Projects / Programmes
Research of Cultural Formations
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.06.00 |
Humanities |
Culturology |
|
| 6.03.00 |
Humanities |
Anthropology |
|
| 6.05.00 |
Humanities |
Linguistics |
|
| 6.09.00 |
Humanities |
Art history |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H000 |
Humanities |
|
cultural formations, fine art, religion, women's history and culture, cultural politics, epistemology, ancient worlds, gender differences, identity, language - norms and rules, new communication and information technologies, pragmalinguistics, cultural studies, media studies.
Researchers (10)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The notion of cultural formations discussed herein encompasses a variety of diverse manifestations of human activities, from linguistic expression to artistic creation. The approach taken by the research team is based on the methodology of contemporary historical anthropology, which combines the analytical and hermeneutical techniques applied in the humanities and social sciences, as they were created during the second half of the 20th century on the basis of linguistic, structuralist, semiotic, psychoanalytical and other models. Our investigation, however, does not negate the achievements of the fundamental research disciplines, rather it critically evaluates even the most positivistic and idealistic of these achievements and uses contemporary scientific approaches to upgrade such findings and bring new epistemological and tangible conclusions. Owing to the specialist profile of the research team, the focus of the investigation is primarily an analysis of fine art and cultural formations. Such examination reflects upon all spheres of artistic creation throughout history and illuminates elementary issues from the perspectives of a broad swathe of disciplines of historical anthropology. Study is particularly centred on notion and fate of the image, and its changes in various ideological situations, as well as the status of its creators.
The research into ancient worlds and their cultural formations aspires to constitute and develop an investigation into those aspects of historical anthropology of the ancient world which problematizes the relationships between the cultural dynamics and the mobility of religious systems (cults) on the one side and cultural spaces on the other. It also explores cultural production (knowledge and centres of the arts, the alternative, the peripheral and the subculture), anthropological changes (the transition into ancient globalism - the Hellenistic era), European invention of antiquity and the Balkans (cultural colonialism, ideological narrations) and the modalities of reception of classical antiquity.
Anthropological research of gender develops those aspects which problematize the relations of cultural spaces and gender differences as a key narrative foundation for gender representation.
Contemporary understanding of individual and collective linguistic identities is being influenced by two interrelated tendencies - globalisation and particularization. Changes in the communicational and symbolic aspects of linguistic identity - as a part of cultural identity - have been triggered by the appearance of new media and new communication technologies and unquestionably represent one of the focuses of contemporary understanding of cultural formations. Internet use and internet-related communication have become established practice inside which identities, viewpoints and in particular language are all being constituted.
Media research is based on the fact that technologies and institutions partake in the creation and transformation of cultural formations, while at the same time they create their "own" formations. As technologies and institutions operate in social, cultural, political and technological spheres, research is necessarily pluridisciplinary, and thus at the same time the theoretical starting point is epistemologically complex.
The entry of the national-cultural into the broader cultural-civilizational space represents at one and the same time a challenge and fear: the challenge of confrontation with the foreign, and the fear of loosing one's own. Therefore the research of cultural formations, their diversification and the accessibility of culture attempts to determine in which regards this challenge represents opportunity as well as to what degree the fear is justified. The research also identifies elements of inalienability and spaces of reception as well as proposes interventions.
