ABSTRACT
In most literature (including scientific literature) tropes of domination exist in the form of metaphors and/or narratives as well as in norms and manners to reproduce existing social structures, many times unconsciously. Hegemony is a concept that refers to the covert means in which the masses consent to the power relationships within society, the leaders that dominate, and cultural norms regarding power. This consent is rooted in the social structure that normalizes oppression as routine or as normative. Cultural norms both formal (laws, policies, and rules) and informal (expectations of behavior, manners, and common courtesies) make up how life is lived through daily practices. These daily practices are typically supported and manipulated by those who control the means by which a society produces, distributes, and consumes. Antonio Gramsci referred to this dynamic type of hegemonic power as cultural hegemony. Hegemonic masculinity is an extension of cultural hegemony that brings attention to the ways that masculinity is embedded within the culture normalizing masculine-based domination. The domination of nature and the domination of women have a shared history with hegemonic masculinity. The dominant literary products that are quickly and easily disseminated normalize hegemonic masculinity. While much of the early ecofeminist literature did not use the term “hegemonic masculinity,” the core elements are embedded within ecofeminist thought.
