Gramscis Notion of Hegemony in Relation to the Youths of Today Essay

Gramscis Notion of Hegemony in Relation to the Youths of Today - Essay Example It should be studied in relation to other matters which could explain more of its attributes and make clear some of its questionable notions. Significantly, an aspect of hegemony could be understood through the study of the behavior and ideology of today’s youth. A particular author has proposed a new concept of hegemony which is relevant to the plight of the present young generation. In exposing the other side of hegemony, Antonio Gramsci has emphasized the importance of making use of one’s intellect in changing the face of the society. In lieu of this fact, the essay will discuss Gramsci’s notion of hegemony and its relation to the youths of today. Gramsci’s Notion of Hegemony Gramsci explains the intellectual aspect of hegemony, suggesting an intellectual struggle instead of power or political struggle. This supports the introductory argument saying that hegemony could actually be understood in light of its other aspects. Intellectual hegemony exists fo r a fact according to Gramsci. He believes that intellectual and cultural activities could also affect social change and not just an economic change (Cuff, et al., 1998). To note, in political economy, hegemony is actually associated to the struggle of economic power in the international arena. To effect an economic change, a particular country applies soft power to influence the economic system of other nations. Certain cultures are used to achieve an economic domination. Nonetheless, for Gramsci, hegemony could actually be viewed in terms of social manipulation. The members of the society could be made to affirm a particular belief or practice through the application of some intellectual activities. Antonio Gramsci actually considers ideas as weapons to change the present state of affairs of the different societies in the world (Cuff, et al., 1998). To note, these ideas are expressed and relayed upon by the influential sectors of the society such as the media. For an idea to have a hegemonic effect, it should be spread to a great number of people. The media is very significant to achieve this objective. It has the ability to influence the thinking of a person by just presenting an idea. It is in this sense that the media could manipulate the thoughts and actions of the members of a particular community. Nonetheless, so as to be in accordance with Gramsci’s notion, the idea which is to be relayed by the media should be one which is aimed at changing the society. What is to be changed is of course the bad image of a particular community. However, for a change to occur there has to be an agent. Relevantly, the youths of today could fill up this need. They could be an effective instrument for social change to happen with the help of the media. In changing the society, there has to be intellectual domination. This means that a certain idea has to be instilled in the people’s mind. The installation however, should be one which could not allow any out side factors to make an opposite claim. In this instance, the members of the society are able to resist any position which is inconsistent to what they have been exposed to. This is to say that for an intellectual domination to take place, the members of the society must learn to adhere to a common idea. The Youths of Today To emphasize, the youths are the ones primarily influenced by the media (Scheibe, n.d. cited in Mazzarella, 2007, p.61). They are the ones who are most exposed to the ideas that the media introduces. Accordingly, the dominant ideology believed in by today’s youth is a product of media’s manipulation. This proves the efficacy of media’s manipulative power. If this attribute is used for the betterment of the society, then the media would be seen as essential in creating the intellectual dom