Selected Subaltern studies : [selection of essays from 5 published collections of Subaltern studies between 1982 and 1987

This provocative volume presents the most wide-ranging essays from the first five volumes of Subaltern Studies , along with an introductory essay by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak--the translator of Derrida's Of Grammatology into English--and a foreword by eminent critic Edward W. Said. Addressed to students and scholars throughout the humanities, these essays address what Antonio Gramsci--the founder of the Italian communist party--called the subaltern classes, reexamining well-known historical and political events, such as Gandhi's role in India, from a Marxist perspective. Together, the essays examine aspects of the analysis of domination, with special reference to the critique of imperialism, in an attempt to rectify the elitist bias characteristic of much academic work on India. A ground-breaking work of considerable pedagogical relevance for courses dealing with colonialism and imperialism in literature, sociology, anthropology, politics, and history, Subaltern Studies also features a comprehensive glossary of Indian terms for readers not familiar with Indian history. The aim of these 10 essays is to promote a systematic and informed discussion of subaltern themes in the field of South Asian studies, and thus help to rectify the elitist bias characteristic of much research and academic work in this particular area.