SoSe 19: MÜ-Literary and Cultural Theories: Theories of the Material Turn
Peter Löffelbein
Kommentar
Recent debates in the humanities have focused on the issue of materiality and the material – in cultural theory, philosophy, gender studies and the arts. This development has – sometimes in reference to the so-called Linguistic Turn – been dubbed a ‘turn to the material’ or the Material Turn in the humanities, as scholars are increasingly shifting their attention to the role of matter and material objects in human actions and processes of signification.
In this course, we are going to focus on recent theoretical approaches pertaining to the Material Turn, examining their significance for the field of literary studies. How do theorists of materiality address questions relevant for literary theory and analysis? To what extent does reconsidering traditional notions of matter and materiality challenge our notions of what a text, what literature, what a reader is and does? What methodological opportunities does the turn to the material promise, and what challenges does it entail?
The course will provide an overview of recent debates on materiality in the humanities and a thorough discussion of the benefits to the field of literary studies that the Material Turn may yield.
Schließen13 Termine
Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung