The Inequality of Difference

This book makes an attempt to explore the ways that
the socio-economic trajectory of a locality evolves,
through the Gramscian concept of ideological
hegemony . The author questions to what extent
certain powerful industrial groups can be regarded
as local hegemonic blocs, and explores what this
might mean for an understanding of the local socio-
economic trajectory. Antonio Gramsci s writings are
integrated along with Anthony Giddens s
Structuration Theory and this integrated theoretical
framework constitutes the conceptual platform of the
thesis, while the ontological platform is inspired
by the relational perspective that views space as
an existent alterity and as a medium for action.
The conceptual framework is
applied and contextualised through empirical
research on the function of the tourism industry in
two Greek localities (Rhodes and Preveza). The
analysis shows that the Gramscian literature may
help form a new way to look at the inequality of
difference of human perceptions and meanings in time-
space, and how these meanings reproduce and sustain
specific power relations that legitimate one view of
reality over others.

Autorentext

Vasilis Avdikos is an urban geographer. This book is his PhD Thesis. His main research interests are the duality of space and ideology, and the phenomenon of uneven spatial development.

Klappentext

This book makes an attempt to explore the ways that the socio-economic trajectory of a locality evolves, through the Gramscian concept of "ideological hegemony". The author questions to what extent certain powerful industrial groups can be regarded as local hegemonic blocs, and explores what this might mean for an understanding of the local socio-economic trajectory. Antonio Gramsci's writings are integrated along with Anthony Giddens's Structuration Theory and this integrated theoretical framework constitutes the conceptual platform of the thesis, while the ontological platform is inspired by the relational perspective that views space as an "existent alterity" and as a medium for action. The conceptual framework is applied and contextualised through empirical research on the function of the tourism industry in two Greek localities (Rhodes and Preveza). The analysis shows that the Gramscian literature may help form a new way to look at the inequality of difference of human perceptions and meanings in time-space, and how these meanings reproduce and sustain specific power relations that legitimate one view of reality over others.