Transcript Hegemony Online - People Pages - University of Wisconsin

Hegemony Online
The Quiet Convergence of Power,
Culture, and Computers
by
Michael D. Dorsher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Abstract
This dissertation study uses qualitative methods to
develop a theory of how online communication mediates
the relationship between power and culture. It then tests
this theory of hegemony online with quantitative
methods applied to a survey of 137 Internet users.
The study finds that most users of online
communication spend most of their time on hegemonic
Web pages. Specifically, it concludes that subjects who
are less alienated from society, low on e-mail usage and
high on Web usage are most likely to choose Web
pages that are highly hegemonic.
Research Questions

How does online communication mediate the
relationship between power and culture?
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Which variables best predict the usage of hegemony
online?
Definitions

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Hegemony
 An iterative process whereby people in power deepen their
dominance by using culture to negotiate for the consent of
the subjugated.
Counterhegemony
 An alternative process whereby people attempt to gain
dominant power by countering, co-opting and
compromising dominant culture. It is not the opposite of
hegemony; it is merely someone else's hegemony — one
that has not yet become dominant.
Pluralism
 The sharing of power among groups in society. It is the
opposite of hegemony and counterhegemony.
Definitions

Cybernetic
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A system that uses continuous feedback to control and
progressively correct unsatisfactory actions.
Hegemony online

A cybernetic process whereby people in power deepen
their dominance by using online communication to
negotiate for the consent of the subjugated.
Hypotheses

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Most of the study's subjects will spend most of their
online time using hegemonic Web pages.
The longer they use an online page or message, the
higher they'll rate it.
Online counterhegemony usage will be higher if they
are nonwhite.
Online hegemony usage will be higher among men
than women.
Online hegemony usage will be higher the more they
rate toward the masculine end of the gender scale.
Online hegemony usage will be higher the lower
they rate on the alienation scale.
The Sample

137 volunteers
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106 undergraduates from U. of Md., American U., Howard U.
87 whites, 16 blacks, 6 Asians, 3 Asian-Americans, 3 Hispanics
90 women, 47 men
72 “feminine” on Bem Sex Roles Inventory, 65 “masculine”
How they spent time online
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75.4% of the time spent on the Web (993 pages),
24.6% on e-mail (162 messages)
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13.9% spent on Web surfing for “personal information”
12.2% on newspaper Web sites
11.8% writing e-mails
11.4% on sports Web sites
9.1% reading personal e-mails
…
0.3% responding to Web ads
Negotiated Hegemonic
Closed Hegemonic
Pluralism
Closed Counterhegemonic
Negotiated Counterhegemonic
Hegemony Online, by Alienation
Multiple Regression
Model Summary(b)
Model
1
R
R Square
.297(a)
Adjusted R Square
.089
a Predictors: (Constant), WHROUTLG, ALIENATN, EHROUTLG
b Dependent Variable: HEGSCORE
.066
Std. Error of the Estimate
6.0787
Multiple Regression
Coefficients(a)
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized Coefficients
t
Model
B
(Constant)
Std. Error
5.368
1.369
ALIENATN
-2.764
1.184
EHROUTLG
-3.365
WHROUTLG
2.909
Sig.
Beta
3.922
.000
-.205
-2.335
.021
1.615
-.197
-2.083
.039
1.524
.180
1.909
.059
1
a Dependent Variable: HEGSCORE
Conclusions

There is support for the theory that online
communication mediates power and culture to
yield hegemony online.
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i.e., online communication is better at concentrating
power than redistributing it.
The manifestation of hegemony online will
continue to evolve and be negotiated through
cybernetics, a process of control and correction.
Limitations of the Study
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Convenience sample, mostly comprising students
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The data do not support five of my 14 hypotheses.
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But they are the vanguard of the online audience.
The hypotheses were theory-based, not derived from data.
Should have oversampled for users with their own home
pages and users who shopped online.
The study tests for the existence of hegemony
online but not the cybernetic process of deepening
dominance.
Future Research

There is a need for longitudinal studies of online
communication
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To assess how it evolves in negotiation with its users,
and to assess how it affects subjugation/alienation
These studies should be generalizable, by
drawing upon random samples that reflect the
universe of online communication and its users.