In the last twenty years, the legacy of Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci has soared to new heights. His work has become one of the most cited sources on power and hegemony. He is often used by anthropologists working on issues of culture and power.

This book explores Gramsci's understanding of culture and the links between culture and power in relation to anthropology. Extensive use is made of Gramsci's own writings, including his pre-prison journalism and prison letters as well as the prison notebooks.

The book also provides an account of the intellectual and political contexts within which he was writing. The challenge Grasmci's approach presents to some common anthropological assumptions about the nature of 'culture' is examined as is the potential usefulness of Gramsci's writings for contemporary anthropologists.