Hegemony

Hegemony:

1: preponderant influence or authority over others: DOMINATION

2: the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group

(Meriam-Webster, Incorporated, March 22, 2019)

While applying Transnational Feminist thought in the analysis of today’s neoliberal, postcolonial, capitalist world, one must explore the white, heteropatriarchal hegemonic policies and practices at work that serve to increase an “us” versus “them” perspective that fosters the ability to discredit and even criminalize the “other” under a guise fear that necessitates a desire among the masses for protection and therefore the “heroification” of the dominant group, enabling the perpetuation of their power.

This definition is helpful in utilizing a discourse that allows for the deconstruction of current realities. The term is often used in its adjective form, “hegemonic” in its description of often detrimental concepts and philosophies that exert a great deal of influence, whether noticeably tangible or not, over the masses. Globalization and the world’s interconnectedness in media and communication acts as a catalyst for the perpetuation of hegemonies of the West, or the one-third world, thus increasing their harmful reach.

URL/Link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemony Keywords: Hegemony, domination, neoliberal, globalization Author: LM