Hegemony in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group. Analyzing this definition, according to Collins the ideological influences exerted by a dominant group would be wealthy white men placed at the top of the multi-level structure. The tiered structure can be better understood when talking about hegemonic masculinity and hegemonic femininity, but in order to connect these ideas it is necessary to explain the history of hegemony. Hegemony comes from the Italian communist Antonio Gramsci. According to Gramsci, hegemony is related to ideological domination. Ideological domination does not mean physical power, but domination of ideas. Gramsci was troubled by the way the upper classes entered the minds of the lower classes, forcing their way into their minds to believe in their ideas. For example, Collins elaborates on this ideology by expressing how white Americans have social control over blacks outside of the plantations. Even though a black male is no longer enslaved, his plantation mentality is still controlled. Gramsci states that we have been conditioned by our language to think and feel like we think in particular ways that serve the purpose of those who implemented those ideologies by developing into the “dominant ideology”. This means that, since slavery, black slaves, male and female, have been conditioned to think that the purpose of their existence is to be slaves, because the only way to control the social order in capitalist society is with strength and inferiority. Through such conditions and ideologies it is believed to work to keep Black men and women centralized in blaming each other for problems. This in turn allows for a more cohesive understanding of hegemony and will further explain Collins' central argument about this hegemonic ideology and the functions of hegemony.