Dominant Culture: How It Shapes Stories, Readers, and What We Believe

When we talk about dominant culture, the set of values, beliefs, and norms that hold the most power in a society. It's not always loud—it's just everywhere. You see it in who gets published, which voices are called "universal," and what kind of hero gets to save the day. Also known as mainstream culture, it decides what counts as "good storytelling" before most readers even open a book. In Indian publishing, for example, dominant culture often pushes English-language narratives over regional languages, or favors urban settings while ignoring rural realities. It tells us that fantasy must feel European, that YA must center on romantic tension, and that literary fiction must be heavy, slow, and sad. But the posts below prove that’s not the only way.

Think about genre fiction, stories built around clear rules and expectations like fantasy, sci-fi, or thrillers. It’s often dismissed as "less serious"—but that’s because dominant culture values realism over imagination. Yet look at the posts here: "What Makes a Book Fantasy?" and "Who is the best fantasy villain?" show how deeply these genres explore human fear, power, and identity. They’re not escapism—they’re mirror worlds. And when literary norms, the unspoken rules about what writing should look like to be considered "art". are challenged by bold female protagonists in "What Is an Adventure Girl?" or Gen Z’s love for emotional, fast-paced stories in "What Is Gen Z Obsessed With?", the dominant culture starts to crack. These aren’t just trends—they’re rebellions. People are tired of stories that only reflect one version of truth. They want heroes who don’t look like the old stereotypes. They want magic that feels Indian, not British. They want books that don’t pretend their world is the only one that exists.

What you’ll find in this collection isn’t a lecture on culture—it’s proof that stories are changing. From the quiet power of cozy fantasy to the raw truth in self-help failures, these posts show how readers are pushing back. They’re asking: Who gets to decide what’s important? Why does a book need to be long and serious to matter? And what happens when we stop letting dominant culture write our rules? The answers are in the books people are actually reading—not the ones publishers think they should.