Significance for science
For the research purposes the concept “cultural formation” means various manifestations of human activities, from linguistic expressions (in the broad sense of the term) to artistic creation of all times and cultural spaces. The research of these manifestations demands interdisciplinary methodology, analytic study of different interwoven topics and therefore a synchronic as well diachronic approach. In this context, members of the team do the research related to specific subjects and follow their own goals determined by scientific discipline, topics related to current issues, and humanistic vision how to reflect the world and the civilization. The research of cultural formations of visual arts follows different goals since only in this way it could respond to current issues of humanities and artistic creation. The first part consists of a continuation of the anthropology research of the late medieval painting, above all the issues of sacred images that provoke in the spectator the sense of sin, guilt, need of penitence, and self punishment. The second part of the research probes a relationship of modern Slovenian artists with the European cultural space. The third part presents the reprint of Valvasor’s print collection to the public. Research of the anthropology of ancient worlds and their cultural formations has the aim of establishing approaches which combine analysis, document and theorize academic problematic within the population of the discipline, and the reception of both discipline and narrative clusters, which determine the relation between a certain social context to the Ancient Worlds in a diachronical and synchronical perspective. Anthropological research of gender has the aim of consolidating and developing research perspectives which problematize relations between cultural areas and gender differences as key narratives for gender presentation. The basic socio-cultural model, historically established as continuity, is patriarchy. A problematization of such a model, although constantly present in all contemporary gender theories, has not be promotes into a central topic in running academic debates. A fundamental objective of the research of anthropology of everyday life is to direct attention to areas of quality of work, especially those connected with work pressure and dignity at work and to provide practical tools, relevant examples, and best practices regarding quality of work and dignity at work. The research contributes to generalizable knowledge on the fields of interpersonal communication at work, work-related health, human resource management and the use of critical, experimental and traditional forms of inquiry in the interests of social justice, dignity and human rights. In the section of linguistic aspect of cultural formations the attention is oriented towards new communication technologies (computer-mediated communication). These technologies with their constant progress bring challenges regarding the level of patterns of communication and social interaction among different computer-mediated environments. Variations on the level of language use depend also on situation factors which construct the context of communication. Such factor is also the structure of participation in interaction. The theoretical background for the research on national interest is based on the premise, that national interest is the interest of the nation and not of the ethnical group. The basic aim of the media research is monitoring and analysis of key parts of the media space, which encompasses a continuous monitoring of media products by means of content. Thereby we focus on the contents of Slovenian media and their practices both in the socialist period and in the present, especially the use of internet based and user created media. This research represents a core part of the wider research on the use of information and communication technologies as a means of information, organization, social mobilisation and action.
Significance for the country
The possibility and necessity of critical research and scientific work is one of the bases for the building of a truly democratic society and active interventions in the public debate are not just marginal or optional activity of researchers and scientists but form one of the bases of democratic society and base for preservation of the autonomy of scientific field itself. The research programme contributes to the general advancement of knowledge and social development in the realm of social relations, culture, free time and the development of human potential. The relevance of the programme for the development of science lies in the achievement of scientific excellence, dealing with research topics, that are new in Slovenia or topics that haven’t been dealt with in a manner, which would allow for international comparison, creation of new research trends and conducting the research within broader international (not only scientific) context. Thereby the research group strives to contribute to fostering of science and research in Slovenia, their applicability and to further assert Slovenian science on European and international level. The analyses of cultural formations develop a variety of interdisciplinary approaches that allow each discipline to broaden its own epistemological borders; introduction of new horizons brings new knowledge. All the researchers engaged in this Programme teach the ISH, Ljubljana graduate programmes, and most of them also lecture or are academic assistants at other academic institutions (Faculty of Arts and Academy of Arts) in Slovenia. All of them regularly contribute to Slovene scientific journals, as well as participate in expert conferences, etc. They foster interdisciplinary research and development of the basic human sciences. With the research of cultural formations they affirm the Slovenian contribution and its role in the European context. The ISH is the only faculty in Slovenia to undertake historical anthropological research of all disciplines of cultural formations; as such it is providing an educational basis for future curators, professors, researches and others. The researches contribute to the formation, reformation and development of new interdisciplinary disciplines in Slovenia. New discoveries are significant also for preservation of cultural heritage and strengthen cultural consciousness and conscience of the nation. The researches of the group lead to the profound and new evaluation of the studies of ancient worlds in Slovenia. The group from ISH introduced this new disciplinary area in Slovenia ten years ago, and showed through its publications how Anthropology of Ancient worlds can offer contemporary interpretations, deepened reflection of the modern world and of everyday life, based on changed understanding of Ancient worlds, and also some solutions for a problem of loss of knowledge of the past and of the cultural stereotype of “universal culture”. In this sense our research is in the very center of problematic and debates on European identity. The research results are used in the planning of undergraduate and postgraduate studies according to EU Bologna rules, and in development of research in humanities. The results are also pertinent in view of any analysis of media and in evaluating of dissemination of knowledge. Economic factors of development have, at the beginning of new decade, been also defined with the development of new, especialy informational-communicational technologies. Young school-going generations, the basis of each countries development politics, have the main role in the development of such technologies. At this very moment we do not have a really convincing or definitive theory of how computer networks influence the comunication. Taking this into account we investigate to what extent do the changes, regarding language in new media communication, really threat Slovene national identity which is firmly connected with language identity.
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
