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Complicity: A Crisis of Participation in Testimonies of Totalitarianism in Contemporary German-language Literatures

Project description

The role of language and literature in deepening democracy

Language is the most fundamental tool for deepening democracy and a catalyst in human development. The COMPLIT project will analyse the role of language in structures of complicity in humanitarian, political, ecological, moral and other wrongdoings that raise the question of what democratic participation means. The project will relate recent research in law and social sciences to testimonies of totalitarianism in contemporary German-language literature. It will review the role of language in structures of participation and involvement. COMPLIT will also highlight that the concern of testimonies of past totalitarianism is for the present (they outline modes of partaking in institutional violence that draws on heritage, culture, social, and gender distinctions still active in the globalised world of the present).

Objective

The aim of COMPLIT is to analyse the role of language in structures of complicity in humanitarian, political, ecological, moral and other wrongdoings that raise the question of what democratic participation means.
The research project aims at interdisciplinary innovation, relating recent research in law and social sciences to testimonies of totalitarianism in contemporary German-language literatures by Herta Müller, Aglaja Veteranyi, and Elfriede Jelinek. The project expounds the comprehensive role of language in structures of participation and involvement, and highlights that the concern of testimonies of past totalitarianism is for the present: They outline modes of partaking in institutional violence that draws on heritage, culture, social, and gender distinctions still active in the globalized world of the present. The outlook onto the broader academic discussion and current societal problems strengthens the stance of humanities research by demonstrating its relevance to citizens at large.
The scientific rationale of the project is a two-way knowledge transfer in the training-through-research of the applicant, who is an experienced researcher in the field of comparative literature with special regard to law and literature, and currently a research fellow at Yale University in the US. While transferring knowledge about an interdisciplinary, comparative approach to literature with a strong outlook onto societal challenges on highest international academic standards to the host institution, Universität Wien, the applicant will be reintegrated into the European research network.
The COMPLIT project is of clear relevance to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions programme because it contributes to a better understanding of the current crisis in European integration and the backlashes onto democratic freedom by resentments and beliefs from Europe’s violent past in addressing structures of public discourses and institutions that foster antidemocratic, totalitarian notions.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 186 167,04
Address
UNIVERSITATSRING 1
1010 WIEN
Austria

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Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 186 167,04
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