Repesentations of Culture by American Expatriates in Europe

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K02502
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Literature in English
• Research Institution: The University of Kitakyushu
• Principal Investigator: Saito Sonoko 北九州市立大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (70390466)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 文化的アイデンティティ / 文化表象 / 在欧アメリカ人 / expatriate / 移住植民地 / 文化の中間者 / グローバリゼーション / コミュニティ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project has focused on works by American expatriate writers and explored the notions of culture and cultural identity in these works, drawing on postcolonial theory and the concept of cultural identity. The research has served to clarify their location as being in “in-between” spaces as well as ways in which their notions of culture are shaped and constructed in relation to and negotiation with others. The results of this research have been shared through academic conferences and journal submissions. In addition, an international workshop was organized with participation of a guest speaker from abroad and the first Japanese translation of one of Henry James’s earliest novels, which explores a project-relevant theme, was completed and published.

Free Research Field

英語圏文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

在欧アメリカ人がヨーロッパの国際都市において、現地の人々や同国人との関係性の中で独自の文化的アイデンティティを構築するとともに、文化概念そのものを問い直し、その再構築を試みていることを明らかにすることができた。合わせて、その中間的あり方に米国の移住者植民地としての経験が刻まれていることを確認できたことは意義深い。グローバル化社会におけるコミュニティと個人のあり方に通じる要素の考究も進展させることができた。