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Marta Degani and Werner Delanoy (2023) (eds.). Power in Language, Culture, Literature and Education. Perspectives of English Studies. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto.

The volume shows that the power of English can oscillate between empowerment and subjection, on the one hand enabling humans to develop manifold capabilities and on the other constraining their scope of action and reflection. Bringing together contributions from linguistics, literature, culture and language education, a case is made for self-critical English Studies to be dialogic, empowering and power-critical in approach.

Power is a highly controversial notion with multiple meanings. Since the advent of neo-Marxist, postmodernist, poststructuralist or postcolonial perspectives power has been associated primarily with hegemony and domination, with Michel Foucault’s work serving as a major reference point. However, the later Foucault suggested a notion of power inclusive of freedom, resistance, reversibility and social change and similar views have also been proposed by other philosophers (e.g. Byung-Chul Han). This book advocates for a flexible notion of power which permits inclusion of practices of domination and liberation. In line with Peter Zima’s dialogic theory, we take the ambivalence characterizing the concept of power as a pre-condition for critical thinking. This means that in our approach to power we assume neither absolute domination nor total freedom ever to be possible since we see the two poles as always competing with each other. Furthermore, the uses of power suggested by the contributors to this volume all aim for empowerment through practices of English Studies. In this sense, we align with Hannah Arendt’s understanding of power as the force to create a democratic public realm.

Nowadays, the English language is connected to forms of power in various ways. For example, the still growing demand for English as an international language is undoubtedly a major factor for widespread motivation to invest into learning English as a foreign language, leaving those at a disadvantage whose proficiency levels remain low. Moreover, in global popular culture the influence of Hollywood, Netflix or communication platforms such as Twitter or Facebook, all with strong roots in anglophone countries, can have a significant impact on people’s feelings, thinking patterns and modes of interaction. Yet, the use of English as an international language has also opened up manifold possibilities for empowerment. English as a global language can foster intercultural dialogue, promote cosmopolitan conviviality, and give marginalized voices a better chance to be heard.

The idea to reflect on the notion of power from the perspectives of English Studies was particularly inspired by the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the English Department at the University of Klagenfurt. Thus, the complex and multifaced notion of power has been explored from a multiplicity of perspectives in the major areas of English Studies represented at the Department: language and linguistics, literature, culture and education. For language and linguistics, topics include: (in)equality among world Englishes, forms of power in political, religious and banking discourses, methods for empowering language instructors and the empowering potential of question types in coaching. Among the contributions on literature and culture, authors address the capacity of literary texts to foster their recipients’ empathetic capabilities, discuss historical and contemporary perspectives on uses of power in literary texts as well as power abuse in discourses about non-human animals and player disempowerment in videogames. Issues in the area of education deal with the power of literature teaching in language education and that of teaching and learning academic writing skills as well as with perspectives on teacher empowerment in pre-service teacher training and in English-medium instruction. The volume comprises 19 chapters written by current and former colleagues at the Department of English, members of research projects based at the Department as well as affiliates who have supported the teaching programme at the Department throughout the years. All their chapters highlight two major interpretations of power: power as empowerment and power as domination. On the one hand, the authors emphasize how power can be liberating and enables human to develop manifold capabilities. On the other hand, power is seen as a form of domination/subjugation that inhibits people’s capacity for action, reflection and empathy. Altogether the contributions clearly express the intention of this book to make a case for perspectives in English studies that are dialogic, empowering and power-critical in approach.

 

Bibliography

Arendt, H. (2018 [1958]). The Human Condition. Second Edition. With a New Foreword by Danielle Allen. Introduction by Margaret Canovan. Chicago/London: The University of Chicago Press.

Foucault, M.(1982). The Subject and Power. Critical Inquiry, 8 (4), 777-795.

Zima, P.V. (2000). Theorie des Subjekts. Tübingen: Francke.

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Soziale und psychische Implikationen humanmedizinischer Reproduktionstechnologien. Eine Projektdokumentation (Band 1 und 2, 2023) – Arno Bammé (Hg.)

The society of the future will be shaped by technology. We are all part of a gigantic experiment that will restructure human identity as it deals with its environment. Next to information and communication technologies, gene and reproductive technologies will play a central role: they all work actively at answering the question of what a human being is.

The two volumes of the project summary introduce the status quo of the discussion regarding social and psychological effects of human gene and reproductive technologies towards the end of the twentieth century, with particular emphasis on the fact that we are not only dealing with scientific somatic questions but also with socially and psychologically manifest topics. The volumes present the results of a three-year research project.

The project is distinguished by many particular features. First of all, it is an exclusive women’s project, designed and realised in the spirit of a deliberate feminist perspective: “female medicine” – no longer orienting itself on the theoretical abstract “human”, empirically veiling the concrete idea of “man” – is beginning to become established. Human medical reproductive technology – at first hailed and propagated enthusiastically – is shown as an ambivalent process that can lead to remarkable outcomes but that must also bear the burden of tragic failures. In addition, it broaches the issue of the institutional and organisational framework that structures the proceedings of a temporary third-party funded project along with all its basic difficulties.

Particularly remarkable is the fact that all project participants have managed to include current topics evolving from the research project not only into their own departments’ course offer but also into panel discussions and public events. Thus, new insights were immediately integrated into teaching and presented to a wider public. On top of that, two participants have successfully completed their PhDs on topics from the research project.

 

 

The editor, Arno Bammé, is a sociologist and didact. He was Head of the Department of Technology and Science Research at Klagenfurt University until 2012. His main field of work is the sociology of science and technology. Since 2011, Bammé is Head of the Ferdinand-Tönnies-Gesellschaft in Klagenfurt. He edits important papers by Ferdinand Tönnies and Rudolf Goldscheid, among others.

Library NEWS: Klagenfurt university library in “relaxed mode” (locker policy)

The pandemic is over and we are taking a further step towards normality!

Our library isn‘t just a classical study area but also a space to network and openly get-together.

We are constantly working at adapting the library to the various needs of our users. Where the design of our premises is concerned, we pay particular attention to creating a comfortable atmosphere.

In autumn 2022, the periodicals reading room was turned into a “non-rest area” and has served as an open space to meet and communicate ever since, where conversation, eating and drinking are permitted.

In the wake of this development, we have given some thought to classical library rules, and as a result we are now relaxing our locker policy:

Please feel free to continue using the lockers in the basement, the bibliobags as well as the express coat rack in the library’s entrance area (particularly when you have valuables to stow).
But independent of this, it is permitted to take coats, jackets, rucksacks and bags into the library again.

We are looking forward to a lively library: use our extensive services: 24 hours / seven days a week / in a relaxed atmosphere.

Please send us feedback!

If you have further ideas for a “lively library”, please contact the loan desk personally or go to feedback [dot] bibliothek [at] aau [dot] at.

 

Book presentation: “#UNGELAUFEN – 501 Ansichtskarten aus der Alpen-Adria-Region”

Book presentation: #UNGELAUFEN – 501 Ansichtskarten aus der Alpen-Adria-Region
Ute Holfelder, Christa Herzog, Sophia Fritzer, Barbara Maier and students

Thursday, April 20th, 2023, 6 pm, Robert-Musil-Institut, Klagenfurt, Bahnhofstraße 50