ruhrcenter of american studies presents 2015 …...2015/01/24 · ruhrcenter of american studies...

RUHRCENTER of American Studies presents

2015 Ruhr PhD Forum in American Studies

Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Duisburg-Essen

2 3Ruhr PhD Forum 2015

Friday, 23 January 2015Ruhr-University Bochum,Mensabuilding, Level 01, Tagungsraum 2,Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum

12:00-12:15 Welcome_Kornelia Freitag

12:15-15:15 Panel 1_Transatlantic and/or Political Histories

12:15-12:55 Jonas B. Anderson_The Van Rensselaers: Manorial Aristocracy in the Early AmericanRepublic

12:55-13:35 CourtneyMoffett-Bateau_HighCulturalPluralistAuthorsoftheCivilRightsEra:ALiteraryIntervention InPostwarLiteraryHistory

13:35-14:15 DariusHarwardt_AmerikabilderderNeuenRechten

14:15-14:45 CoffeeBreak

14:45-16:45 Panel 2_Popular Media and Inter-Culture: Sitcom, SciFi, Reality TV

14:45-15:25 SandraDanneil_’LaughIsaMany-SplinteredThing‘:The SimpsonsandTransgressiveComedy

15:25-16:05 AmeerLoggins_StereotypeConsolidation:ALookatBlackRepresentationinRealityTelevision

16:05-16:45 IrisKemmer_ProblemsofInterculturalExchangeinStar Trek

16:45-17:15 CoffeeBreak

17:15-18:45 Panel 3_Sonic Diversity: Techno and Hip-Hop

17:15-17:55 Sebastian Weier_Ooh, Techno City:Technologyand(Post-)RaceIn1980sDetroitTechno

17:55-18:45 TerenceKumpf_TowardsTrans*aesthetics:Bi-andMultilingualHip-HopinGermanyandtheU.S.A.

19:00 DinneratQ-West,Ruhr-UniversitätBochum44801Bochum(oppositetotheG-Buildings)

Schedule | Ruhr PhD Forum 2015

Saturday, 24 January 2015University Duisburg-Essen, Casino – Campus Essen,Reckhammerweg 3, 45141 Essen

9:15-9:30 Welcome_Barbara Buchenau

9:30-11:30 Panel 1_Teaching – Blogging – Publishing

9:30-10:10 MirjaBeutel_TeachingCosmopolitanismthroughTransnationalEnglishLiterature

10:10-10:50 Timo Weidner_Spot.Us,LocalOnlineNews,andShiftingRoleConceptionsinJournalism

10:50-11:30 SvetlanaMakeyeva_DigitalNomadismasaCulturalPhenomenon:Presentation ofResultsandConclusions

11:30 -12:30 LunchatUnitCafé,Reckhammerweg2,45141Essen

12:30-14:30 Panel 2_Politics of Poetry: From Translational to Transnational

12:30-13:10 HannaRückl_NoMatterWhatLanguage:ErnstJandl‘sWritingasaSpringboardforthe CreationofNewPoetry

13:10-13:50 JulietKaszas-Hoch_CalamityinVerse:PoetryofaWarmingEarth

13:50-14:30 AnnaNataschaBongers_DepictionofGlobalStructuresinC.D.WrightʼsRising, Falling, Hovering

14:30-15:00 Coffee|Wine

15:00-17:00 Panel 3_ Walking and Writing the Postmodern City

15:00-15:40 CarlaSeleneGierich_KeeponWalking–LosAngelesandArrivalinThe Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez

15:40-16:20 ErikaMikò_RepresentationsofChinatowninHungarianTravelWriting

16:20-17:00 UtkuMogultay_Operative,Sleuth,PrivateEye:DetectiveFictionandtheUrbanImaginationin Pynchon‘sAgainst the Day

17:00-17:15 Final Thoughts

2015 Ruhr PhD Forum Schedule


Ruhr-University Bochum – Panel 1

12:00-12:15 Welcome_Kornelia Freitag12:15-14:15 Panel 1_Transatlantic Political Histories14:15-14:45 Coffee Break

Jonas B. Anderson_The Van Rensselaers: Manorial Aristocracy in the Early American RepublicThedissertationexaminesthehistoryoftheVanRensselaerfamilyasrepresentativesoffeudalaristocracyintheEarlyAmericanRepublic, theperiodbetween Independence andCivilWar. TheVanRensselaerswere oneof the oldlandowning familiesofUpstateNewYorkandtherebyplayedasignificant role in theoligarchicdemocracyof theyoungUnitedStates.TheManorofRensselaerswyckwhichwasestablishedwithacharteroftheWestIndiaCom-panybyDutchbusinessmanKiliaenVanRensselaerin1630,wasundividedandfamily-owneduntilthe1840s.Thehugeestatenearpresent-dayAlbanywasthebasisofthefamilyʼswealthandtheplaceofdirectexerciseofpoweroverthetenants.Basedonabroaderconceivedsocialhistory,theaimofmyresearchistodrawapictureofaristocraticlife-worldandsocialpositioningofpre-revolutionaryelitesintheEarlyRepublic.Thisisdonespecificallywiththestudyofafamilyofprominentpositionoverseveralgenerationsinthecontextofpolitical,economic,andsocialconditionsofthetime.Inthisway,theperspectiveofculturalhistoryisextendedbythetopicofelitesandaristocracyandontheotherhand,themacro-historicalfixationofthesocialhistoryaboutprocessesandstructuresisreplacedbyacombinedconsiderationofindividual(family)andsociety.Theexaminationofthelife-worldandsocialpositioningoftheVanRensselaersin-cludesinparticulartheirpoliticalinfluenceandtheexerciseofpower,thesocialnetwork,andfamilyrelationships(e.g.throughisogamousmarriages),theeconomicactivityandthedevelopmentoftheestate,aswellasthearistocratichabitusdiscussedasameanstolegitimizetheirownpositionandofsocialdistinction.InregardtotheirDutchheirandtheimportanceoftheBritishEmpireasapointofreferenceforAmericanaristocracy,itwillalsobelookedatthefamilyʼsembeddinginatransatlanticculturalcontext.

