Slovo 15: Textual and visual representations of the world in Slavic cultures

The text and image have historically been employed as means of exerting dominance over the surrounding world through the construction of compelling representations of this world or, rather, a multiplicity of perspectives on the world. These representations have played a pivotal role in the evolution of literary and visual traditions. Both literary and non-fictional texts can be positioned at the nexus of the aesthetic and the ideological, serving as a conduit for social and political messages and imparting a set of values and educating a reading public. The visual representation of the world, whether religious or secular, plays an integral role in the dissemination of beliefs, values, and norms that shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. The variety of literary and artistic trends, the aesthetic preferences of writers, painters or filmmakers, and their ideological positions serve to highlight the diversity of perspectives on the world and life in these traditions. From this standpoint, the moments of change in these perspectives, the transitions from one current to another, the polemics between different creators, and the bridges that are built between different generations, cultures, and spaces, which propose analogous approaches, are particularly noteworthy.

This call for papers invites contributions to a volume of studies that aims to bring together research on pivotal moments in the history of world representation within Slavic cultures. In particular, this thematically organized volume aims to explore a wide range of methodologies, encompassing cultural, visual, literary, linguistic, historical, scientific and media studies, as well as sociological and anthropological approaches.

The analytical approach may encompass a range of interpretative perspectives, including but not limited to an examination of the following themes:

• Representations of women and femininity;
• Spaces and spatial mutations;
• Identity and otherness;
• Art – between creation and life;
• Ideology and propaganda;
• Religion and spirituality;
• Education;
• War and revolution.

Interested authors are kindly requested to send the title of the proposed article, a 300-word abstract and a short bibliography, mentioning the institutional affiliation (university, faculty, specialization, year of study) and the supervising professor, by June 1, 2025, to slovo@lls.unibuc.ro.

 

Slovo 14: Individuals, societies and ideologies: literary and cultural explorations

The 19th century has been designated by some historians as an “age of ideologies.” However, this designation is not based on the widespread use of the term “ideology” during that period. Instead, it reflects the fact that a significant portion of the intellectual discourse during the era exhibited distinctive features that could be classified as ideological. Encyclopaedia Britannica’s entry on ideology explains that, in general, ideology “(1) contains a comprehensive explanatory theory about human experience and the external world; (2) sets out a generic, abstract programme for social and political organisation; (3) conceives the realization of this program in terms of a struggle; (4) attempts not only to persuade but also to recruit loyal supporters by demanding their commitment; (5) addresses itself to a wide public but often tends to confer a leadership role on intellectuals.” [1]

It is no accident  that this age of ideologies coincides with the flowering of the novel in European literature. Since the dawn of writing, literature has always served as a medium for the dissemination of the various ideologies propagated by philosophers and princes. But literature has also become a tool for challenging various ideologies, by approaching them polemically or by demonstrating the harmful consequences of “committing” to an idea. Nineteenth-century literature, and perhaps even more so twentieth- and twenty-first-century literature, has shown us that ideology can be a propaganda tool for control and conformity, but also that different ideologies can coexist and compete for a place in the minds and hearts of a world hungry for change. Whether progressive or revolutionary, pragmatic or utopian, ideology is very often a call to action, and literature brings to the fore characters who embody the response to that call.

This call for papers solicits contributions to a forthcoming volume of studies that aims to bring together research articles on the influence of diverse ideologies on individuals and society. In particular, this thematically organised volume aims to explore a wide range of methods and approaches, including cultural, visual, literary and linguistic studies, as well as history of science and media studies, sociology and anthropology.

Thematic analysis may encompass, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Women’s status and empowerment;
• Ideology and geography;
• Identity and otherness;
• Art – between individualism and conformity;
• The interplay of individuals and society;
• Religion and ideology;
• Education as a form of ideological propaganda;
• War and revolution;
• Effects of different ideologies on individuals and society.

Interested authors are kindly requested to send the title of the proposed article, a 300-word abstract and a shortbibliography, mentioning the institutional affiliation (university, faculty, specialization, year of study) and the supervising professor, by June 1, 2024, to slovo@lls.unibuc.ro.

[1] Cranston, Maurice, „Ideology”, Encyclopedia Britannica. Disponibil online: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ideology-society (Accesat: 22 noiembrie 2024).