are divided. into 4 categories: Brahmins (priests, teachers), Kshatriya (warriors, rulers), Vaishya (farmers, merchants) and Shudra (workers). It is a rigid system where people born into a caste cannot change it throughout their life, meaning a child of a worker cannot receive education and become a teacher one day . The origin of the classification, although mystical, only favors people of the upper class, ie. the brahmans or kshatriyas, the hegemons. The system, which dates back almost 3 millennia, made its people believe that the majority of the population (Vaishayas and Shudras) were supposed to be deprived of education or other benefits that the upper castes enjoy. Hegemony can be seen almost everywhere, English as a linguistic hegemony, globalization of world cuisine through brands like KFC, Starbucks, etc., engineering as a hegemonic profession among the Indian masses. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayThe dialectical nature of hegemony (coercion and consent) can be aptly explained by the political and administrative dynamics of colonial India. India undoubtedly could not be ruled by the British solely through direct rule and acts of coercion. Starting with trade via the British East India Company, then defeating the French at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the., 46(3), 308-327.