Legitimation in Literature & Literary Theory

Legitimation: Concept

Legitimation is a multifaceted concept with broad relevance in social and political theory. It pertains to the processes and mechanisms through which power structures, institutions, and societal norms gain recognition, acceptance, and authority within a given context.

In the realm of political science, legitimation encompasses the means by which governments and rulers justify their authority and governance, whether through democratic elections, historical narratives, or religious mandates.

In sociological contexts, it involves the validation of social roles, hierarchies, and norms, often through cultural and symbolic means.

Legitimation thus serves as a critical lens for understanding the complex interplay between power, ideology, and social order, shedding light on how individuals and societies come to view certain systems and practices as legitimate and deserving of support.

Legitimation: Meanings

Aspect	Meanings
Political Legitimation	The process through which governing authorities or political systems establish and justify their legitimacy, often involving elections, legal frameworks, and public support.
Social Legitimation	Refers to the validation and acceptance of social roles, norms, and hierarchies within a society, influencing cultural and societal cohesion.
Cultural Legitimation	Involves the recognition and approval of cultural products, practices, or traditions, often shaped by artistic, historical, or symbolic factors.
Economic Legitimation	Concerns the establishment of legitimacy for economic systems, such as capitalism or socialism, through various economic policies and justifications.
Institutional Legitimation	Focuses on the processes by which institutions, such as universities, governments, and religious organizations, establish their authority and credibility.
Symbolic Legitimation	Encompasses the use of symbols, rituals, and narratives to reinforce and validate certain beliefs, values, or systems.
Moral and Ethical Legitimation	Pertains to the validation of actions, decisions, or policies based on moral and ethical principles and norms, often involving ethical justifications.

Legitimation: Theoretical Term Definition

Legitimation is a theoretical term that refers to the processes and mechanisms by which power structures, institutions, and societal norms establish and maintain their legitimacy and acceptance within a given context.

It involves the validation and justification of authority, be it political, social, or cultural, often through means such as elections, legal frameworks, cultural approval, and symbolic rituals.

Legitimation is a central concept in social and political theory, offering insights into how individuals and societies come to perceive certain systems, practices, or institutions as legitimate and deserving of support.

Legitimation: Theorists, Works, and Arguments

Theorist	Work	Argument
Max Weber	Economy and Society, Politics as a Vocation	Weber introduced the notion of three types of legitimate authority and explored how authority is legitimized within various social systems.
Antonio Gramsci	Prison Notebooks	Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony delves into how ruling classes maintain power by legitimizing their ideologies and norms through control over culture and institutions.
Jürgen Habermas	The Theory of Communicative Action	Habermas’s discourse theory emphasizes the role of communicative rationality in legitimation processes, suggesting that open and rational discourse leads to the acceptance of norms and decisions.
Pierre Bourdieu	The Logic of Practice	Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence explores how social structures legitimize themselves by shaping individuals’ perceptions and choices, highlighting the role of symbolic power in maintaining social hierarchies.
Niklas Luhmann	Legitimation through Decision	Luhmann’s systems theory discusses the legitimation of decisions within complex systems, emphasizing that decisions become legitimate when perceived as valid within the specific system’s context.

Legitimation: Uses in Literary Theories

1. Reader-Response Theory: In reader-response theory, legitimation is essential for understanding how readers engage with and validate the text’s meaning. The act of interpretation by readers contributes to the legitimation of particular readings and perspectives, emphasizing that different readers may legitimize different interpretations.
2. Feminist Literary Theory: Within feminist literary theory, the concept of legitimation is used to explore how patriarchal norms and values have historically legitimized certain gender roles, power structures, and representations in literature. Feminist scholars aim to challenge and redefine these legitimations by highlighting alternative perspectives and voices.
3. Postcolonial Literary Theory: Postcolonial theory focuses on the legitimation of colonial narratives and the imposition of Western ideologies. It examines how colonial powers legitimized their dominance over colonized regions and peoples through literature. Postcolonial critics deconstruct these legitimations to expose the underlying power dynamics.
4. Marxist Literary Theory: In Marxist theory, legitimation is central to the analysis of how literature can reinforce or challenge the dominant economic and social structures. Works of literature may legitimize or critique capitalist systems, class divisions, and societal norms, making the concept crucial for understanding the ideological underpinnings of literary texts.
5. Deconstruction: Deconstructionists investigate the ways in which texts legitimize certain meanings and interpretations while marginalizing others. They challenge the legitimacy of fixed meanings in texts and highlight how language itself is inherently unstable, deconstructing the traditional notions of legitimation in literature.
6. New Historicism: New historicist scholars examine the legitimation of historical narratives in literature, emphasizing how texts reflect the ideologies and power structures of the time in which they were written. They explore how literary works legitimate historical events, individuals, and cultural norms and how these legitimations shape our understanding of the past.
7. Psychoanalytic Literary Theory: Psychoanalytic theory investigates how literary texts may legitimize or reveal unconscious desires, fears, and conflicts. It delves into the ways in which characters and narratives may serve as vehicles for the legitimation of psychological processes and the exploration of the human psyche.
8. Narrative Theory: In narrative theory, legitimation is associated with the construction of narrative authority. Narrators or narrative voices legitimize their versions of events, characters, and interpretations, influencing the reader’s perception of the story’s legitimacy and reliability.

Legitimation: Application in Critiques

Step	Critique	Example
Identify Dominant Ideologies	Identify societal norms and values.	In George Orwell’s “1984,” totalitarianism is dominant.
Characters and Relationships	Analyze character conformity or dissent.	In Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Elizabeth subverts norms.
Narrative Voice and Perspective	Examine whose voices are legitimized.	In Toni Morrison’s “Beloved,” marginalized voices heard.
Cultural and Historical Context	Assess historical and cultural context.	Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” questions history.
Language and Discourse	Study language choices and implications.	In Shaw’s “Pygmalion,” speech patterns legitimize power.
Subtexts and Hidden Narratives	Identify unspoken critiques or validations.	Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” critiques phoniness.
Character Arcs and Development	Analyze character transformations.	Dickens’ “Great Expectations” challenges societal norms.
Conflict and Resolution	Examine conflicts challenging norms.	Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” confronts racial injustice.
Authorial Intent vs. Reader Response	Acknowledge varied interpretations.	Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” reveals diverse responses.
Interdisciplinary Approaches	Combine theories for depth.	Using feminism in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” analysis.
Historical and Contemporary Significance	Relate legitimations to ongoing issues.	Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” relevant in debates.
Ethical and Moral Implications	Examine ethical consequences.	Camus’ “The Stranger” raises ethical questions.

Legitimation: Suggested Readings

1. Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. Harvard University Press, 1984.
2. Butler, Judith. Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative. Routledge, 1997.
3. Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books, 1995.
4. Gramsci, Antonio. Selections from the Prison Notebooks. International Publishers, 1971.
5. Hall, Stuart. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. Sage, 1997.
6. Lukes, Steven. Power: A Radical View. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
7. Marx, Karl. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Penguin Classics, 1992.
8. Said, Edward. Orientalism. Pantheon Books, 1978.
9. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. A Critique of Postcolonial Reason: Toward a History of the Vanishing Present. Harvard University Press, 1999.
10. Weber, Max. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology. University of California Press, 1978.