Projects / Programmes
JLanguages and Cultures of Asia and Afrika
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.06.00 |
Humanities |
Culturology |
|
| 6.05.00 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
|
| 6.07.00 |
Humanities |
Literary sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H630 |
Humanities |
Paleo-Siberian languages and literatures, Korean, Japanese |
| H640 |
Humanities |
Languages and literatures of South and South-East Asia, Chinese |
Japanese language, Chinese language, Japanese literature, Chinese literature, language politics, intercultural studies methodolgy, political systems in East Asia, Asian epistemologies, comparative psychology, East Asian history, African literatures
Researchers (8)
Organisations (3)
Abstract
The aim of the research program is to gain new knowledge on languages and cultures of Asia and Afrika, based on developement of interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies oriented towards the object of research. Such choice means rejection of a particular tradition of research in humanities, based on 19th century European colonial expansion. Main areas of the research program are corpus based text pragmatics of Japanese language, Chinese literature, African literatures, political systems in East Asia, Asian epistemologies, Japanese society from the comparative psychology point of view, East Asian history, and as the methodological framework for the whole enterprise - methodology of intercultural research.
Significance for science
The aim of the program is to transcend the rigid framework of various partial paradigms by relying on systematic multidisciplinary approach towards languages, and cultures of Asia and Africa, and East Asia in particular, and this achieve a critical understanding of principal determinants concerning the above regions in their social context. Linguistic branch made important contributions in two areas. 1) One is empirical study of segmentation of text, based on the original notion af boundary (COBISS.SI-ID 38721122 itd.). Research showed that explicit segmentation contributes towards disambiguation (COBISS.SI-ID 38786658) and that this is one of the characteristics shared by text corpora belonging to the same genre (COBISS.SI-ID 36419170 et al.). 2) Further, the contrastive study of voice contributed to understanding of deep typological affinities between otherwise genetically unrelated Japanese and Slovene (COBISS.SI-ID 238739200 et al.). Study of voice also led to application of the results to language teaching methods (COBISS.SI-ID 33834338). Culturological research focuses on critical analysis of the relevance of traditional methodological approaches in European human sciences, used to understand non-European traditions of thought and cultural practices. An important contribution towards epistemology is systematic survey and analysis of indigenous trends in traditional and modern Chinese epistemology in relation to European one (COBISS.SI-ID 38132834 et al.) and the discovery of important and ideologically controversial thinkers who were not in favor with the regime in the times of Cultural Revolution (cf. Zhang Dongsun, COBISS.SI-ID 34538594 et al.). From the interdisciplinary point of view, one other important contribution is very lucid study of the influences of cultural determinism on Chinese epistemology and the role the notion of relation plays in it. Literary studies contributed towards the reinterpretation of the poetry in the time of Tang dynasty from the vantage point of the social framework of the period. An important contribution is new understanding of Li Bai’s poetry as being determined by the bipolarity - stretched between Li Bai’s trickster personality and his quest for solitude (COBISS.SI-ID 33375842 et al.). History research gives an original contribution regarding the history of cultural and scientific contacts between premodern China of Qing dynasty and Europe and the role Slovene lands played in it. It concerns mainly the importance of the work of Slovene Jesuit Augustine Hallerstein who was active at the Qing imperial court, for the understanding of contemporary contacts between Europe, Russia and China (COBISS.SI-ID 26273378 et al.). Further important work is the synthesis of Chinese history from premodern Qing to the establishment of PRC (COBISS.SI-ID 216481024 et al.) . Psychological studies are concerned with intercultural differences and similarities regarding the understanding of notions related to perception of oneself and others (such as the ways to express emotions, risk, cooperation, competitiveness etc). The intercultural study of risk, comparing responses of Japanese and Slovene female students is an important contribution to comparative studies, both from the point of view of methodology and content (COBISS.SI-ID 6608457 et al. ). This is also true of three-way (Slovenia, Hungary and England) study of the construction of images of citizenship and entrepreneurship by the teachers, based on AGA methodology. The results introduced here are mostly published in various international publications and are altogether an important contribution to multilayered understanding of our reality, thus forming a red line connecting the findings in various disciplines from language study to culturology, history and psychology into one whole.
Significance for the country
Research program is, because of its multidisciplinary orientation and its achievements, important for Slovenia. Its importance is multiple, first of all in academic sphere it is important as a source of the transfer of new knowledge from the apex of research directly into curricula on undergraduate and post graduate levels. Such transfer is of basic importance for the quality of study at the university level. Thus results of all component fields active in the research program were applied into the pedagogical process at the Department of Asian and African Studies, UL Faculty of Arts, at the Faculty of Education UP, as well as on foreign universities where our research team members were visiting lecturers (U. Vienna, U. of Tsukuba etc.). The research results are transferred also in the process of writing university level textbooks (COBISS.SI-ID 23767142 ipd.). Research results are relevant also directly because of their content, since they bring to Slovenia knowledge that has not existed before, concerning various aspects of economically, socially and culturally extremely important areas, such as East Asia in particular. Linguistic research has contributed the first extensive contrastive analysis of Slovene and Japanese voice systems, thus enriching also the in depth understanding of Slovene language. At the same time, these results are important, because they can be and actually are applied to didactics of Japanese for Slovene speaking students and vice versa, thus contributing to better intercultural communication and understanding (COBISS.SI-ID 238739200 et al.). Empirical research of boundary phenomena is important as a source of new methodological approaches, such as distant collocations which can be, together with the notion of boundary, applied successfully also to analysis of Slovene (COBISS.SI-ID 38786658 idr.). As for the culturological research, the part devoted to Chinese epistemology in historical and comparative perspective is important because it succeeded in elucidating the culturally grounded properties of the modes of thinking and understanding. As such this research directly contributes to bette intercultural understanding, this being the basis of any action in today’s globalized world. The research in this sphere also brings in depth analysis of the trends in Chinese philosophy to Slovenian public thus acquainting it with up to now mostly unknown Chinese heritage. (COBISS.SI-ID 38132834, COBISS.SI-ID 38570850 idr.). Literary research has with the help of in depth analysis and through translations (cf. COBISS.SI-ID 36641122 et al.) enriched Slovenian public with direct insights into literary trends ranging from Tang dynasty to the present. Thus Chinese literary heritage is becoming a part of shared world literary heritage in the consciousness of Slovenian public. Historical research made crucial contribution towards self-understanding of Slovenia by the discovery that Slovenian lands were at the fore end of European contacts with East Asia and China during the premodern period with people like Augustine Hallerstein (COBISS.SI-ID 38895202et al.). Further, the monograph on premodern to modern Chinese history (COBISS.SI-ID 216481024) and the monograph on contemporary Chinese economic and political development are of utmost importance, bringing firsthand knowledge of relevant developments to interested Slovenian public. Psychological research also contributed in important ways. One such result are comparative studies of the perception of self and others (COBISS.SI-ID 6608457 et al.). Research activities connected with EU networks such as CiCe et al., and the comparative East Asian perspective offer rich framework for the understanding of processes leading to construction of basic notions of how society functions. This is understanding which is of utter importance to understand the dynamics of Slovene society in the globalized context of the present.(COBISS.SI-ID 6530889 et al.).
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
