Rethinking Hegemony

Hegemony has long been a key concept within the study of International Relations as well as across the social sciences more generally and a term used by analysts to make sense of contemporary events. Drawing on a rich historical framework this book traces the different definitions and interpretations of hegemony in world politics and shows that the term continues to be a contested one. It examines and develops traditional ideas about hegemony - from the idea of the strong leading state to the dominance of particular ideologies - through a wide range of approaches including hegemonic stability theory and the work of Antonio Gramsci.<br/><br/>Exploring issues such as the role of the state the changing influence of regionalism and the emergence of counter-hegemonic movements this book argues that a more nuanced understanding of hegemony is necessary in order to understand the construction of the contemporary world order. Considering a wide range of case studies throughout - from the reputation of the United States as an international leader to the European Union's regional hegemony and the economic prowess of the so-called BRICS group - this text provides the ideal guide to a multi-faceted term and significant force of both history and the modern age.