This University of Groningen summer school will examine the function and meaning of cultural transfer as an important tool to build up sustainable societies. Special attention will be paid to minorities and migrants. During the introduction, the concepts of cultural transfer as well as the various definitions of ‘minorities’ and ‘migrants’ will be discussed and historically and politically contextualised.

We will then work on the notion of transculturality and introduce its impact on the global, political and cultural sphere. In order to show how transnational, transcultural and hybrid identities are conceived in theory and practice, we will present an Italo-African case study on cross-cultural settings.

Another example is the Canadian multicultural society. We will examine the concept of “écriture migrante” in the francophone province of Québec and in France by studying its characteristics and its development from immigrant writing to transculturality. We will analyze literary texts in which the characteristics of “écriture migrante” as presented in the introduction are further developed.

We will continue by examining the language loss and revitalisation by minority and indigenous writers. Works of Sámi authors will be examined. Institutional, societal and individual levels will be considered, as well as gender. We will also focus on Swedish migrant authors. Which decisions do they make to participate in the new cultural context, and how is this reflected in their literary works? In the final case study current developments regarding the situation of the Frisian community in the Netherlands will be discussed. Examples from  professional market sectors will be given during the course to illustrate transcultural patterns in daily life. The students will give presentations on the final day of the summer school.

Academic coordinators: Dr. Petra Broomans, Dr. Dagmar Reichardt, Dr. Jeanette den Toonder
Fees: €450, – (including housing), €250,- (excluding housing)
Who is it for? : (Research) Master, PhD in Humanities/ Social Sciences/ Philosophy
Language of instruction: English
Credits/Certificate: 2 EC/certificate of attendance or 5 EC upon completion of a paper (to be submitted before 1 September 2015)
Application deadline: 1 May 2015
More information: http://www.rug.nl/summerschools and: Nannie de Graaff, MA (n.de.graaff@rug.nl)

Ein Beitrag von Dagmar Reichardt.