Gramsci And Hegemony

What does Gramsci introduce the concept of?

Hegemony, or ideological and moral leadership of society, to explain how the ruling class maintains its position.

What does Gramsci argue that the proletariat must develop?

Its own ‘counter-hegemony‘ to win the leadership of society from the bourgeoisie.

What does Gramsci reject?

Economic determinism as an explanation of change: the transition from capitalism to communism will never come about simply as a result of economic forces. Even though factors such as the mass unemployment and falling wages may create preconditions for revolution, ideas play a central role in determining whether or not change will actually occur.

In Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, how does he see the ruling class maintaining dominance over society?

In two ways:

• Coercion: it uses the army, police, prisons and courts of the capitalist state to force other classes to accept its rule.

• Consent (hegemony): it uses ideas and values to persuade the subordinate classes that its rule is legitimate.

In advanced capitalist societies, what do the ruling class rely heavily on?

Consent to maintain their rule. Gramsci agrees with Marx that they are able to do so because they control the institutions that produce and spread ideas, such as the education system and the media. So long as the rest of society accepts the ruling-class hegemony, there will not be a revolution, even when the economic conditions might see favourable.

Is the hegemony of the ruling class complete?

No, for two reasons?

What are the reasons the ruling class hegemony is never complete?

• The ruling class are a minority. To rule they need to create a power bloc by making alliances with other groups, such as the middle classes. They must therefore make ideological compromises to take account of the interests of their allies.

• The proletariat have a dual consciousness. Their ideas are influenced not only by bourgeois ideology, but also by their material conditions of life - the poverty and exploitation they experience. This means they can 'see through' the dominant ideology to some degree.

What does the incompletion of the ruling-class hegemony mean?

There is always the possibility of ruling-class hegemony being undermined, particularly at times of economic crisis, when worsening material conditions and increased poverty of the proletariat cause them to question the status quo.

When will the undermining of the ruling class hegemony lead to revolution?

Only if the proletariat are able to construct a counter-hegemonic bloc; they must be able to offer moral and ideological leadership to society. In Gramsci's view, the working class can only win this battle for ideas by producing their own 'organic intellectuals this he means a body of class conscious workers, organised into a revolutionary political party, who are able to formulate an alternative vision of how society could be run in the future.

This counter-hegemony would win ideological leadership from the ruling class by offering a new vision of how society should be organised, based on socialist rather than capitalist values.

What is Gramsci accused of?

Over-emphasising the role of ideas and underemphasising the role of bot state coercion and economic factors.

What have sociologists working within a Marist framework adopted?

A similar approach to Gramsci. They stress the role of ideas and consciousness as the basis of resisting domination and changing society

How does Willis describe the working class lads he studied as?

‘Partially penetrating‘ bourgeois ideology - seeing through the school’s ideology to recognise that meritocracy is a myth.