Ulla Haselstein Livres

The “public sphere”—an idea with deep roots in the European enlightenment—has always been a contested concept in American culture and society. American intellectuals, artists, politicians, and activists have stressed the non-unitary, diversified, and oppositional dynamics of all things public. From the early days of the American republic, competing interest groups and commercial mass media (first newspapers, novels, and the theater, then radio, television, and the internet) have worked to pluralize public speech and public action—and ultimately the notion of “publicness” itself. This essay collection explores the public sphere in North America as a multi-agential, commercially embattled, highly mediated, and ultimately trans-nationalized aggregate of publics and counterpublics. The contributors present innovative theoretical and historical assessments of American counter/publics across an array of fields including social activism, political communication, literary discourse, and contemporary mass media.

Das Symposion resümiert Perspektiven auf die Allegorie im Anschluss an Benjamin und de Man und entwickelt sie weiter. Die Allegorie wird dabei als Reflexion des Zeichens im Zeichen aufgefasst. Mit selbstreflexiven Praktiken des Fragments, des Zitats, der Collage oder beispielsweise einer ironisch ausgestellten Metanarrativität und Metafiktionalität haben Moderne und Postmoderne zu einer Wiederkehr der Allegorie als analytischer Kategorie Anlass gegeben. Sie macht auch diejenigen Zeichenpraktiken neu lesbar, die zuvor als mimetisch begriffen worden sind. Der Schwerpunkt des Bandes liegt auf kulturwissenschaftlichen und historischen Fragestellungen. Themen sind u. a.: die Allegorie als eine Technik des Erinnerns, Aneignens, Durchdringens und Überlagerns von Kulturen; die symbolische Selbstverständigung kultureller Kollektive mittels allegorischer Narrative; die Diskurse, in denen die Allegorie im Feld historischer Konkurrenzbegriffe diskutiert wird; allegorische Verfahren des Verrätselns und Verbergens im Sinne des Geheimnisses oder der Chiffre. Anhand exemplarischer Analysen von Texten, Bildern und multimedialen Inszenierungen werden die allegorischen Formen des Zeigens und Bedeutens in einem historisch je spezifischen sozialen Feld der Kunst- und Kulturproduktion situiert.

Throughout the last decade, observers of American culture have drawn attention to an emerging transformation: an apparent shift from postmodern irony and play to a revalorization of the real and authentic. This „turn“ in cultural values has been linked to general conservative tendencies and the after-effects of September 11 as well as a lingering sense of crisis following post- Cold War triumphalism. 'The Pathos of Authenticity' investigates this new valorization of the authentic and tests the explanations offered for the various „returns of the real“ detectible in the current moment. In close readings and case studies, contributions hone in on aspects of American contemporaneity particularly shaped by discourses of authenticity. Topics include the significance of things in a world constituted via media representations, the prominence of trauma theory, renewed interest in autobiography, the pathos of religious experience, and efforts to define ethnicity as a source of authentic feeling.

This volume commemorates the 50th anniversary of the German Association of American Studies, reflecting five decades of academic scholarship in Germany. It arrives at a pivotal moment in transatlantic relations, following the Cold War and amidst a shift in American cultural politics in a globalizing world. The first section recounts the origins of American Studies post-war, detailing how returnees and local scholars from various disciplines began to shape the field, as captured by Ursula Brumm and Reinhard Doerries. The second section explores moral and political dimensions of globalization, with Seyla Benhabib invoking Kant and Arendt to discuss transatlantic negotiations of hospitality and sovereignty. Erna Brodber highlights the Caribbean cultural space influenced by Marcus Garvey, while Michael Kammen examines the interplay between history and related fields in American Studies. Workshops focused on moving beyond Old World traditions to establish a German perspective, addressing topics such as the Frankfurt School's influence, American hegemony, immigration policies, and the effects of American popular culture. This collection showcases a diverse range of research interests and practices in American Studies in Germany, featuring contributors like Ilka Saal, Ulf Schulenburg, and others.

The contemporary question of iconography has gained urgency, addressing the politics and poetics of visual representation within specific historical and cultural contexts. This inquiry transcends traditional boundaries, urging a critical comparison of the iconographies of words and images as cultural practices of power. The essays in this volume explore the iconographical power and poetics of various visual representations, including prints, paintings, sculptures, concept art, photography, film, and digital imagery. Each contribution emphasizes the image as a visual and contextual event, highlighting its role in the interplay between word and image. The collected works examine how these representations serve as both sources and targets of iconographic practices, reflecting broader cultural dynamics. The volume features diverse perspectives from contributors such as Winfried Fluck, Mario Klarer, Mick Gidley, and others, all united in their exploration of contemporary iconography. They collectively delve into the significance of images as interconnected phenomena, revealing the complexities of visual representation in today's cultural landscape.

Error: You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors.