Final answer:
The primary approach of Neo-Marxism is cultural hegemony, which emphasizes the role of cultural institutions in maintaining the dominance of the ruling class, deviating from traditional Marxism's focus on economic determinism and class struggle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central approach for Neo-Marxism is cultural hegemony. This concept, developed by Antonio Gramsci, centers on the idea that the dominant class maintains control not merely through economic force but through cultural institutions that shape social norms and values, thus keeping the existing social order naturalized and undisputed. By contrast, historical materialism and class struggle are principles closely associated with traditional Marxism, where economic determinism is often seen as the driving force of historical development and societal change. Historical materialism is a theory proposed by Karl Marx that suggests societies are determined by economic factors and that the direction of history is set by class tensions. Class struggle is indeed central to Marx's theory, encapsulated in the famous assertion that "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles" (Marx and Engels). While the Neo-Marxist approach does not dismiss the role of economics and class conflict, it places greater emphasis on cultural and ideological domination as mechanisms for social control.