Jonas B. AndersonisaresearchassistantanddoctoralstudentattheAmerika-InstitutofLudwig-Maximilians-UniversityinMunich.AftercompletinghisM.A.inAmericanHistory,ModernHistoryandCatholicTheologyin2013,hestartedworkingonadissertationprojectdealingwiththeVanRensselaerfamilyasrepresentativesofmanorialaristocracy in the Early American Republic.

Courtney Moffett-Bateau_High Cultural Pluralist Authors of the Civil Rights Era: A Literary Intervention InPostwar Literary HistoryThispaperisapartofalargerprojectthatexploreshowhighculturalpluralistauthorschallengestandardizedliteraryperiodizationsofPostwarAmericanfiction.Morespecifically,thispaperexaminesthelogicofsystematizedcreativitythroughinvestigatinghowhighculturalpluralistauthorsoftheCivilRightsperiodacceleratedtheirindividualpoliticalpurposesunderinstitutionalcapital.Thisperiodofpostwarliteraryhistorychallengedtherigidityofpreviousliteraryexpressionbutalsocontributedtotheromanticizationandsimultaneouscommodificationofethniccapital:Theoralcomponentofthevoicebecameanartisticpreoccupationandscholarlyconcerninthe1960sand1970s–ascreativewritingprogramscontinuedtoacceleratethewritingplatform,“show,donʼttell”(McGurl).Therefore,studentswereencouragedtostepawayfromthethirdperson,impersonalnarratorandadopttheir̒ authen-ticʼethnicvoice.ThisprojectattemptstoengagewithMarkMcGurlʼs2009seminalwork,The Program Era: Postwar Fiction and the Rise of Creative Writing,whichhasidentifiedanessentiallinkbetweenthepatronageofhighereduca-tion institutions, the increasingpopularity of creativewritingprogramsand the systematicproductionof postwarU.S.Americanfictionanditsauthors.Thisingenuityinform,whichencompassedtheliteraryshiftfromclassicslavenarrativetoneo-narrative,unravelsthisinextricablelinkbetweensystematicityandcreativityand–asthispaperwillhopefullyshow–hastransformedthewaythatliteraryscholarsframeandmustdiscusspostwarwritersandtheins-titutionsoutofwhichtheycamefrom.

Courtney Moffett-Bateaugraduatedwithadualbachelor‘sdegreeinPhilosophyandBlackStudiesfromPitzerCollegeinClaremont,Californiain2008.Thefollowingyear,shewasawardedaFulbrightgrant,whichbroughthertoGermany,wheresheworkedasanEnglishTeachingAssistantfrom2008-2010.Moffett-Bateaucompletedhermas-terʼsdegreeinNationalandTransnationalStudiesin2012attheUniversityofMuenster,Germanywiththesubmissionofherthesisentitled,“BlackBeautyAesthetics:CombatingAmericanBeautyConstructionsofthePastwithArtofthePresent.”SheispresentlyworkingasateachingassistantintheNorthAmericanStudiesprograminEssen.InMay2013shebeganworkingonherdissertationattheUniversityofDuisburg-Essen.

Friday (23/01) Bochum


Darius Harwardt_Amerikabilder der Neuen RechtenDasForschungsprojekt“PolitischeIdeologieunddiskursivePraxisvonderReagan-ÄrabiszumIrakkrieg2003”untersuchtAmerikabilder derNeuenRechten in derBundesrepublik vomAmtsantritt Reagans 1980bis zu demIrakkrieg2003.DieInstrumentalisierungvonFeindbildernsolldabeiinBeziehunggesetztwerdenzudenAmbitionenderNeuenRechten,einedurchdenNationalsozialismusdiskreditierteIdeologiewiederstärkeringesellschaftlichenDiskursenderMittezuverankern.DadieKonstruktionspezifischerFremd-undFeindbildereineessentielleRollebeiderkommunikativenAnschlussfähigkeitnachaußenwieauchderHomogenisierungnach innenspielt,bietetsichderForschungübereineAnalysedieserFeindbildkonstruktioneneinSpiegelalsUntersuchungsinstrumentan,dergeeignetist,zentraleDiskurssträngederBewegungzubeleuchtenunddieseimRahmenihrerhistorischenEntwick-lungsprozessezukontextualisieren.DabeistellensichfundamentaleFragen,diebislanginderForschungunbeantwortetgebliebensind:GelingtesderNeuenRechtenzunächstimKontextdesKaltenKriegesundanschließenddarüberhinaus,einesalonfähigideolo-gischeAlternativezuLiberalismusundKommunismuszukonstruierenundwelcheFeindbildkonstruktionensindzudiesemZweckinstrumentalisierbar?VerabschiedensichdieAkteureanderSpitzederBewegungvoneineminderdeutschenNachkriegsgesellschaftdiskreditiertenAntisemitismusimAustauschgegeneineeffizientepolitischeMimi-kry?DiesenFragestellungennachgehendfokussiertsichdasForschungsprojektexemplarischaufdieAmerikabilderderNeuenRechten,diesichinbesondereWeisefüreineBündelungderAnalyseeignen.DieUSAsindwährenddesKaltenKriegesalsauchdanach,sowieimKonfliktmitdemislamistischenTerrorismuseinekonstanteProjektionsfläche,diezurKonstruktionkonkurrierenderWeltanschauungeninstrumentalisiertwerdenkann.Dabeisindes Inszenierungund ImaginationderUSA,dieeinArsenalvonnutzbarenBildernzurVerfügungstellen,welchezurAbgrenzungodergarSolidarisierungdienen,dennimLaufevonlediglichzwanzigJahrenvonderSchlussphasedesKaltenKriegesbiszumamerikanischenKampfgegendenislamistischenTerrorismushabensichideologischeSpannungsfelderundgesellschaftlicheDiskursstränge,inderenKontextsichdieNeueRechtezuposi-tionierensucht,fundamentalverändert.

