Can the Subaltern Speak?

Flashcards based on key concepts from Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's 'Can the Subaltern Speak?' addressing essential terms and definitions central to the text.

Subaltern

A term used to describe populations that are socially, politically, and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure.

Epistemic Violence

A term used by Foucault to describe the harm done by the dominant knowledge systems that disqualify or silence other forms of knowledge.

Imperialism

A policy or practice by which a country increases its power by gaining control over other areas of the world.

Palimpsestic Narrative

A narrative form that is layered, showing evidence of its successive alterations, often used to describe historical narratives that are rewritten over time.

Permission to Narrate

The concept discussing who has the authority to tell the stories of marginalized groups, often dominated by colonial or elite perspectives.

Subjugated Knowledge

Forms of knowledge that have been marginalized or rendered insignificant by dominant discourses, often considered naive or low in the hierarchy of knowledge.

Heterogeneous Subjectivity

The concept of a subject that is composed of diverse and multiple identities and experiences, particularly relevant in discussions of colonized or subaltern identities.

Intellectual Complicity

The idea that intellectuals may inadvertently support or reinforce oppressive structures through their representations or analyses.

Buffer Group

A term used to describe an intermediary group that stands between dominant and subordinate classes, often navigating complex social dynamics.

Representational Politics

The politics around the representation of marginalized voices and the challenges of accurately portraying their experiences.