Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts"Play fool, to catch wise."--proverb of Jamaican slaves Confrontations between the powerless and powerful are laden with deception--the powerless feign deference and the powerful subtly assert their mastery. Peasants, serfs, untouchables, slaves, laborers, and prisoners are not free to speak their minds in the presence of power. These subordinate groups instead create a secret discourse that represents a critique of power spoken behind the backs of the dominant. At the same time, the powerful also develop a private dialogue about practices and goals of their rule that cannot be openly avowed. In this book, renowned social scientist James C. Scott offers a penetrating discussion both of the public roles played by the powerful and powerless and the mocking, vengeful tone they display off stage--what he terms their public and hidden transcripts. Using examples from the literature, history, and politics of cultures around the world, Scott examines the many guises this interaction has taken throughout history and the tensions and contradictions it reflects. Scott describes the ideological resistance of subordinate groups--their gossip, folktales, songs, jokes, and theater--their use of anonymity and ambiguity. He also analyzes how ruling elites attempt to convey an impression of hegemony through such devices as parades, state ceremony, and rituals of subordination and apology. Finally, he identifies--with quotations that range from the recollections of American slaves to those of Russian citizens during the beginnings of Gorbachev's glasnost campaign--the political electricity generated among oppressed groups when, for the first time, the hidden transcript is spoken directly and publicly in the face of power. His landmark work will revise our understanding of subordination, resistance, hegemony, folk culture, and the ideas behind revolt. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - mooreken - LibraryThingIn their conclusion to Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics, Dreyfus & Rabinow posed the question: 'Is there any way to resist the disciplinary society other than to understand how ... Read full review
Contents
Behind the Official Story i | 11 |
Domination Acting and Fantasy | 17 |
The Public Transcript as a Respectable Performance | 45 |
False Consciousness or Laying It on Thick? | 70 |
Making Social Space for a Dissident Subculture | 108 |
The Arts of Political Disguise | 136 |
The Infrapolitics of Subordinate Groups | 183 |
The First Public Declaration of | 202 |
229 | |
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Common terms and phrases
action actual aggression analysis anger anonymity appearances argument assume authorities become believe carnival caste claim collective comparable course create culture deference defiance depends direct discourse disguise domination effect elaborate elites entirely evidence example existence experience explain expression fact finally force forms given hegemony hidden transcript historical ideology imagine important insult interest interpretation kind least less live master means naturalization nearly never notes observed official offstage once one's particular pattern peasants performance perhaps political popular possible power relations practices produce public transcript reason rebellion relatively religious represent resistance ritual ruling sense serve simply situation slaves social society speak speech status structure subjects subordinate groups symbolic theory things threat tion tradition turn typically U.S. South understand untouchables values
References to this book
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America Tricia Rose No preview available - 1994 |