Political silence often masks latent resentment that erupts when opportunity arises.

Evidence

After years of political domination, he says, valley dwellers created a culture of political silence, too hopeless even to voice feelings of outrage, too powerless even to formulate their own interests even to themselves. This silence may have sounded just like political acquiescence, but Gaventa says it was not. Valley residents told themselves that they did not care about their ruined home, but their resentment still could be heard in very subtle ways — and the culture of silence collapsed as soon as a plausible opportunity to challenge or avoid the mining company arose. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1634

Categorization

• DEFINE: Illustrates Gramsci’s ‘contradictory consciousness’ with a concrete case — noticing and not noticing domination simultaneously.
• corroborated: 4 independent passages support this claim — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 1634
• XREF: connects to: Political violence arises from frustration over unmet value expectations; A critique of silencing can itself reproduce the silence it indicts — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 308; Political violence stems from frustration at a gap between expectations and capabilities — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4287 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• A critique of silencing can itself reproduce the silence it indicts #qualifies (0.80) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 308
• Political violence arises from frustration over unmet value expectations #expands (0.75)
• Political violence stems from frustration at a gap between expectations and capabilities #expands (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4287