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Hegemony in Patriarchy

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Hegemony, a term coined by Antonio Gramsci refers to the process of moral and intellectual leadership through which dominated or subordinate classes. In his work the Prison Notebooks, he talks about hegemony in the context of the post-1870 Industrial Western Europe. Hegemony which was initially associated with the political sphere now dominates almost every aspect of society. There is cultural, political, military, economic and even patriarchal hegemony in the present. Patriarchal hegemony is especially of concern to India where through decades of conditioning, women have been subordinated and a male-dominated power structure has been established. The process of reinforcing and legitimising gender roles and norms has made the institution of patriarchy so strong that it seems almost natural. The hegemonic masculinity seeks to establish complete control over the female mind and body. It also specifies a notion of 'feminity' that is biased and uphold the man as being the ultima