Final answer:
Religious and other social institutions promote hegemonic ideologies of individualism and hard work to protect power relations and support the existing social order. By discouraging questioning and justifying social inequalities, these institutions benefit the dominant class.
Step-by-step explanation:
Religious and other social institutions promote hegemonic ideologies of individualism and hard work that ultimately protect power relations because these ideas support the existing social order and benefit the dominant class. By emphasizing individualism and hard work, these institutions discourage questioning of power dynamics and encourage acceptance of existing conditions. Additionally, religion has historically been used to justify social inequalities and maintain patterns of social inequality.