ABSTRACT
In this paper, I draw from bell hooks’ (1989) seminal notion of “talking back” in order to examine forms of responding to structures of domination that move the speaker from an object to a subject position. “Talking back” refers to an oppositional stance or discourse that contests, challenges and responds to structures of domination. The idea of “talking back” implies that those engaged in such talking have been exposed to constructions and representations that do not correspond with their realities, or that portray them in derogatory ways. “Talking back” becomes a way to counter these representations. Acts of “talking back,” however, can be punished, contained, and co-opted. For this reason I extend my interest in the notion of “talking back” to the possibilities of generating counterhegemonic discourse. Here, I draw on Antonio Gramsci’s (1916-1935) notion of hegemony, which he conceptualizes as a “moving equilibrium” (see Antonio Gramsci & D. Forgacs 1988). While it is secured by means of coercion, economic domination, and cultural consciousness, it is always contested. Part of Gramsci’s originality is situated in how he conceives of culture as a significant arena within which dominant powers attempt to win popular consent. In this regard, Gramsci denounces economism and critiques Marx’s emphasis on the economy as a determining force. Whereas Gramsci never uses the terms counter-hegemony and counter-hegemonic, these notions have been applied in studies of alternative media and post-colonial analyses of liberationist struggles (John Downing, Tamara Villareal Ford, Gene`ve Gil & Laura Stein 2001).
