Theory of Epistemological Hegemony

A critical framework analyzing how one system of knowing—typically Western, empirical, and individualistic—achieves dominance over others, not by proving its superiority but through social and historical processes. It examines how colonialism, education, and institutional structures embedded specific epistemic norms as universal, while devaluing oral traditions, embodied knowledge, and collective ways of knowing. Epistemological hegemony operates invisibly, shaping what counts as “rational,” “objective,” and “credible.”

Example: “Her theory of epistemological hegemony traced how the spread of European universities imposed a specific model of knowledge production globally, rendering local knowledge systems ‘unscientific’ and effectively erasing them.”

Theory of Epistemological Hegemony by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 24, 2026