The dominant culture is the most powerful, widespread, or influential within a social or political entity. It can be achieved through economic power, force, or subtle processes. Some societies are homogeneous, while others have conflicts between dominant and smaller cultures. Economic power often determines which culture is dominant, and the elite culture becomes deeply ingrained. Modern societies produce rebellious subcultures that usually fail to challenge the dominant culture.
A dominant culture is a culture that is the most powerful, widespread, or influential within a social or political entity where multiple cultures exist. Dominance can be achieved through many different means, including economic power, force or the threat of force, or through more subtle processes of domination and subordination. The dominant culture within a particular geopolitical region may change over time in response to internal or external factors, but is usually very resilient and able to reproduce effectively from generation to generation.
Some societies are made up of largely homogeneous cultural groups. There may be distinctions of status or wealth within such societies, but these distinctions are not reinforced by cultural forces that perpetuate divisive patterns across generations. Tribal societies, for example, tend to be culturally monolithic.
In some cases, a culture becomes the dominant culture simply because it is the culture of a large majority of people. This kind of domination can lead to a good deal of conflict, as such cultures often try to assimilate smaller ones, and smaller cultures struggle to survive. The deeply troubled relations between Basque and Spanish patriots illustrate this process.
Economic power often determines which culture is dominant in a given region. On the one hand, the rich have great power in most societies and their cultural values are underpinned by that wealth and power. The opinions of an opera-loving billionaire carry more weight than those of a sincere and gifted but desperately poor punk musician.
One school of thought, championed by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, argues that this dominance of elite culture usually becomes more deeply ingrained than mere finance can explain. He argues that the culture of the elite gradually comes to be seen as superior by both the elite and the common people. Those born into the elite, therefore, are more likely to remain wealthy and powerful, as they have an innate understanding of the cultural practices that everyone in society associates with being wealthy and powerful.
Modern societies are very complicated and often produce rebellious cultures protesting against a dominant one. Subcultures, such as those championed by punks or hippies, attempt to challenge established society. Sociologists largely agree that these challenges are usually doomed to fail, even if in some cases subcultures carve out niches for themselves. In other cases, the dominant culture absorbs some of their habits or ideas, but subcultures rarely rise to become dominant in a society.
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