QUESTION: Explain how either “modernity” OR “hegemony” is an issue with global dimensions. 

     Hegemony can be described as the predominance of one social class over others. A great example of this would be Karl Marx and his classification of people in society as part of either the bourgeois (rich) or proletarian (poor/working class.) In his famous writing, The Communist Manifesto, Marx says:

“The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication, draws all, even the most barbarian, nations into civilization…It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce what it calls civilization into their midst, i.e., to become bourgeois themselves.” (p.11)

It is rather obvious Marx believes strongly in the theory that despite the reluctance of adopting new customs in an effort to sustain culture and tradition, it is the upper class, the bourgeoisie and their standards of living that are depicted as the epitome of civilization and proper lifestyle. To exist as a successful nation and to not be labeled as barbarian (referring to developing nations), you must join the bourgeoisie and become capitalistic; to not do so would be an utter catastrophe as it would inevitably lead to the nations demise by means of an unstable economy. It’s just a giant pressure put on the nations…if you do not comply and play by the rules of the bourgeoisie, you are put at a disadvantage and won’t be able to afford food for your nation’s people. All of this holds relevance globally because essentially, as obvious by said quote, hegemony causes a cultural group of people to dominate another group regardless of the benefits to society by means of a false sense of superiority through superficial materialism. One set of people and their standards of living aren’t necessarily better than another, but because of the economic pressure put forth on the other group and then the social superiority factor attached with the power brought with the economic advantage, this leads people as a whole to believe in materialism and power as being paramount and thus the proletarian strive for the status of being bourgeois themselves…and thus a new standard of cultural stereotype is procured. The gap between the wealthy and the working class is evident by everyone, educated, illiterate and children a like. I quote Barbara Trent saying:

“I tell audiences that the United States does have perhaps the freest press in the world, but it is free to the highest bidder and we know who the highest bidders are.” (p.232)

     Here Trent is speaking in regards to the fact that despite the freedoms, protections and other amenities our government offers us, it is to the upper class, the wealthy, the bourgeoisie that get the best treatment. The upper class has the most power, and because of the false illusion of superiority associated with power and wealth we have procured a societal ill, a hiatus between the middle and upper class, the proletarian and bourgeois, hegemony, a global issue.