Retracing the concept of the subaltern from Gramsci to Spivak

Historical developments and new applications

Bibliographic Data

ID5778638
AuthorsEl Habib Louai (corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume4
Issue1
Publication date2012-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAfrican Journal of History and Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2141-6672 • E-ISSN: 2141-6672
PublisherAcademic Journals (PUBLISHER • NG)
DOI10.5897/ajhc11.020
OpenAlexW2136320198
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited1

The aim of this paper is to retrace the historical developments and new implications of one of the most disputed concepts in post-colonial theory. The study of the concept of the subaltern deals first with preliminary definitions of this concept as it was initially used by the Italian Marxist political activist, Antonio Gramsci, in his widely known book "Prison Notebooks". Later, this paper examined the new reflections of the subaltern concept as explicated by those critics and historians who defined themselves as members of the Subaltern Studies Group. A particular focus at this stage is laid on the key insights of the forefather of the group, Ranajit Guha, and on the latest assumptions and ideas provided by the prominent deconstructivist, post-colonial critic, Gayatri Spivak, mainly in her seminal essay: Can the Subaltern Speak? The study finally tackled some of the present day implications of the subaltern concept as it unfolds in a post-modern condition. The analysis at this stage focused on key ideas introduced by the post-modern scholar, Jean Baudrillard, and post-colonial critic, Homi Bhabha. Key words: Subaltern, post-colonialism, colonial discourse, subaltern historiography, political mobilization, domination, sexual division of labor, history, third world women, Sati women, globalized post-modern world, difference, identity, consciousness of subalternity, revolutionary voice, liminality, third space of enunciation

Subaltern · Indian Economic and Social Development · South Asian Cinema and Culture · South Asian Studies and Diaspora

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