Anyone offer a brief outline of cultural marxism - Gramsci theory?

Question

Anyone offer a brief outline of cultural marxism - Gramsci theory?

Answer 1

Communism kills. CAPITALISM FOREVER!

Answer 2

A bit to add: was it not Gramsci who supported the idea of relative autonomy? The idea that cultural instiutions best influence people when the individuals are directly involved with them?

look it up

Answer 3

I'd be here all day if I tried to explain this in full, but basically Gramsi believed that culture is a tool of the state used to maintain the status quo in which the masses are controlled by the elite, through the imposition of cultural objects such as literature, film, music, etc, and that by controlling culture, the elite maintain their dominance over the working class.  Gramsci argues that the working class failed to over throw capitalism because of the imposition of the elitist ideology that inequality is natural.  They had the false consciousness that capitalist society is meritocratic, and that therefore, by working hard they could succeed.  This means that the elitists maintain power, because capitalism best serves the rich and powerful, who use culture (films, books etc) to confirm and reconfirm the capitalist ideology.  However, this is a very complex topic and to understand it properly you really need to read Gramsci himself or at least a good text book explaining his theories.