Description
Abstract:
Engagement with Gramscian theory within the realm of international politics has been mainly confined to the international political economy sub-discipline. More recently, however, some scholars have taken issue with this narrow focus and have called for broader engagement with Gramsci in the study of international politics. Hopf (2013), for example, has called for attention to nonmaterial ideas like religion in the study of international politics. Worth (2011) has likewise argued that Gramsci's work on religion “is neglected in contemporary global society,” suggesting that Gramsci’s rich writings on religion and the role of religion as a hegemonic agent within civil society can be useful in discussions on religion in the post-9/11 world. To this end, this paper proposes the adoption of a Gramscian lens to the study of contemporary Salafism—one that takes seriously power and politics as well as culture and religion. It conceptualizes Saudi Arabia’s propagation of Salafism, outside of its borders, as an attempt to rework the common sense of Muslims around the world and achieve a position of moral and intellectual leadership within the global Muslim community. This paper also adopts and adapts Gramscian concepts to explore how this quest for cultural hegemony has played out in different localities around the world over the years. It draws on the case of London’s Muslim community, and original ethnographic fieldwork, to demonstrate the benefits of this proposed framework—and of taking into consideration ‘religion’ in the study of international politics.
