1. In “New Ethnicities”, Hall remarks that constructing a politics that “works with and through difference… entails the movement in black politics, from what Gramsci called the ‘war of manoeuvre’ to the ‘war of position’—the struggle around positionalities” (445). In short, my question is: what is Hall’s use of these Gramscian terms meant to convey?
In the introduction to the Morley and Chen Stuart Hall Reader, the editors note that “New Ethnicities” was originally delivered as an address to a conference with a wide audience. So, I didn’t expect a detailed explanation of the applicability of the Gramscian terms in his speech. And, although Gramsci was discussing the positioning of Cavour and Mazzini in relation to Italian unification when he developed the terms, Hall effectively relates the possibilities for abstracting Gramsci’s writings (despite their historical concreteness) in “Gramsci’s Relevance for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.” Also in this piece, Hall elaborates on the meanings of the two types of wars (see 427). I am curious about Hall’s connection.
2. My reading of “Gramsci’s Relevance for the Study of Race and Ethnicity” left me thinking that it appears to be a very thorough but concise source for suggesting potential new directions in studies of race and ethnicity. Yet, I have not encountered Gramsci in my historical readings of race and difference-making. Has Hall’s call been taken up in other fields? How was this piece received when it was published?
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