View Chapters

Book: Key Categories in the Study of Religion

Chapter: 18. A Gramscian Inversion: Hegemony in Theory and in Practice

DOI: 10.1558/equinox.39454

Blurb:

In this chapter, I argue against an Althusserian conception of ideology wherein a dominated group accepts the definitions and categories provided by a dominant group. Rather than viewing this as acceptance, I argue that dominated groups are not uniform, their consent may be strategic, and hegemonic unity is never as stable as it is often made to appear. Further, building on the work of James Scott, I argue that those in dominated groups tend to be very aware of these dynamics, even when they are portrayed as willing participants in hegemonic systems.

Chapter Contributors