Gramsci, Culture and Anthropology

by Kate Crehan

A rethinking of popular political movements, this book looks at new, emerging, mass visions and analyses their impact and potential in new ways.

Genres: Anthropology, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Cultural

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant materialist interpretation of Gramsci and his idea of 'culture' and hegemony that stands counter to certain persistent assumptions in anthropology (namely of boundedness, systematicity/internal coherence, and an explicit or implicit tradition/modern distinction). The alternate image of culture that arises, through this contrast, is a notion of culture as the historically specific lived reality of class, non-coherent and full of contradictions in case of the as of yet unhegemonic culture of the subaltern. This summary doesn't do Gramsci justice, and, as the author convincing argues, a "far more complex and awkward figure [...] emerges from any sustained and serious readings of his writings, a figure who resists any simple summary".

The book's only flaw is that, at times, when making comparisons between Gramsci's ideas and the Gramsci-lite ideas of past or contemporary anthropologists, the author covers the same ground longer than possibly necessary. A small flaw in an interesting and valuable work not just for anthropologists but also for political philosophers and aspiring 'organic intellectuals' wishing to not just interpret, but also to change the world.