Subalterno e subalterni nei "Quaderni del carcere"

This contribution investigates the presence in Gramsci's work of the family of terms relating to "subaltern", with particular attention being paid to the prison writings. The term itself, of military origin, was widespread in political and journalistic reflections before the First World War; there are numerous very well-known examples of its use in Gramsci, first as an adjective, and then as a noun. It designates both the most marginal classes and the bloc of forces grouped around the "fundamental" revolutionary class, namely the working class, which at least potentially struggles for hegemony. The semantic ambivalence is not without its problems, but this probably lies at the base of the term's current popularity. In Gramsci, moreover, the term (or family of terms) undergoes further expansions in meaning, passing on to designate - during his ongoing prison reflections - not only classes and social groups, but also individuals and the characteristics of their being in relation to others. And in including ever more cultural and not just social or socio-cultural characteristics, it almost always has a clearly negative meaning when compared with the positive "hegemonic" pole.

Available online: International Gramsci Journal (Accessed December 12, 2016)