Darius HarwardtstudiedHistory,Biology,andGeographyatRuhr-UniversityBochum.InhismasterthesisDariusdealtwiththeconstructionofacollectiveidentityintheWorldWideWebbyexamininganAmericanmilitaryforum.Afterhisgraduation,Dariusworkedasaresearchassistantinthedocumentation-andresearchcenterofthesocialinsurancecarrierinBochum.Subsequently,DariusbegantoworkonhisdissertationprojectandisatthesametimeinvolvedinaresearchprojectontheorganizationhistoryoftheBfVafter1945,initiatedbytheFederalOfficefortheProtectionoftheConstitution(BundesamtfürVerfassungsschutz).





14:45-16:45 Panel 2_Popular Media and Inter-Culture: Sitcom, SciFi, Reality TV

16:45-17:15 Coffee Break

Sandra Danneil_’Laugh Is a Many-Splintered Thing‘: The Simpsons and Transgressive ComedyThere isnosuchthingas transgressivecomedy.Thequestion is,however,whatmakes itsohard to formulateadefinitionoftransgressivecomedy?If itweredefinedasagenre,transgressivecomedywouldonlybelimitedtoadistinctandeverrecurringsetofrules.Butduetoitsmanifolddimensions,Iwillapproachtransgressivecomedyasastyle,whichworshipsa“cultofunreason”(Jenks22).Iwillinvestigatehowcomictransgressivenessmethodologicallycolonizestheliminalspacebetweena(pop-)culturaldialecticoforderanddisorder.AndIwilllookatitasacyclicalconceptwithinwhichtransgressivecomedyhasfoundawaytoestablishcomicradicality.Oneoftransgressionʼsmostdedicatedscholars,sociologistChrisJenks,putsitinanutshellwhenhesaysthatthepointoftransgressionʼsinvestigationis“todemonstrateitspresencein,andimpactupon,contemporarylife.”(21)Frommycomicpointofdeparture,transgressivecomedycanthusbestbesituatedintheeverydayroutineofAmericaʼsTVsitcomthatkeepsupreflectingthecontemporarylivesofitsaudiences.Inmyanalysis,however,IwilldemonstratehowThe Simpsonsyetreinforcethecomedicimpactbyconstantlytrans-ferringthebreakingofbordersintopopularprimetimeprogramming.ByreadingtheshowasanimatedepipahnyoftheAmericanDreamundreamt,The Simpsonsismorethanfamilyamusement.Inmytalk,Iwilldealwiththeshowasaculturalnarrativethatdismantlesbinariesofhighandlow,insideandoutsideorrestrictedandpermitted.Withaconsciouscomictransgression,crossedbordersandbinariesareatthesamemaintained.WithregardtoconcreteexamplesofThe Simpsons,fertilegroundwillbeprovidedtoapproachadefinitionoftransgressivecomedy,whichwillbecomethetheoreticalframeworkofmydissertation.

Sandra Danneil receivedherseconduniversitydegreein2012.SheisassistantprofessorandaPhDcandidateintheAmericanDepartmentforCulturalandMediaStudiesatTUDortmundUniversity.ShehasamasterʼsdegreeinFilmandTelevisionStudiesfromRuhr-UniversityBochum.Sheworkedinthefilmandtelevisionindustryforseveralyears.BesidesteachingcoursesattheAmericanStudiesdepartment,sheisalsoengagedintheorganizationoftheannualpostgraduateconferenceRuhrPhDForuminAmericanStudies.Forthecominglegislativeperiodof2014-2016,SandrahasbeenelectedastheequalopportunitiesofficeroftheFacultyofCulturalSciencesatTUDortmund.

