Hi IncrEDIBLES,
This assignment entails defining a term relevant to our discipline in three different ways. I have chosen the term ‘hegemon’ which is commonly used in my studies of Political Science. I will provide a parenthetical, sentence, and expanded definition for the word. This term is generally reserved for academia, so I will choose an audience of 1st year Political Science students and I will act as the professor.
Parenthetical: Hegemon (an actor that has the most power in its group)
Sentence: A hegemon is the most powerful actor within a group of states.
Expanded:
Etymology: The word hegemon comes from the 16th century Greek word hegemonikos meaning ‘ready to lead, capable of command’
Visual:
Credit: Al Jazeera
Although this cartoon provides a humorous representation of hegemony, it is a representation of hegemony nonetheless. This cartoon shows the relative power of the United States to the rest of the world.
Examples: During the Cold War, the two leading world hegemons, The United States and the USSR, were fighting for global hegemony. When the Wall fell and the US emerged on top, they became the global hegemon and have remained as such ever since. As China begins to rapidly gain power and influence over the world, they have begun to pose a threat to the US for global hegemony.
Required Conditions: In order to be a hegemon, a state has to be the most powerful of a certain group that it is in. Usually, hegemons are thought of regionally. This would mean that the most powerful state in Europe at a given time would be the European hegemon. There can be a hegemon for any grouping, including the entire globe.
References:
Babones, Salvatore. “American Hegemony Is Here to Stay.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 10 June 2015, nationalinterest.org/feature/american-hegemony-here-stay-13089.
“Hegemon.” Mirriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hegemon.
“Hegemonic .” Etymology Dictionary , www.etymonline.com/word/hegemonic.
Rosamond, Ben. “Hegemony .” Encyclopaedia Brittanica, www.britannica.com/topic/hegemony.
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