From whom does Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak borrow the term ‘subaltern’?

Correct option is D

Explanation:

The correct answer is Antonio Gramsci.

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak borrows the term "subaltern" from Antonio Gramsci, an Italian Marxist thinker.

In his Prison Notebooks, Gramsci uses the term to refer to groups excluded from power structures in society. Spivak, in her seminal essay Can the Subaltern Speak?, recontextualises the term to discuss marginalized groups, particularly in postcolonial contexts, emphasizing their inability to represent themselves within dominant discourses.


Information Booster:

Subaltern: Refers to populations excluded from the hegemonic power structure meaning "of inferior rank".

The term “subaltern” refers to groups in society who are oppressed, marginalized, or excluded from the dominant power structures. This includes peasants, workers, women, tribals, and other communities that have historically been ignored or underrepresented in traditional historical narratives.

Spivak focuses on the epistemic violence that prevents the subaltern from speaking or being heard in global narratives.

Gramsci applied the term to describe classes outside dominant socio-political systems, especially under oppressive regimes.

Additional Knowledge:

Karl Marx: He is best known for his theories that led to the development of Marxism. His books, "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto", formed the basis of Marxist theory which focused on class struggles.

Friedrich Engels: Co-authored "The Communist Manifesto" with Marx and helped define modern communism.

Louis Althusser: Developed theories on ideology and state apparatuses, considered the father of structural marxism.