Ameer Loggins_Stereotype Consolidation: A Look at Black Representation in Reality TelevisionIn2014,thetelevisualexperiencehasbeenoverwhelmedbyrealitytelevisionshows,andsomeofthemostpopularoftheseshowsarethecelebrealityfranchisessuchasBlack Ink, Basketball Wives,and,Love and Hip Hop Atlanta/NewYork.Thisessayexaminesmyconceptualization/theoryofstereotypeconsolidation.Iwillbeexaminingthispheno-menonwithinoneofitsprimarysitesofcreationandmaintenance–realitytelevisionprograms.Specifically,IwillbefocusingontherealitytelevisionshowsthatarehousedonViacomʼsVH1.Manyreality-basedprogramsrelyheavilyonthehumandramathatunfoldswhenpeoplefromdiversebackgrounds,basedonrace,ethnicity,gender,ageandregionalorigin interactwithoneanotherwithinpseudo-realisticspacesandconditions:This isnotthecasewithinwhatIwillbecallingBlackRealityTelevisionPrograms.WithinBlackRealityTelevisionProgramstheallurelieswithinthealmostexclusive interactionsbetweenBlackfolks intelevisuallysegregatedspacesthatadheretostereo/stig-matypicaldepictionsofAfricanAmericansinAmerica.Itiswithintheseconditions(andshows)thatthestereotypeconsolidationtakesplace,thatleadtohyper-packeddistortionsofBlackness,thuscreatingneo-minstrellikestockcharacters.

Ameer Logginsisa6thyeardoctoralcandidateattheUniversityofCalifornia,BerkeleyintheAfricanDiasporaPro-gram.Hisresearchinterestsincluderealitytelevision,stereotypeconstruction,stigmatheoryandpublicperforman-cesof“RachetBlackness”onsocialnetworkingwebsites.AmeerʼsdissertationprojectfocusesonthemannerbywhichAfricanAmericansarerepresentedinrealitytelevisionandhowthesetelevisualdisplaysof“RachetBlackness”effecttheperceptionofAfricanAmericansincontemporarysociety.Heisconcernedwiththeconstructionandpro-motionofBlacknessasrepresentedwithinpseudo-realitytelevisionprogramsandhowthesemodernizedminstrelscontributetothestackedstigmatizedstereotypesofAfricanAmericans.

Iris Kemmer_Problems of Intercultural Exchange in Star TrekStar Trekdealswithallkindsofinterculturalproblems.How,then,cantheseproblemsbeaddressedanalytically?IwillbringtogetherinterpersonalconflictsandgenresintheseriesbyanalyzingthefunctionsoftheHolodeck.Asadie-geticmediumofthesciencefictionworld,itexemplifieshowStar Trekpersonalizesandsubjectifiesgreaterconflictswithinagenericframework.

Iris Kemmer receivedherbachelorʼsdegreeinAppliedLinguisticsandAppliedLiteraryandCulturalStudiesandPhilosophyandcontinuedtofocusonAppliedLinguisticsinhermasterʼsdegreeatTUDortmundUniversity.HerdissertationprojectdealsinterdisciplinarilywithinterculturalcommunicationinStarTrek.




17:15-18:45 Panel 3_Sonic Diversity in Techno and Hip-Hop19:00 Dinner at Q-West

Sebastian Weier_Ooh, Techno City: Technology and (Post-)Race In 1980s Detroit TechnoBasedinthefieldofAfricanAmericanStudies,mydissertationresearchfocusesontheimpactoftechnologicalch-angeontheconstitutionofBlackness. Itdiagnosesaninsufficiencywithinthefieldtodealwithtechnology-basedmodesofracializationandproposesanewmethodologycalledCyborgBlackStudiestoovercomethisinsufficiency.Inmypaper,Iwilldrawfromonechapterofmydissertation.Startingfromthemodern-colonialnarrationoftechno-logyasinherentlyWhite,andofBlackpeopleasinherentlyluddite,thepaperwilllookatDetroitTechnoasaspecificinstanceinwhichaproductivecomplicationofthismoderncolonialmatrixoccurs.MaturinginpartsofDetroitʼsAfricanAmericancommunityatthebeginningofthe1980s,DetroitTechnomusicreliedheavilyontechnologyandexplicitlyrejectedearlierparadigmsofwhatwasconsideredBlackMusicsuchassoulandauthenticity(asexemplifiedbyjazzmusicorinthecatalogueofthelongtimeDetroit-basedMotownRecords).Oftendescribedaspost-soul,DetroitTechnoartistssuchasJuanAtkinsorDrexciyadrewheavilyfromfuturologyaswellasafro-futuristphilosophyandmythologytoproposepost-racevisionsthatwerebothbeyondtheblack-whiteparadigm,yetfirmlyrootedinthehistoryoftheBlackAtlantic.Indoingso,notonlytheirthought,butalsotheirartitselfdefiedcommonformalstereotypesandmodesofracialization.ThepaperwillengagepartsofthediscoursesurroundingDetroitTechnoinordertotracehowitadvancedboththinkingontheintersectionofraceandtechnologyandanon-humanistconceptofpost-raceastranscendencethatisatoddswithmuchofcontemporarythoughtonpost-raceasahistoricalphaseofreconciliationinthelongue duréeof(post-)modernity.

Sebastian WeieriscurrentlywritinghisPhDthesisattheUniversityofBremen.Underthepreliminarytitleof“TheGlitch.ThinkingtowardsCyborgBlackStudies,”thethesisproposesacritiqueofnorthwesternpoliticaltheoryfromaBlackStudiesperspectiveandanalyzestheimpactoftechnologicalchangeonthepoliticalconstitutionofBlack-ness.SebastianWeieriscofounderofthe“ResearchGroupBlackKnowledges”(formerly“BremenBlackStudies”)andfounderandspeakerofthedoctoralnetwork“PostcolonialandBlackStudiesPerspectivesinCulturalAnalysis”(PCBS).

