Can a hierarchy free society exist, especially with institutions such as the media?

Society operates on winners and losers and this is maintained due to frameworks such as Orientalism, Colonialism, Eurocentrism, stereotypes and so on. These socially driven discourses reinforce society’s hierarchies and make sure that whiteness stays superior.

This is facilitated by the media in the way they strategically represent particular groups in order for them to remain subordinate. For example the way in which News reports will explicitly name the ethnicity and race of criminals or people committing unsavory acts if they sit outside the dominant group.  Reading something like “A Maori female who is suspected to be on drugs and is on the dole was caught stealing groceries from Countdown to feed her family”. This is problematic because her racial identity is not relevant to the act she has committed, however, this label reinforces negative racial stereotypes. White offenders do not have this acknowledged. These stereotypes become normalised and thought of as common sense and create social hierarchies.

Kraus (2012) discusses how there are certain examples of societies that function without hierarchy but admits that these are few and far between. He outlines his belief that it is possible for societies to function without a hierarchy. Although, Kraus (2012) talks about his opinion that modern Western societies (due to their Colonial histories) would really struggle to adapt to a system of equality. I tend to agree with this viewpoint and with institutions that are built on hierarchies themselves controlling wider social, economic and cultural hierarchies a society without hierarchies seems like fish without chips.

References:

Kraus, M. (2012).  Status Hierarchies: Do We Need Them?. Psychology Today. Retrieved from  https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/under-the-influence/201210/status-hierarchies-do-we-need-them