Projects / Programmes
Research of Cultural Formations
January 1, 2017
- December 31, 2018
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.06.00 |
Humanities |
Culturology |
|
| 6.03.00 |
Humanities |
Anthropology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H000 |
Humanities |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.04 |
Humanities |
Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music) |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
Cultural formations, contemporary art, taktični mediji, cultural studies, art theory, critical media studies, media theory, political anthropology, cultural history of Europe, post-transition, social movements, visual studies, creative industries, emancipatory art.
Researchers (15)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Cultural formation in its broad sense means internally coherent whole of social relations based on a specified production mode, in its narrow sense it means concrete integration of a set of cultural practices, having the identifying characteristics and which is considered in both its internal relationships and in relation to broader social formations and other social formations. Research of cultural formations is a program that enables researchers with different scientific backgrounds, to interdisciplinary approach the research on cultural formations: a comparative (comparison of different formations) or relational (e.g. in relation to the social context), synchronic (at the same time) or diachronic (through time). The six-year lasting program is conceptualized largely with reference to the current social situation, therefore the central focus is on the research of art, media and political culture in the posttransitional circumstances.
Program section dedicated to art and visual studies is devoted to the issues of power relations and especially the artistic production in contemporary social conditions. Due to the specific role that is inherited from the past, art is taken as an arena for ideological dissent and as an entry point for the study of art and culture in the region. Analyses of visual representations and connections of visual discourse with knowledge will be performed, with the media theory approaches. In critical media studies (the second section) media discourse on current migratory flows will be examined in-depth for the first time and the revision of theories of media and cultural memory will give an insight into the social movements of today. Media research will identify the mechanisms of cultural hegemony, particularly in the media, and contribute to the formation of critical readers. Political-cultural formation processes will be presented via political anthropology and political history and with specific relation to the region (the third section). The result of the fourth section will be European cultural history that will go beyond local, regional and national ethnographies and will stem from the analysis of the cultural network, specifically of the case of Catholic networks.
The program will expose the cultural changes and formations in the region, still being an enigma for the First World. Research at the intersection of media studies, cultural studies, art theory and media theory will provide results that will raise awareness of the importance of emancipatory cultural formations. The research results will show how the market effects creative practices and will contribute guidelines for their strategic development.
A strong dissemination of results in higher education is planned, as well as a rich corpus of new literature with published findings and two international conferences. The PI is internationally recognized artist, president of the Slovenian Society of Aesthetics, a professor at several universities at home and abroad, and the co-editor of a magazine published by Springer.
Significance for science
The program will contribute to the development (deepening and broadening) of scientific fields by interdisciplinary approaches, special case studies and developed theories as research results. Specifically, the program will contribute the results in the fields and intersections of fields: cultural studies, studies of visual, contemporary art theory, critical media studies, political anthropology and political history, cultural history and the study of everyday life. The program will establish interdisciplinary connections within the fields of research, which the research thematically covers.
The novelty of the research lies in the theme: the art and culture in the former communist European countries under transition from communism to capitalism, which has not been studied yet. Methodologically, art is taken as the entry point to study the Zeitgeist of this region in this significant era of history. In the former communist countries, cultural critique was of great importance. Art either communicated dominating ideology or it was one of the rare venues for expressing political dissent. For this particular role, which it has inherited from the past, in this research art is to be taken as the venue for ideological dissent and thus the entry point to study the culture and the eventual cultural opposition in this region. The research will also contribute to the emancipation of the image from the word in the case of medieval Christian images. In critical media studies media discourse on current migratory flows will be for the first time examined in-depth and the revision of theories of media and cultural memory will give a picture of the social movements today. Political cultural formation processes will be presented originally via the connection of political anthropology and political history and with specific relation to the region. European cultural history will go beyond local, regional and national ethnographies and stem from the analysis of the cultural network, specifically in the case of Catholic networks. Holistic approach to the analysis of everyday culture under the influence of high culture will represent another aspect of the originality of expected results.
Program group plans a rich corpus of new literature by publishing results.
Significance for the country
The research is of great importance for the cultural development of Slovenia as it is directly related to the research of cultural formations and thus to the expectation that the research results will present image of the processes and formations of cultural practices, interconnection of different cultural formations synchronously (at the same time) and diachronic (over time) and in its relations to the wider social context. Specifically, the chosen time frame of the program's research will enlighten current situation in the region, which should have recently passed through transition process, while still being an enigma for the First World Europe. The research results will contribute to the understanding of the changes in art and culture and to formation of cultural wholes, which occurred due to the transition. The program will contribute to better mutual understanding and communication among European countries, since research on culture in this region is extremely important for the consolidation of the European Union.
The results of research in the field of critical media studies will define mechanisms of cultural hegemony, particularly in the media, and will thus contribute to the consttution of critical readers. Research at the intersection of media studies, cultural studies, theory of art and theory of media will provide results that will contribute to the awareness of the importance of social movements and the art for the society. The program will raise awareness of the importance of emancipatory cultural formations and give suggestions on the role of the state in supporting such practices as well as importance of other forms of support. The research results will show how the market effects creative practices and will contribute guidelines for the strategic development of the creative practices, i.e. creative industries.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