Terence Kumpf_Towards Trans*aesthetics: Bi- and Multilingual Hip-Hop in Germany and the U.S.A.EventhoughGermanyhasplayedacrucialroleinhip-hopʼsglobalsuccess—bothinitsconsumptionasaculturalcommodity,butmoreinreaffirminganewsetofartisticaestheticsandtransculturalpractices—noonetodatehasundertakenaserious,booklengthstudycomparingAmericaʼs latestpopculturalphenomenon inbothcountries.Perhapsmoreaquestionofwhy(orwhynot) ishow:Howcanhip-hopinGermanyandtheU.S.bemeaningfullycompared?Inwhatwaysisitsimilar,andhowdoesitdiffer?Whatthemesandsubjectsdoartistsineachcountrytakeup,andhowdotheyconnectacrossborders,cultures,andlanguages?TowhatextenthaveartistsinGermanyextendedhip-hopaesthetics,andinwhatwaysistheirworkunique,especiallywithregardtosociopoliticalandcul-turalspecificities?Myresearchtodateshowsthathip-hopconstitutesaunique,transculturalaestheticobjectwhosepractitionersoccu-pynational,transnational,andtransculturalaxessimultaneously.Thispaperandpresentationprovidesanoverviewofmydissertationʼsmacro-andmicro-levelquestions,butalsoitsapproachandmethodology.Byfocusingonbi-andmultilingualism,anddeployingtheintersectionalmethodinaninterdisciplinarytransatlantic/transnationalAmericanStudiesproject,thisstudyaimstoascertain,assess,anddescribethelinkagesanddivergencesinhip-hopinGer-manyandtheUnitedStatestodaytoexplicatewhatIargueconstitutestheemergenceofanewtrans*aesthetics.

Terence KumpfisaPhDcandidateattheRuhrCenterofAmericanStudies.Hisresearchdealswithbi-andmulti-lingualhip-hopintheU.S.andGermanyinacomparativeperspective.Hisworkconcernsitselfwithtransculturation,postnationalism,ethnicity,aestheticexperience,trans* issues,genderandsexualdiversity,andtheways inwhichidentityformationandpoliticalandsocialactivismplayoutintheproductionandconsumptionofculturalmaterials.



University Duisburg-Essen - Panel 1

9:15-9:30 Welcome_Barbara Buchenau9:30-11:30 Panel 1_Teaching|Blogging/Publishing11:30-12:30 Lunch at Unit Café

Mirja Beutel_Teaching Cosmopolitanism through Transnational English LiteratureAccordingtoLaurenzVolkmann(2010),thethreemajorchallengesofteachingEnglishasaforeignlanguagetodayareglo-balization,thedigitalrevolutionandtheroleofEnglishasagloballanguage.Thissituationcallsforanadaptationofteachingapproachesandatheoreticalbasis,whichlegitimizesteachers´choicesoftextsandobjectives.TheroleofEnglishasalinguafrancaisassociatedwiththeprocessofglobalization.Duetothisitisalanguage,whichfacilitatescommunicationbetweenspeakerswhoembodyawidevarietyofsocioculturalbackgrounds.Inthissituationcompetentspeakersneedtobeawareofthesocioculturalʻsituatednessʼoftheircommunicativepartners,theirownidentitiesandthecommunicativesi-tuation.Totheorizetheabilitiesrequiredtomasterthischallenge,theconceptofcosmopolitancommunicativecompetenceisasuitabletool.Inmystudythisconceptisdevelopedonthebasisofaphilosophicalcritiqueofinterculturalcommunicativecompetence and transcultural competence. CosmopolitancommunicativecompetencehassignificantoverlapswithWolfgangDelanoy´s (Delanoy/Volkmann2008)conceptofdialogiccommunicativecompetence,butdiffersinemphasizingtheimportanceofthegeneraleducationalaimofadvancingcosmopolitanattitudes.OnthebasisofpsychologicalmodelsofdevelopmentIwillshowthatadolescenceisacriticalphasefordevelopingcosmopolitanattitudes.Iarguethatalife-writingapproachtoteachingtransnationalinitiationstoriesisespeciallysuitableforachievingthisgoalsinceitrequirespersonalinvolvement.Bylinkingthediscussionofstu-dents´fictionalrepresentationsofpersonalexperienceandliterature,theinfluenceofindividualdispositionsontheprocessofconstructingmeaningbecomesvisibleandaudible.

Mirja Beutel isaPhDcandidateat theRuhr-UniversityBochum.Aftergraduating fromuniversityandcompletingherteacher´strainingin2004,sheworkedasateacherinsecondaryeducation.In2013shereturnedtoheralmamaterasamemberoftheProfessionalSchoolofEducation.Shenowparticipatesintheeducationoffutureteachers.

Saturday (24/01) Essen

Timo Weidner_Spot.Us, Local Online News, and Shifting Role Conceptions in JournalismIn my talk I want to explore some of the research questions and hypotheses of my dissertation project, which deals withthe role and importance of the local in the U.S. online news industry. I will show how one of the outlets I examine in mythesis successfully integrates localism into its operational concept and how the siteʼs focus on the local is key to its las-ting success (by standard of the online news industry).The news outlet Spot.Us is a prime example for today‘s demand for local journalism in the United States. Founded in 2008 with regional offices in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, it uses crowdfunding in a way that transforms both the role of the reporters and the audience during the process of content creation. Spot.Us is particularly interesting as it does not merely try to replicate or emulate the model of the community newspaper on the web. Instead it addresses the aspect of localism in multiple ways: the siteʼs content often, although not exclusively, has a local focus; the topics of the articles are chosen from pitches by the reporters or the audience; furthermore it has altered the usual chain-of-events by installing the audience as the first filter in the content creation process.Using one article from this online news outlet that operates locally I intend to show how it can engage actors and audi-ences in various forms and how the aspect of the local is significant from its initial idea to its publication.

