One group or class in society being dominant over another?

• A. Equality
• B. Diversity
• C. Classism
• D. Hegemony

Answer: (D)

Hegemony captures the idea that one group holds power over others not just through force, but by shaping what people believe, value, and accept as normal. It’s about cultural and ideological leadership—institutions like the media, education, and politics promoting the dominant group’s views so that the social order feels natural or inevitable. This creates consent for the arrangement and reinforces the dominance without constant coercion, while still allowing resistance or challenge to exist.

Equality means everyone has the same status and opportunities, which is the opposite of dominance. Diversity refers to a range of different groups coexisting. Classism describes prejudice or discrimination based on social class. While related, these don’t name the systemic mechanism by which one group maintains control through culture and ideology, which is what hegemony describes.