Abstract

PICABEA, Facundo. Un acercamiento crítico al Grupo de Estudios Subalternos. Cuad. Sur, Hist. [online]. 2007, n.35-36, pp. 515-538. ISSN 2362-2997.

As a result of changes introduced by post-modern thought, 'anti'-objective criticism and hermeneutics emerged as the leading forces in the field of social science in the latter part of the 20^th Century. The Subordinate Studies Group's proposal dates back to the 1980's review of the peasants' movement within the framework of post-colonial theories. This proposal is a critical reformulation of national and Marxist theories that draws on a mélange of works by Foucault, Derridá, Gramsci and other writers. In this paper we shall refer to ideas put forward by the leading representatives of this movement, leaving aside euro-centric theoretical frameworks and trying to reassess history from the perspective of the subordinate groups. To that effect, we propose a critical examination of the Group's theoretical and methodological assumptions in terms of its scope and historiographic limitations; likewise, we shall focus on Gramsci's Apuntes sobre la historia de las clases subalternas and point out a number of inconsistencies and contradictions between the Group and both the writer's work and Marxist theory in general.

Keywords : Subordinate Status; Subordinate Studies; Post-Modernism; Historiographic Analysis.