|
Neo-Gramscianism is a relatively new approach to the study of International Relations (IR) and the Global Political Economy (GPE), breaking the decades-old stalemate between the so-called realist schools of thought, and the liberal theories. Antonio Gramsci being only one of the sources informing this approach (others include Hobsbawm, Karl Polanyi, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Niccolò Machiavelli, more recently also Max Horkheimer, Adorno, Foucault and Derrida), it is often referred to as the Critical Theory of International Relations.
The beginning of the neo-gramscian perspective can be traced Robert W. Cox's article "Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond International Relations Theory", in Millennium 10 (1981) 2, and "Gramsci, Hegemony and International Relations: An Essay in Method", published in Millennium 12 (1983) 2. In his 1981 article, Cox demands a critical study of IR, as opposed to the usual "problem-solving" theories, which do not call the whole into questions, but accept states and the (supposedly) "anarchic" relationships between them as Kantian Dinge an sich.
In his follow-up article, Cox shows how Gramsci's thought can be used to analyze power structures within the GPE. Particularly Gramsci's concept of hegemony, vastly different from the realists' conception of hegemony, appears fruitful. Gramsci's state theory, his conception of "Historic Blocks" -- dominant configurations of (structural) abilities, ideologies and institutions as determining frames for individual and collective action -- and of élites acting as "organic intellectuals" forging Historic Blocks, is also deemed useful.
Cox' approach has since been extended especially by the work of his pupil, Stephen Gill, who, like Cox, is professor of political science at York University in Toronto. Gill contributed to showing how the Trilateral Commission acted as an "organic intellectual", forging the (currently hegemonic) ideology of neoliberalism and the so-called "Washington Consensus". Outside of North America, the so-called "Dutch School" around Kees van der Pijl (at University of Sussex) and individual researchers in Germany, notably in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Marburg, have adopted the neo-Gramscian method.
Links
- Andreas Bieler, Adam David Morton:
- Theoretical and Methodological Challenges of neo-Gramscian Perspectives in International Political Economy [1] (http://www.italnet.nd.edu/gramsci/resources/online_articles/articles/bieler_morton.shtml)
- Teaching Neo-Gramscian Perspectives [2] (http://www.bisa.ac.uk/bisanews/0205/bisa0205_2.htm)
- Kees van der Pijl, The Making of an Atlantic Ruling Class, London Verso, 1984. Published online 2004 [3] (http://www.theglobalsite.ac.uk/atlanticrulingclass/)
| This article is part of WikiProject Critical Theory, an attempt to build a comprehensive, detailed, and accessible guide to critical theory on Wikipedia. We have prepared a list of other articles in the field of critical theory. If you would like to participate in the project, you can choose to edit this article, or visit the project page for more information.
|
|
