Memo+23+Hegemonic+Backdrops

Hegemonic structures are heavily entangled in all aspects of this study and the relationship of the hegemonic structure and non-normative social groups (piracy and indigenous persons) is essentially the main focus of the project.

The first relationship in this study is between the hegemonic structure and piracy. The distinction between pirate and privateer and criminal and government servant is based totally on the changing policies of government. This issue is further complicated as multiple governments are involved, and thus, the actions of an individual may be considered criminal by one state and legitimate by another. Involvement of hegemonic structures extends to the policies developed by state institutions to deal with pirates and piracy, policy responses to piracy, which would include economic policy, and the ways that state institutions exchanged information and knowledge with a criminal social group. Second is the relationship between hegemonic structures and indigenous persons. I have not explored this area as much as I have piracy, but it seems that the relationship will focus mostly on issues of colonialism by state institutions and the policies by which this relationship was developed. This can, and will most likely include, the relationship between state sponsored missionaries and indigenous persons. In addition to studying the ways in which knowledge and information was exchanged between the state and indigenous persons, the study will also document what indigenous knowledge was used by the hegemonic state, and how it was utilized.