Final answer:
Antonio Gramsci's concept of hegemony refers to the normalization of a dominant social order wherein the population internalizes and accepts the values and domination of the ruling class as 'natural.'
Step-by-step explanation:
Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of hegemony to describe a stratified social order in which subordinates comply with domination by internalizing their rulers' values and accepting the 'naturalness' of domination. Hegemony is an ideology used to maintain power by subtly disseminating certain values and beliefs that become so ingrained in the daily practices and cultural institutions of a society that they appear as 'common sense.' The concept encompasses the idea that cultural norms and values reinforce the existing social order and the economic domination of the upper class. For example, through the control of media, educational systems, and cultural narratives, the ruling group ensures that their worldview becomes the hegemonic culture, influencing the majority to accept it as the natural order of things without questioning the inherent inequalities.