The term hegemony refers to unequal association between the ruling class and the subordinate classes within a given social order which is based on power or even leadership achieved through the production of consent rather than through the use of oppression or force. The term hegemony was initially used in Lenin writings to mean political leadership within a class association, particularly the call for popular leadership in any coalition with the peasantry. In the writings of Antonio Gramsci, it has a more elaborate meaning (Gramsci, 1971). In his literature the term incorporated ethical and rational leadership which goes across the society. Antonio developed the idea as a way of analyzing how the industrial capitalist democracies of Western Europe and the US managed to escape the peoples uprisings prophesized for them by the classical socialism. Without rejecting the socialism idea of centrality and struggle of classes, his main focus was to show precisely that successful class rule involves conception, detailed alliances, concessions, compromises and new political dreams based on the ethics of the society and schemes which are not class dependent, but for the collective good of the whole community. In a nutshell, hegemonic class should be known widely and be accepted by everyone (Hall et al., 1978).
Attaining national popularity would mean that the major classes will be ruling hegemonically via influence or leadership instead of oppression or force. Achieving national popularity and maintaining it proves difficult since its stability is dependent on some conditions which are prone to change any time and they include political, economical, and constant challenges from the minor groups whose main aim is to persuade the people to another hegemonic project (Mouffe, 1979). Also, attainment of hegemony in a particular historical period or time is likely to lead to more intimidating and less hegemonic times. There is likely to be new laws, unpopular policies, and in extreme cases, there can be use of army to handle rebels, conflicts, and even civil wars (Cuneo, 2009).
Gramscian principle of hegemony has been applied in criminology by Stuart Hall and others to strengthen their challenge in the policy crisis in order to appreciate the government reaction to attack which occurred in 1970. It showed that the national popularity enjoyed by the ruling coalition in Britain in 1950s was faced with crisis as the conditions strengthening the after war social democratic conclusion proved difficult to maintain. The challenges emerged from various fronts which included youths, drugs, sexual background, race women, students, industrial relations, crime and the Northern Ireland. The hegemonic rule collapsed in 1970s which was indicated by election victory law, and order crusades, firmer policies of all types of disapproval and conflict, and finally the army intervention in the Northern Ireland (Hall, 1988).
The major drawback of Gramscis notion on hegemony was its attempt to surpass a class understanding of the imitation of capitalism without abandoning the principles significant foundation in economic class associations. This showed that for a class to become hegemonic it must extend its slim class benefits and form a wide based ethico-political scheme not forgetting that hegemony must also be economic. Critics of this theory cited out that there are only two important classes that can be hegemonic and finally, since only the working class had interest in finally stopping misuse they are the only group who could become truly successful (Hall and Jefferson, 1996).The reductionism in Gramscis theory can not be applied practically owing to the fact that a hegemonic scheme must dissociate from their varied class origins for them to be able to popularize themselves. There is also the significance of displacement and rearticulation to the ideological struggle one has to look around for what unifies the hegemonic scheme so that its class characters are all included. The unifying factor is provided by the hegemonic principle which is always found in class (Gramsci, 1971).
Hegemony is still regarded as one of the most useful of the socialist theories. As it was used by Stuart Hall it enabled series of perceptive and prophetic readings of the increase and the national popularity of Thatcherism and the new right in the UK (Gramsci, 1971). People believed that the rise to power of Thatcher to the post of prime minister in Britain and being the longest serving in history was luck she also managed to develop exceptional change of the face of modern Britain. Stuart considered Thatcherism as something more insightful, as a hegemonic scheme except that it was founded on a conflicting grouping of nostalgic ethics, brutal transformation, dictatorial leadership and populist way of thinking. Thatcherism scheme has been compared to the current common sense which can be termed as Blairism, but it can not be understood if there is no regressive modernization and authoritarian populism which is the feature of Thatcherism scheme.
Attaining national popularity would mean that the major classes will be ruling hegemonically via influence or leadership instead of oppression or force. Achieving national popularity and maintaining it proves difficult since its stability is dependent on some conditions which are prone to change any time and they include political, economical, and constant challenges from the minor groups whose main aim is to persuade the people to another hegemonic project (Mouffe, 1979). Also, attainment of hegemony in a particular historical period or time is likely to lead to more intimidating and less hegemonic times. There is likely to be new laws, unpopular policies, and in extreme cases, there can be use of army to handle rebels, conflicts, and even civil wars (Cuneo, 2009).
Gramscian principle of hegemony has been applied in criminology by Stuart Hall and others to strengthen their challenge in the policy crisis in order to appreciate the government reaction to attack which occurred in 1970. It showed that the national popularity enjoyed by the ruling coalition in Britain in 1950s was faced with crisis as the conditions strengthening the after war social democratic conclusion proved difficult to maintain. The challenges emerged from various fronts which included youths, drugs, sexual background, race women, students, industrial relations, crime and the Northern Ireland. The hegemonic rule collapsed in 1970s which was indicated by election victory law, and order crusades, firmer policies of all types of disapproval and conflict, and finally the army intervention in the Northern Ireland (Hall, 1988).
The major drawback of Gramscis notion on hegemony was its attempt to surpass a class understanding of the imitation of capitalism without abandoning the principles significant foundation in economic class associations. This showed that for a class to become hegemonic it must extend its slim class benefits and form a wide based ethico-political scheme not forgetting that hegemony must also be economic. Critics of this theory cited out that there are only two important classes that can be hegemonic and finally, since only the working class had interest in finally stopping misuse they are the only group who could become truly successful (Hall and Jefferson, 1996).The reductionism in Gramscis theory can not be applied practically owing to the fact that a hegemonic scheme must dissociate from their varied class origins for them to be able to popularize themselves. There is also the significance of displacement and rearticulation to the ideological struggle one has to look around for what unifies the hegemonic scheme so that its class characters are all included. The unifying factor is provided by the hegemonic principle which is always found in class (Gramsci, 1971).
Hegemony is still regarded as one of the most useful of the socialist theories. As it was used by Stuart Hall it enabled series of perceptive and prophetic readings of the increase and the national popularity of Thatcherism and the new right in the UK (Gramsci, 1971). People believed that the rise to power of Thatcher to the post of prime minister in Britain and being the longest serving in history was luck she also managed to develop exceptional change of the face of modern Britain. Stuart considered Thatcherism as something more insightful, as a hegemonic scheme except that it was founded on a conflicting grouping of nostalgic ethics, brutal transformation, dictatorial leadership and populist way of thinking. Thatcherism scheme has been compared to the current common sense which can be termed as Blairism, but it can not be understood if there is no regressive modernization and authoritarian populism which is the feature of Thatcherism scheme.
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