Dictionary of Anthropology definition of Hegemony

Hegemony. A term sometimes used in a general sense to indicate the political control exorcised by one state or nation over others. In Marxist thought the term has been developed in a different sense, following the writings of Gramsci (1971), who employed the term to refer to relations of class dominance but also the ideological preponderance of the ruling class. Educational, religious and other institutions contribute to the imposition of the attitudes, norms, values and world view of the ruling class upon society as a whole. There is thus an over-determination or redundancy of class dominance extending beyond political and economic structures into other social institutions and cultural fields. Hegemony in Gramsci’s usage therefore refers to the complex modes by which the ruling class extend their domination and influence throughout society and culture