Critical Pedagogy and Digital Technology

Hegemony and Power

Antonio Gramsci spent 11 years in prison under Mussolini, during which time he wrote 32 notebooks in all and in the process gave us a tangible expression of a Marxian notion of ideological domination called “hegemony.” A hegemonic practice dominates the cultural landscape and tends to legitimize oppression through the social relations of production and the concomitant institutions and ideologies that support them. The dominant system of belief, this mode of understanding, within the popular frame of mind contributes as much to oppression as any physical expression of power, contra Mao Zedong who said that power comes solely from the point of a gun. Hegemony allows for ruling by “consent,” using ideological outlets; people move willingly as it seems to be in their best interest to do so. This notion of false consciousness, however, owes more to Georg Lukcas than Gramsci. Nonetheless, Gramsci's development of the concept of ideology begins the critique of hegemonic popular culture by advocating counter-hegemonic practices through ideological institutions such as educational practices, work practices, and more.

Gramsci also gives us the notion of the “organic intellectual.” Critique is not the property of academicians alone; rather, a critique of hegemonic practices, and creating the possibility for transformation, can happen in the classroom, and indeed any institution. Gramsci's view of the organic intellectual is important when the teacher understands that he or she is not the sole bearer of intellectual critique, particularly those working with adult learners who are actively engaged and leading in these practices. This understanding allows for the dispersal of power in the classroom and maximum engagement. Gramsci understood that the instructor plays a crucial role in getting organic intellectuals to critique dominant hegemonic practices inside the classroom and out. The instructor helps the learner to demystify hegemonic social practices by creating counter-hegemonic practices.

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