Gramsci´s theories

[Ligeia]

I´ve got a question concerning Gramsci´s theories.
I need a little help,some tips.
I have to do a scientific research in highschool,and I got italian as the subject where I have to do this research.

Well,I chose Antonio Gramsci as my rough theme but I wont write a short biography about his life,I rather do some research about the things he wrote.My teacher suggested I should write something about the founding of the newspaper"l´unita",where he was strongly involved with or something about the things he wrote while imprisoned,but he told me that I should read the letters from prison ("letterae dal carcere").Anyway, the other suggestion was that I should write something about the cultural hegemony theory.

Now my question is,does anyone else have some suggestions about what I should write?I dont know much from Gramsci but I thought it would be a good idea to study further this way.Any short defintions or something like that about his main thoughts or works would help me a lot.

[Ligeia]

Isn´t there anyone who has read enough of Gramsci to help me?I already read some things ,of course,but at tge same time I know how much he wrote and I don´t know what to read without reading something I don´t need.

The cultural hegemony theory is about the consent of the civilian society.That means that the views of the people is the same as the ones from the governing and they all couldn´t imagine a better world but this thoughts are only appliable to western or european countries.
Did I understand it wrong?Where can you read something about it in his works?And is there any problem in this theory?

[Ligeia]

I've got another question concerning Gramsci.

Was Gramsci criticizing the russian revolution?or Leninism?

What are the main characteristics of Leninism?

There is a differnece between his views and the leninist ones, but I can&#39;t grasp them.... <_<

[Ligeia]

Is there anyone who could reply?

Any useful links or books maybe?

[VictoryOverWar]

http://www.marxists.org/archive/gramsci/index.htm

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-gram.htm

[Ligeia]

I already read all those texts and a little bit more ,so this isn&#39;t my problem anymore.My problem is that I&#39;m not really sure if Gramsci criticized the sowiet union.The only thing he said is that the same procedure for a revolution (like the one that happened in Russia) can&#39;t be effective in Europe but didn&#39;t he say more about the thing going on in the Udssr?

[Led Zeppelin]

Was Gramsci criticizing the russian revolution?or Leninism?

No, in fact he supported both, read his "revolution against Capital".


What are the main characteristics of Leninism?

Marxism in the era of proletarian revolutions and Imperialism (Finance Capital).


The only thing he said is that the same procedure for a revolution (like the one that happened in Russia) can&#39;t be effective in Europe but didn&#39;t he say more about the thing going on in the Udssr?

He supported the USSR, if I recall correctly he also supported the Stalin regime.

[Ligeia]

Hmmm...that Gramsci supported the Udssr and Leninism is quite the conclusion I came to.I already read the "revolution against capital" and others which kind of showed his praise towards those issues like "utopy","about Lenin" and "the russian maximalist"but didnt he have another idea concerning the dictatorship of the proletarian ...something like building communities--?

[Led Zeppelin]

That I don&#39;t know, I do know however that the Stalin regime tried to make a deal with the Italians for an exchange of prisoners, with Gramsci being one of those who was included on the Soviets list of wanted political prisoners, wanted for release that is.

I don&#39;t think Stalin wanted to free a non-Stalinist, or someone hostile to Stalinism.

[Ligeia]

Aha...I haven&#39;t thought of this,that could be true but Stalin didn&#39;t know what Gramsci was writing while in prison but still...there are some text which prove he was not hostile at all.

Nevertheless,didnt Stalin preach a very autoritarian system?

Gramsci always thougt that you need hegemony first to establish something , another order (socialism first of all).And hegemony is the opinion of the majority,the leading view on things and this should not be done by force but by making alliances and influencing by building culture with the group(s) needed and then another question:the vanguard of Lenin ,isn&#39;t that similar to the intellectuals in Gramsci&#39;s theory?Although the intellectuals more or less should build some kind of bridge between the mass culture and "high" culture ......right?

Anyone knows about these things?