Discussion Post #1: Media effect in Hegemony and Change (Essay Sample)

            MEDIA EFFECT IN HEGEMONY AND CHANGE Student name Institution Date     MEDIA EFFECT IN HEGEMONY AND CHANGE Hegemony can be defined as dominance, influence or the overbalancing weight of one person or a group of people over the others.  The media has affected dominance (hegemony) and change in culture(Vianney, 2015). This paper focuses on the TED talk by Johanna Blakley on social media regarding gender. It also explains how the media has had an impact on the society and how it has made changes. Being dominant in a culture enables one to be able to make or change rules and laws. Also, it gives one authority over others. The media, as illustrated by Johanna, will help the society change their assumptions, views or stereotypes about gender. Therefore, hegemony in culture will enable the dominant group tobe able to change and modify existing thoughts, ideas or behaviors about certain beliefs(Blakley, 2010). This is the role of hegemony in a culture. Some of these cultural beliefs illustrated include the thought that people can be placed in certain categories demographically based on age and gender. Also, a beliefthat one can be able to understand what people like and love by being able to study the demographic structures. These beliefs have been reinforced by the old type of media. The media has placed people in different categories,and they have assumed that if one falls in a certain category, then their tastes on the types of shows they like are determined (Blakley, 2010). In the recent past culture has changed in the following ways; people identify themselves more according to what they like and what they love watching or doing at their free time rather than their age, gender or workgroups in the society and so on. More women between the age of 15 and 55+ dominate the media more than men. But today, some of the personnel of the media companies have powerful ratings,and they still use rigid categories to identify someone by what they like(Blakley, 2010). This has become an obstacle that the cultural gatekeepers pose to cultural change Some of the audience profiles like age, race/origin, gender,and attitudes may not challenge the hegemonic forces that are present in the culture today. But some profiles like; theacademic level of learning and the environmental structure and attitudes like what someone likes/ love doing or viewing may challenge the hegemonic forces. The attitudes and profiles of someone can be assumed ...