Call for Papers
MEDIEVAL IDENTITIES: (RE-)CONSTRUCTING THE SELF AND THE OTHER
WORKSHOP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG 23 MAY 2023
Abstracts Due: 26 February 2023
The rise in popularity of studies on medieval subjectivity, emotions, affect, alterity, and individuality, betrays our continued fascination with the medieval self. The affective turn in the Humanities sparked new discussions and a renewed concern with the study of the individual, which prompted the development of different theories and approaches, ranging from historical and sociological to cognitive. Medievalists, too, have contributed to these emerging discourses on selfhood and since then engaged with the ongoing debates around the self and the other—be it human or animal.
The aim of this workshop is to explore how selfhood and otherness are expressed in cultural artifacts of the medieval period and onwards. It is targeted at researchers in the area of Medieval Studies from a variety of disciplines and fields, such as literary and cultural studies, philosophy, history, linguistics, gender studies, book and manuscript studies, and medieval art. We seek proposals for 20-minute presentations in English which explore new theoretical avenues and encourage interdisciplinary approaches. Contributions can consist of more developed research projects or work in progress. To maximize the opportunity for feedback and the exchange of ideas, each talk will be followed by a group discussion. The workshop will conclude with a public talk by Prof. Carolyne Larrington (St John’s College, University of Oxford).
Potential questions and topics we hope to address throughout the workshop include, but are not limited to:
Which forms do the expressions of selfhood take in medieval literature or visual culture? How do they differ from modern representations?
In what ways are otherness and the non-human articulated in medieval cultural productions?
How are emotions used to represent the self?
What continuities and discontinuities exist between the representation of the modern and the medieval self?
How are medieval identities represented in medievalism(s) and popular culture?
How can we incorporate newer theoretical approaches, such as gender studies, queer studies, or critical race theory, into ongoing academic discussions?
Please submit an abstract of up to 200 words and a short biography of up to 100 words by February 26th, 2023 to the organizers Dunja Haufe and Sonia García de Alba Lobeira at medieval.identities@gmail.com.