Timo Weidner received his bachelorʼs degree in Japanese Studies and English from the University of Düsseldorf. Prior to that, he earned his masterʼs degree in North American Studies at the University of Bonn. His masterʼs thesis “Alter-native vs. Mainstream Formats: Does the Dichotomy Hold on the Web?” was nominated for the Ambassadorʼs Award, awarded annually by the Embassy of the United States and the University of Bonn. Since October 2014 he is a PhD candidate at the TU Dortmund University and the RuhrCenter of American Studies. His dissertation project deals with the role and importance of the local in the U.S. online news industry.



Svetlana Makeyeva_Digital Nomadism as a Cultural Phenomenon: Presentation of Results and Conclusions Themajor researchquestionaddressed inmydissertation is:Howdodigitalnomads—theEnglish-speaking locati-onindependententrepreneurswithoutstationaryofficeswhostartedormovedtheirbusinessesonline—interpretthemetaphorofʻnomadismʼintheirpersonalnarrativesaboutleavingnine-to-fivejobs?(English)Textsandimagesonthetopicofdigitalnomadismwerecollected (1997-2014),persistent themesandmetaphorswere identified, the listsofthemesandmetaphorswereorganizedintotwocodebooksandanalyzed.Paragraphsandimagesservedastheunitsforqualitativecontentanalysis.Thepurposeofthisanalysiswasnotgeneratingstatistics;rather,pointingoutmajorthemes,extractingimagesandmetaphors,andpresentingthosewithinthecontext.AccordingtoMakimotoandManners(1997),thisnewstyleofworkingemergedaroundthesecondhalfofthe1990s.Withthehelpofdigitaltechnologies,someCEOsandemployeesdidnotneedtostayatthedesignatedofficesinordertoworkfortheircompanies.Nowon,theycouldmovearoundthecitiesortravellongdistances,andbeproductiveontheroad.Acorporatephenomenonatfirst,eventually,digitalnomadismbecameadoptedbyentrepreneurswho,amongotherthings,wantedtoleaveofficejobs,becomeself-employedandlocation-independent.Someofthemwantedtopushthemselvestothelimitsandtraveltheworldintheirtwenties,whilesustainingtheirliveswiththeonlinebusinesses.Thisphenomenontransformeditselfwithinthecourseofhistory:a̒ styleofworkingʼbecamea̒ lifestyleʼand̒ lifedesign .̓In2014,digitalnomadismwasnotmerelyaboutworking;thismetaphorwasusedtodescribelivinglifeinaspecificʻnomadicʼway.Mydissertationprojectheadstowardsitsfinishline,andIwanttotaketheopportunitytopresentanddiscusssomeofmyresultsandconclusions.

Svetlana MakeyevaisaPhDcandidateatTUDortmundUniversity.Sheisinterestedinhowdigitalnomadsinterpretthemetaphorofnomadismintheirpersonalnarrativesaboutleavingnine-to-fivejobs.SvetlanaobtainedherB.A.fromtheAmericanUniversity-CentralAsia,Kyrgyzstan, in2006,andhermasterʼsdegreefromtheHeidelbergCenter forAmericanStudies at theRuprecht-Karls-University,Germany, in 2007.Her other current research interests includegenderandonlinecommunitiesaswellasprowrestlingasbodygenre.Herrecentpublication“WomenMilbloggers:NarrativesofMilitaryLife”waspublishedintheessaycollectionEducational,Psychological,andBehavioralConsidera-tionsinNicheOnlineCommunities(IGIGlobal,2014).




12:30-14:30 Panel 2_Politics of Poetry: From Translational to Transnational

14:30-15:00 Coffee/Wine

Hanna Rückl_No Matter What Language: Ernst Jandl‘s Writing as a Springboard for the Creation of New PoetryLiterarytranslationscanbeviewedasinferiorderivativesoftheirsourcetextsorastextsequalinvalue,withtranslatingasanactivitysimilartocreativewriting,bothplacedatdifferentpointsonacontinuum.ThispapercomparesworkbythepoetErnstJandl,translationsofhispoems,andfragmentsofhispoemscompletedbyotherwriters.Indoingso,onecangaininsightintotherelationshipbetweenthesedifferentkindsofwriting.SeveralAmericanpoetshavetranslatedaselectionofJandl‘spoemsfromGermanintoEnglish,collectedinReft and Light. Remarkableforabookoftranslations,itprovidesseveraltranslations,eachwrittenbyadifferenttranslator,forasourcetext.Apartfromfinishedpoemsthatcanbetranslatedintoanotherlanguage,Jandlprovidedthepublicwithunfinishedpoemsdeclaredaspoemspendingcompletion(“GedichtezumFertigstellen”),whichhavebeencompletedbyvariouspoets.ThesepoemsarenotnecessarilywritteninanyotherlanguageapartfromGerman,whichdistinguishesthemfromtranslations.Inadditiontothiscomparativeanalysisofpoems,IexaminewhatJandlandotherpoetssayabouttheprocessofcreatingapoemandhowtranslatorsdescribetheworktheydo.Theresultsofthestudyarethatpoetsandliterarytranslatorsfacesimilarchallengesintheirworkwithlanguageandliterature,andthatthedifferenceliesinhavingtodealwithfewerormorerestrictions.

