1 / 3

Postcolonial Studies: An Introduction

Postcolonial Studies: An Introduction. Hegemony and Subaltern. Relates to: Power and Culture/Ideology (not necessarily a racial or economic issue) Issue of: Access to power/influence (within a social structure) Terminology:

meda
Download Presentation

Postcolonial Studies: An Introduction

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Postcolonial Studies: An Introduction

  2. Hegemony and Subaltern • Relates to: Power and Culture/Ideology (not necessarily a racial or economic issue) • Issue of: Access to power/influence (within a social structure) • Terminology: • Subaltern: term that describes anyone or any group that is socially, politically, or economically outside of the mainstream culture or power structure • Often considered oppressed, overlooked, or marginalized in society • Often shares many similar characteristics with the Other • Other = relation to culture; Subaltern = relation to power structure • Often denied a role or opportunity to fully participate in the culture or power structure • Examples: Native Americans in 19th century; Blacks during Reconstruction; European immigrants in 1880s and 1920s; the Joad family and migrant workers • Hegemony: term that describes anyone or any group that is socially, politically, or economically part of the mainstream culture or power structure • Able to participate (for the most part) in culture/power structure • Access to power structure, even if not technically “in power” • Not necessarily negative in connotation • Examples: White teachers at Assimilation schools; Whites in North and South during Reconstruction/Jim Crow; the Joad family and migrant workers; the orchard owners/bosses in The Grapes of Wrath • Terms are relative and flexible, but within reason. • Wealthy Republicans taxed by the government are not likely the subaltern, nor are they necessarily hegemonic. • People who draw unemployment or welfare benefits are not necessarily subaltern, but are not necessarily hegemonic. • Primary Result/Issue: • Crisis of Cultural and Personal Identity, formed from conflict of ideologies/ideological formations

  3. Case Study: “A Journey Southward” • Dr. Miller: • Hegemonic Qualities: • half-white; highly educated; elite skills; refined manners/speech/dress; some cultural respect • Subaltern Qualities: • Half black; considered black by society; limited voice/authority in mainstream culture; access to money ≠ access to power • Verdict: Moderately Subaltern • Dr. Burns: • Hegemonic Qualities: • half-white; highly educated; elite skills; refined manners/speech/dress; wealthy; cultural respect • Subaltern Qualities: • None • Verdict: Fully Hegemonic (not necessarily negative/destructive) • Stowaway: • Hegemonic Qualities: • None • Subaltern Qualities: • Black; poor; unrefined manners, speech/dress; literally “below” the other passengers • Verdict: Fully Subaltern • Mc Bane: • Hegemonic Qualities: • White; authority in manners; freedom “to do as [he] please[s]”; military past/cultural respect • Subaltern Qualities: • Not wealthy; unrefined manners, speech/dress • Verdict: Fully Hegemonic • Conductor: • Hegemonic Qualities: • Part of power structure; white; agent of economic and legal authority • Subaltern Qualities: • Only part of the system, not in control of it; limited authority (over a only certain group) • Verdict: Moderately Hegemonic (not as much as Burns/McBane

More Related