This was the comment page for two readings:
- Lavenda and Schultz chapter 12, “How Do Anthropologists Study Political Relations?” in Anthropology: What does it mean to be human?
- De León, “Prevention through Deterrence” in The Land of Open Graves.
These readings continued part 3 of Introduction to Anthropology 2016. I revisited some of this material in 2021 as Politics and in a YouTube lecture discussed “why politics” using the 5th edition of Anthropology: What does it mean to be human?:
For more information on the De León chapter, see the excerpt in Cultural Anthropology 2019.
Domination & Hegemony
In this chapter, Lavenda and Schultz discuss the difference between what anthropologists, following Gramsci, term “domination” and “hegemony.” The best part of class was encapsulating this distinction in a Tweet shortly before the 2016 election:
Discuss: This US election pits Domination against Hegemony. #Anthropology https://t.co/4I7HhIy8Jh
— Jason Antrosio (@JasonAntrosio) November 3, 2016
Clinton’s campaign was a continuation of neoliberal hegemony. Trump wanted a return to ruthless domination. In 2021, the struggle between Democracy (hegemony) and those desiring authoritarian-autocratic rule continues.