Dominant Culture

Definition

Dominant culture is the set of cultural practices, beliefs, and values that are widely accepted and practiced by the majority of people in a given society. It influences social institutions, laws, and everyday social behaviors.

Related terms

Subculture:

A subculture is a group within a larger culture that differentiates itself from the larger culture to which it belongs through its unique set of beliefs, values, and practices.

Cultural hegemony: Cultural hegemony refers to the control of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class who manipulate the culture of that society—the beliefs, explanations, perceptions, values—so that their imposed worldview becomes the accepted cultural norm.

Ethnocentrism:

Ethnocentrism is the act of judging another culture solely based on the values and standards of one's own culture