Jameson distinguishes levelling plebeianization from genuine democratization

Evidence

Pointing to greater levels of literacy and abundance of information, less hierarchical manners and more universal dependency on wage-labour, he uses a Brechtian term to capture the resultant levelling process: not democratization, which would imply a political sovereignty constitutively missing, but ‘plebeianization’ — a development which, with all its limits, the left can only welcome. — Perry Anderson, The Origins of Postmodernity, 267

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines Jameson’s concept of plebeianization as distinct from democratization — a useful conceptual distinction.
• XREF: Plebeianization is a Brechtian term Jameson reworks; connects to Gramsci on fascism discussed just after in this chapter. — connects to: Hegemonic democracy depends on upward mobility of the led groups; Democracies split between imposed dominance and emergent self-determination — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 709; Democratic leveling rhetoric can cloak transfer of sovereignty to one man — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 672

Broader Connections

• Democratic leveling rhetoric can cloak transfer of sovereignty to one man #exemplifies (0.82) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 672
• Hegemonic democracy depends on upward mobility of the led groups #responds-to (0.80)
• Democracies split between imposed dominance and emergent self-determination #expands (0.75) — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race, 709