Hanna Rückl receivedhermasterʼsdegreeatKarl-Franzens-UniversityinGraz,Austriain2012.Shehasbeenadocto-ralstudentatTUDortmundUniversitysince2013.Inherdissertationproject,HannadealswiththeconnectionbetweencreativewritingandliterarytranslationinGermanandAmericanliterature.

Juliet Kaszas-Hoch_Calamity in Verse: Poetry of a Warming EarthMypresentationwillsliceintomyinvestigationofthelinkbetweencreativewriting,climatechange,andnaturaldisasters,exploringwhatrolepoetry/poetsinparticulartakeinaddressingandexplicatingthematterofglobalwarmingandtheviolentstormsandotherwisecapriciousweatherbornofit,andifverseis–orcouldbe–aneffectivemeansforinspiringfurther,layeredcontemplationandscrutinyofthisissue,orforeven,possibly,enactingenvironmentalchangeinpublicandpoliticalspheres.Inshort,howdoespoetryworkwithandforthedireglobalissueofglobalwarming?Theerraticanderrantdispositionofclimatechangehasprecipitatedanincreaseininternationalanxieties(anddispute)instepwith–or,perhapsmoreaccurately,laggingbehind–theriseinstormseverity,stormsurge,sealevel,andtemperatures.Many, beyond the detractors of global warming, worry to some degree about the next big bad thing:What war-ming-bornlarge-scalenaturaldisasterisnext,andwhere,andwhatwillbetheaftermath?Scientists,journalists,po-liticians,andstudentsregularlydiscussconsequencesandcostsofclimate-drivencatastrophesintextsofalltypes,offeringprojectionsandpredictions,warnings,instructions.Theenvironmentnowissomuchmorethanwherewelive;itisaconcernandacause,somethingwefearruiningandyetruinmoreeachday.Whatplacedoespoetryplayintheconversation?Inparticular,forthispresentation,IplantobrieflydiscussafewpoemsfromYusefKomunyakaa,KimikoHahn,and/orGarySnyder,aswellastheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangereportdistilledintoillustratedhaikubyoceanographerGregJohnson.

Juliet Kaszas-Hoch isawriterfromLongBeachIsland,offthecoastofNewJersey,USA.ShehasbeenacceptedasaPhDcandidateattheRuhrCenterofAmericanStudies.




Anna Bongers_Depiction of Global Structures in C.D. Wrightʼs Rising, Falling, HoveringThispapertiesinwithmydissertationproject,preliminarilytitled“MappingsofPostmodernGlobalStructuresinCont-emporaryAmericanPoetry.”Inmydissertation,IplantoanalyzehowexperimentalpoetssuchasRosmarieWaldrop,C.D.WrightandJenaOsmanpresentglobalstructuresintheirpoetry.Makinguseofthelibertiesexperimentalwritingoffers,thesetextsemployavarietyofstrategiestomapcomplexglobalrealitiesanddemonstratetheintertwinedandunresolvable interplaybetweendifferentspheres (suchastheprivate, thepolitical, theeconomicalandthesocial)inaglobalizedworld.Inthispaper,IwillfirstsetouttodefinewhatIunderstandtobeglobalstructures.IwillthenproceedtoshowhowthesestructuresarepresentinC.D.Wrightʼs2008collectionRising, Falling, Hovering.IwillillustratethatthelocatednessofherU.S.Americanspeakerwithinglobalstructuresisillustratedinanumberofpo-ems,whichconflatespheresoftheprivateandthepolitical.Theprivatesphereofthespeakerisshownasembeddedintheinternationalwaronterror,USforeignpoliticsandUSeconomicalinterestsinvariouspoemsofthecollection.Asaconsequence,thelocationandpositionofthespeakerbecomesincreasinglyunstableasplacesfragmentanddissolveintounmanageablenetworks.Iarguethattheincorporationofglobalstructuresintopoemscanbetracedinanumberofrecentpoeticworksthatattempttocometotermswithapostmodernglobalizedworldbylocatingtheirsubjectsinacontextthatisrapidlyandfrequentlytransforming.Thesuccessfulmappingofsuchglobalstructuresinexperimentalwritingispreciselydependentuponexperimentalapproachestorepresentation,whichareself-reflexive,deconstructive,adaptable,flexible,andacutelyawareoftheinherentunmappabilityofglobalstructuresperse.

Anna Bongers graduatedfromtheUniversityofSouthCarolinainMay2013withanM.A.inGermanStudiesandreceivedhermasterʼsdegreeinAmerican/EnglishStudiesandComparativeLiteratureStudiesfromtheRuhr-Univer-sityBochuminNovember2013.SheiscurrentlyenrolledattheRuhr-UniversityBochumasaPhDstudentworkingonherdissertationwiththetitle“MappingsofPostmodernGlobalStructuresinContemporaryAmericanPoetry.”HerresearchinterestsincludecontemporaryAmericanpoetryandliterature,transnationalcriticismandgenderstudies.




