2017 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Precariousness and Hospitality - The European Refugee Crisis in Elfriede Jelinek's Works
| Project/Area Number |
17K02584
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| Research Institution | University of Tsukuba |
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Principal Investigator |
ヘーゼルハウス ヘラト 筑波大学, 人文社会系, 准教授 (40375382)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | Elfriede Jelinek / Refugee Literature / European Refugee Crisis |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Following the research plan set out in the application form, research in 2017 was focusing on clarification of basic data concerning Elfriede Jelinek’s theater texts ensemble, such as contents, production processes, interpretation, public reception, and theater adaptations. A large part of research was dedicated to compilation and analysis of textual environment with the aim to position Jelinek’s works within contemporary writing, fictional and non-fictional. Texts for comparison were ranging from similar literary and philosophical approaches to diverse publications on refugee experience and scenarios and to political, social and ethical texts dealing specifically with the European refugee crisis. This was accompanied by compilation and analysis of data of the political events and their rhetorical and discursive presentation leading to Jelinek’s publications. Among these, comparative research on the use of political language in Jelinek and in general discourse was the dominant strain, which led to surprising results, disseminated in two research presentations. The analysis covered an enormous amount of textual material with a complexity of topics and argument. First marginal research results in 2017 were directly disseminated through publication of 1 paper and 6 presentations and lectures.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Analysis of highly philosophical, complex and intertextual texts like Elfriede Jelinek’s theater texts ensemble on the European refugee crisis cannot lead to immediate research results disseminated within the same year. They need more thorough thinking and weighing of concepts and ideas. Therefore, research analyses in 2017 were presented only in marginal fields, which were more open to quick analysis, such as the investigation into the Book Fair Leipzig events on refugee literature or the Chamisso Prize for Migration Literature, which offered both a firm basis and pool of texts for further understanding of the topicality of refugee literature in the broader European and world context today in comparison with Jelinek’s texts. My lecture discussing basic concepts of the meaning of migration for literature given at the Japanese Association for German Literature (JGG) in spring 2017 had such a positive echo that the association decided to dedicate its next special issue publication to this topic. I could also link Jelinek’s style of writing to new conceptualizations in the understanding of global literature. Co-operation with Bresson from Paris 8 (planned for 2018) already started with a first research meeting at Tsukuba University.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Research in 2018 will follow the outline given in the application: (1) Concerning theories and narratives on disaster and resiliency, material shall be collected in France and co-operation with Bresson (Paris 8) will continue. (2) Analysis of keyword data from Jelinek’s texts such as “refugee”, “stranger”, “resiliency” will be collected and analyzed in a broader philosophical, anthropological and social context. Since I could not find appropriate presenters for an international symposium on Jelinek at Tsukuba University in 2017 because of conflicting timetables, I have saved the necessary money of app. 200,000\ from last year to finance such a symposium in 2018. I have already invited a specialist on Elfriede Jelinek and refugee crisis from the University of Tuebingen in Germany for lectures and workshops at Tsukuba University for early summer. I have organized 3 international presentations for 2018, a fourth presentation application on Jelinek at ICLA in 2019 is underway now. I am now also organizing 2 international symposiums here in Japan connected to these research topics in a broader sense.
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| Causes of Carryover |
1) I could not find appropriate international presenters for a symposium on Jelinek research at Tsukuba University in 2017 because of conflicting timetables, I have saved the necessary money of app. 220,000\ from last year to finance such a symposium in 2018 and to invite two international specialists from abroad.
2) Also, I paid a first research trip to Germany as early as May with my own private money, because I needed to buy the ticket in advance in April, and at that time I did not yet know if I would receive the grant.
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