Literature in Cultural Contexts

Abstract

This doctoral programme in literary and cultural studies concerns itself with the linguistic and cultural diversity of literary phenomena, focusing on understanding the methods, theories and research paradigms that literary and cultural studies share across the disciplines.

The range of topics extends from classical models, literary and comparative literary studies, or poetical, semiotic and sociological questions, to newer cultural studies approaches and to areas of research extending beyond language, literature and culture, such as migration and post-colonialism, cultural semiotics and literary aesthetics, gender and queer studies, highbrow and popular fiction, identity and hybridity, memory and trauma, mediality and materiality.

Coordinated activities such as workshops, research days, panel discussions and guest lectures serve to give participants a broader insight into a variety of methods and theories and to stimulate both doctoral students and their advisors to exchange ideas with scholars across the traditional boundaries of their disciplines.

Currently, the following disciplines are involved in the programme:

  • English and American Studies
  • German Studies
  • Classical Studies 
  • Romance Studies
  • Slavonic Studies
  • Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies 

The programme offers doctoral students a framework in which they receive the encouragement and support they need to complete their projects on schedule. The considerable number of professors from the Faculty of Cultural Studies warrants the scholarly guidance and experienced help with possible problems arising when working on a doctoral thesis in literary studies.

The DSP Literature in Cultural Contexts (DSP-LKK) follows on from the DSP Aestetic Communication (DSP-AEK 2016-2021).