Introduction to Orientalism By Edward Said In a nutshell… An argument supporting and explaining the “hegemony” of the Occident over the Orient. So what is “hegemony”?

Hegemony (hĭ jem ə nē ) Hegemony: dominance of one group over others Different Types: Cultural hegemony: one culture dominates over another to the degree that the ideas of the dominant culture become the norm Political hegemony – one state dominates over others – i.e. Napoleonic France over Europe Media hegemony: when the media saturates the consciousness of a society

Basic Outline of Parts I and II: Defines “Orientalism” Give historical background List “qualifications” for his argument Explains the methodology he will use to present his argument – two different perspectives: Generalized perspective vs. Individualized view