Subaltern theory
- 1. Department of Social Work School of Social Sciences and Humanities Central University of Tamil Nadu (Established by an Act of Parliament, 2009) Thiruvarur - 610 101 Presentation On SUBALTERN THEORY by Ravindra Kumar Ph.D. Scholar
- 2. Concept of Subaltern The word ‘Subaltern’ stands for ‘of inferior rank’ or status. Subordinate, hence, of rank, power, authority and action. In other words, it refers to the subordination of class, caste, gender, race, language and culture. It also indicates to those groups in society who are subject to the domination of the ruling classes. In general, subaltern classes include peasants, workers and other groups who have been denied access to ‘hegemonic’ power.
- 3. Emergence theory of Subaltern Antonio Gramsci: Italian Marxist, best known for his elaboration of the concept of 'hegemony'. A founder of the Italian communist party (in 1921), he was imprisoned by the Fascists in 1926, and spent the remainder of his life under arrest. While in prison, and despite poor health, he continued to study and write. The Prison Notebooks (1929— 1935), published only after the fall of Fascism, represent the core of his considerable contribution to Marxist theory. (Edgar, Sedgwick, 2002) subaltern, meaning “of inferior rank”, is a term adopted by Antonio Gramsci to refer to those working class people in Soviet Union who are subject to the hegemony of the ruling classes. Subaltern classes may include peasants, workers and other group denied access to hegemonic power.
- 4. Emergence theory of Subaltern Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (Born-1942) is an Indian scholar, literary theorist, and feminist critic. She is a University Professor at Columbia University. She is the co- founder of Institute for Comparative Literature and Society. She is considered as one of the most influential postcolonial intellectuals. The concept of the “subaltern” gained increased prominence and currency with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s article Can the Subaltern Speak?(1985) According to Spivak, the subaltern cannot speak. She opines that the subaltern does not have a voice. It was a commentary on the work of the Subaltern Studies Group, questioning and exposing their patronizing attitude.
- 5. Emergence theory of Subaltern Spivak in her assay Can the subaltern speak? Writes…. The Subaltern cannot speak. There is no virtue in global laundry lists with woman a pious. Representation has not withered away. The female intellectual has a circumscribe task which she must not disown with a flourish. This is however not to say that physical act of speaking is impossible from within the subaltern position. Post Colonial literature persistently generated an enormous literature, especially by literary critics, feminists, art of critics, social reformists, political scientists and political economists.
- 6. Subaltern Studies Subaltern Studies initiated its remarkable work in England from the end of 1970s, during discussions on subaltern themes among a small group of English and Indian historians led to a plan to launch a new journal in India. Oxford University Press in New Delhi agreed to publish three volumes of essays titled ‘Subaltern Studies: Writings on South Asian History and Society.’ From 1982 edited by Ranajit Guha. The first and foremost leader of this literary movement was Ranajit Guha who had written on peasant uprisings in India. Much of the collective's early work dealt with the politics of peasants who had been involved in the mass movements that ultimately led to India's independence. The member of the subaltern studies group were Shahid Amin, David Arnold, Partha Chatterjee, David Hardiman, Dipesh Chakrabarty and Gyanendra Pandey.
- 7. Subaltern Studies Subaltern studies is a broadly influential academic movement whose goal is to refocus history on the unique role of subaltern or marginalized people in bringing about large scale transformations in society. The central objective was to retake history for the under classes, whose voices had not been heard earlier. They were highlighting on subaltern in terms of class, caste, gender, race, language and culture.
- 8. Conclusion Subalternity as a form turns into an umbrella concept which increases the scope of research from various subaltern perspectives. People existing at present would readily like to inhabit the situation of a subaltern whose silence is perhaps voiced through the advocating demonstration of an intellectual. However, Spivak warns in advance from such a situation of accommodating the condition of a enduring subordination. Subaltern Studies became a unique place for a new kind of history from below, a people’s history free of national constrictions, a post nationalist re-imagining of the Indian nation on the underside, at the margins, outside nationalism. Subaltern Studies also became entangled with efforts to re-imagine history itself. It re-invented subalternity.
- 9. References Spivak, G. (1988). “Can the Subaltern Speak?” In Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg (eds.). Urbana/Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Lourai, E. H. (2012, January). Retracing the concept of the subaltern from Gramsci to Spivak: Historical developments and new applications. African Journal of History and Culture, 41, 4-8. Mallon, F. E. (1994). The Promise and Dilemma of Subaltern Studies: Perspectives from Latin American History. The American Historical Review, 99(5), 1491-1515. Prakash, G. (1994, December). Subaltern Studies as Postcolonial Criticism. The American Historical Review, 99(5), 1475-1490.
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