Hegemony in Applied Linguistics

Abstract

Phillipson’s (1992) seminal work, Linguistic Imperialism, describes theories of hegemony that have increasingly been used in applied linguistics literature. While Gramsci’s (1971) theory of hegemony is composed of a dialectical relationship between the domination of the state and the consent of the subaltern, many applied linguistics scholars only use the domination side of the theory. This reductionism of Gramsci’s theory is problematic as it not only comes close to rendering the theory as a construct, but also ignores the resistance and counter-hegemonic forces that always exist within Gramsci’s theory. Thus, it denies the possibilities for enhanced social agency and justice for the subaltern. The researcher reviewed the relevant literature in the social sciences and applied linguistics for this study. This paper explains how the key to resisting hegemony lies in understanding the nature of the manufactured consent of the subaltern necessary to maintain hegemony. This state allows the elite subaltern to benefit from hegemonic practices, but also enables us to theorize about the means for counter-hegemonic actions by the subaltern. In doing so, this paper hopes to add to the literature in applied linguistics. This study may ultimately be beneficial to the practices of ELT and their nations.