Hegemony
Hegemony refers to the dominance of one group, state, or entity over others, often characterized by political, cultural, or economic power. The term has its roots in the Greek word "egemon," which described leaders exerting control over surrounding city-states. Historically, hegemony has been observed in various contexts, from ancient Greece and medieval Italy to the British Empire during its colonial era. Various factors contribute to hegemony, including military might, financial strength, and technological superiority, as seen in the dominance of countries like Portugal, Britain, and the United States at different points in history.
The concept of hegemony extends beyond mere political control to encompass ideological dominance, as articulated by Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci. He argued that the ruling group often maintains its position through the consent of the dominated, rather than coercion alone, suggesting that cultural norms and societal beliefs can reinforce hegemonic power. Modern examples of hegemony can be seen in both political entities and cultural influences, such as the global standing of the United States and the pervasive impact of figures like the Kardashians in shaping contemporary beauty standards. Thus, hegemony can have both constructive and destructive implications, depending on the perspectives of those involved.
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Hegemony
Hegemony is a term used to refer to a group, state, or other entity that exhibits political or cultural dominance over another group. It is most commonly used in political science to refer to a country or state that exerts power over others.
Origins
The word hegemony is derived from the Greek word egemon, sometimes written hegemon, which means "a leader who rules over a foreign state and exerts dominance over others." The ancient Greeks used the term to describe the interaction among some of its polies, or city-states. Under the Greek political system, individual polies exerted control over nearby territories, with each large city serving as a hub for governmental, financial, and cultural affairs. At times, a stronger polis would exert its will over one or more others, as Sparta famously did over Athens in 4 Before the Common Era (BCE).
Almost twenty-five centuries later, the word was adopted into English to refer to domineering behavior of one group over another. It was used to describe the behavior of the ancient Greeks as well as that of the cities of medieval Italy, who similarly dominated their neighbors. The term was also applied to the British Empire, particularly during its colonial periods.
Characteristics
The term hegemony is most commonly used to refer to a political entity, such as a country or state, that is powerful enough to promote its agenda and interests over others. Several factors can be responsible for this dominance. The power wielded by Portugal in the sixteenth century and Britain in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries was based on naval superiority. However, although military might was a factor in these cases, hegemony more often comes about due to financial and/or technological superiority, possibly backed by military authority. Holland's control over credit and wealth led to that country's hegemonic dominance over Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, while Britain's superior industrial and rail system led to domination in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. During the post-World War II era, the United States rose to hegemonic status, in part due to dominance derived from petroleum production and the rise of the automobile.
To become a political hegemon, a country or state generally has a growth economy and is considered a powerhouse in a technological or economic field. The hegemon is usually committed to a financial or governing system that others can see as being beneficial. Additionally, the dominant party has both the ability and the desire to encourage cooperation with its system by force if necessary. This means that hegemony can be positive or negative, depending on one’s point of view as well as the intentions and behavior of the hegemon.
Antonio Gramsci
Hegemony can also be applied to ideologies and ways of thinking. The individual most often associated with the study of this type of hegemony is Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937).
Gramsci was the general secretary of the Italian Communist Party before he was imprisoned in 1928, after the rise of Benito Mussolini and the Fascists. Sentenced to twenty years in prison for essentially posing an intellectual threat to the Fascists, Gramsci filled thirty-two handwritten notebooks with his studies and theories on various topics, including hegemony.
In Gramsci’s view, hegemony meant that the dominant group—be it a social class of people, a country, or some other entity—obtains and maintains dominance by the consent of the group being dominated. He noted that the dominant group did not necessarily control all areas of the subordinated culture. Gramsci also noted that the subordinate group did not necessarily consciously and verbally surrender to the hegemon. Instead, it may have failed to resist due to the idea that the powerful group was superior in some way.
According to Gramsci, hegemonic dominance can refer to an entire ideological system, such as democracy or communism, or to a single aspect of a culture or society. One example of the latter might be the American healthcare system; many may question the injustice of a system that gives the wealthy access to better healthcare services than the poor, but without agreement on an alternative, many simply accept the system as is. Thus, the group that gains an advantage from the existing system dominates by default.
Gramsci claimed that the ideologies supported by hegemony could be created artificially by theorists, politicians, and academics who analyze some aspect of society and then promote a specific viewpoint. Other hegemonies are derived more from what might be termed a "common sense" approach; the concepts and viewpoints that are generally accepted by a large portion of people in a group are said to dominate that culture simply because they are held in common and seem natural to many. The idea that America is a Christian nation, even though its population actually holds diverse religious beliefs, derives in part from this approach.
It can be very difficult to loosen the hold of a cultural hegemony, Gramsci said, because the very language used to communicate in a society is shaped and formed by the dominant ideology. In such cases, talk of change is difficult because the population is conditioned to interpret words and phrases in set ways. This creates barriers to new ways of thinking.
In the twenty-first century, hegemony continued to manifest in economic, political, military, and cultural contexts. The United States, with its large economy and advanced military, is often seen as a global hegemon, alongside China. However, hegemony can also be applied to more contemporary examples. For instance, many claim that the reality television family, the Kardashians, exemplify cultural hegemony through their significant influence on social media, consumer culture, and modern beauty standards.
Bibliography
Mastroianni, Dominic. "Hegemony in Gramsci." Postcolonial Studies at Emory, Oct. 2017, scholarblogs.emory.edu/postcolonialstudies/2014/06/20/hegemony-in-gramsci. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Pogue, James. “Empire State of Mind.” Vanity Fair, vol. 66, no. 10, Nov. 2024, pp. 76–104. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=180165338&site=ehost-live. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Trivedi, Disha. “Cultural Hegemony and Social Media: Why We Need to Keep up with the Kardashians.” Oxford Political Review, 15 Apr. 2024, oxfordpoliticalreview.com/2024/04/15/cultural-hegemony-and-social-media-why-we-need-to-keep-up-with-the-kardashians. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Zaidi, Zareen, et al. "Cultural Hegemony? Educators’ Perspectives on Facilitating Cross-cultural Dialogue." Medical Education Online, vol. 21, 2016, p. 10.3402/meo.v21.33145, doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.33145. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.