15:00-17:00 Panel 3_Walking and Writing the Postmodern City17:00-17:15 Final Thoughts

Carla Selene Gierich_Keep on Walking – Los Angeles and Arrival in The Miraculous Day of Amalia GómezInmypresentation,IexaminewhetherLosAngelescanbeanArrivalCityfortheprotagonistofThe Miraculous Day of Amalia Gómez (1991),anovelbyrenownedChicanoauthorJohnRechy.ThenovelfollowsonedayinthelifeofChicanawomanAmalia,tellingherlifeinflashbacksandtracingherwaythroughacityofhauntingSantaAnawinds,violence,racismandtheoveralldecayanddespairoflate-1980sL.A..Onlyattheendsheseemsabletoovercomeherinnerandouterhauntingsthroughanepiphanyoflavirgen.Criticshaveinterpretedthisendingmostlyintheveinsofredemption,resistance,andstruggleofaChicanaagainstmainstreamsociety(seeLeón1999,Giles2000).Althoughthesenotionscertainlyhavearightofitsown,thepresentstudywantstofocusmoreonthewaytoAmalia‘sepiphanyratherthanonlytheepiphanyinitself.Herwaythroughthecityinterweavesplace-makingpracticeswithhyb-ridculturaldealings.Thisconnectioncanbeanalyzedthroughtheconceptofarrival,anin-betweenstatewhichfollowsmovement,butprecedesstaying,andwhichallowsthecreationofsomethingnewwithaforeignorigin(seeKunow2003).ItwillbeseenwhetherAmaliaisabletodevelopspatialpracticesthatallowhertocounterthehegemoniccityspaceofLosAngelesandre-createandre-imagine“dominanturbanspaceascommunity-enablingplace” (Villa6,emphasisorig.).Mainpointsoffocusforthiswillbehersearchforahomeindilapidatingstuccobungalows,herrela-tionshiptoabarriobetweengaragesalesandgangshootings,andacitythatgrowsrosesoutofconcrete,butisalsohauntedbyearthquakes,hotwindsandviolence.

Carla Gierich studiedCulturalManagement,B.A.attheUniversityDuisburg-Essen.In2012,shefinishedhermasterthesison“TheAmericas–LasAmericas–LesAmeriques”attheHeinrichHeineUniversityinDüsseldorf.HerPhDprojectatAngliaRuskinUniversity,Cambridge,exploreswhetherLosAngelesisconsideredanArrivalCitywithincontempo-raryMexicanAmericanliterature.SheworksasaprojectassistantforfellowsupportattheCentreforGlobalCoopera-tionResearch,Duisburg.

Erika Mikó_Representations of Chinatown in Hungarian Travel WritingSincethesecondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,NewYorkhasbeenapopulartouristdestinationforHungariantravelers,andinformationabouttheUnitedStateshadbecomepartofeverydaylifeinHungary.Asthecitybecameanincrea-singlypopular traveldestination forHungarians,someof themdecided towriteabout theirexperiencesupon theirreturn.Thecityhadbecomethe largestmetropolisbythe1910s,and,asaresultof large-scale immigration,ethnicenclavesbegantoemerge.Theseethnicallycodedplacesbroughtnewimmigrantstogether,andtheysoonbecamedistinctiveanduniquesitesinthecity.AgoodexampleofNewYorkʼsextraordinarydiversityisManhattanʼsChinatown,whichhasalonghistoryofneighborhoodtourism.Inmypresentation,IwilltalkaboutrepresentationsofNewYorkʼsChinatowninHungariantravelaccountswithregardtothespatialandcommunitytransformationoftheenclaveandthehistoricalcontextinwhichitoccurred.Ihaveselectedbooksfromtheearly1900s,andfromthecommunisteratoillustratethetransformationofChinatown.At theturnof thecentury,HungariantravelaccountsaboutChinatownfollowedthetropesofslumming literature indescribingkeysitesoftheneighborhoodʼstouristterrain.Later,inthecommunistperiod,ananti-Americanrhetorichadtobeadopted,whichgraduallydisappearedastheregimelostitscontroloverpublishing.Accordingly,morereliablejournalisticaccountswerepublishedaboutAmericainthelate1980s,whichstrivedtogiveanaccuratereportontheneighborhoodthatwaswidelyconsideredasymbolforculturaldiversityinNewYork.Ofcourse,whenitcomestointer-pretingaculture,theperspectiveisintheeyeofthebeholder,whoseaccountsaysjustasmuchabouthisownculturalandhistoricalbackgroundasitdoesabouttheculturalenvironmenthegazesupon.

Erika Mikó iscurrentlyworkingonherdissertationdealingwith“TheUrbanTransformationofNewYorkCity fromEthnicPerspectives”atTUDortmundUniversity.Sheholdsascholarshipintheresearchprogram“Spaces–Communi-ties–Representations:UrbanTransformationsintheUSA”financedbytheMercatorFoundationʼsResearchCenterRuhr(MERCUR).ErikagraduatedfromtheUniversityofDebrecen,Hungary,in2010andworkedasanEnglishteacher.Herresearchinterestsincludeurbannarratives,theliteraturesofminorities,ethnicstereotypesinAmericanliteratureandculture,andAmericaniconography.



Utku Mogultay_Operative, Sleuth, Private Eye: Detective Fiction and the Urban Imagination in Pynchon‘sAgainst the DayDetectivefictionisapopularoutgrowthof19thcenturyurbanmodernity.“Theoriginalsocialcontentofthedetectivestoryfocusedontheobliterationoftheindividual‘stracesinthebigcitycrowd,”asWalterBenjaminnotes.Inthissense,thecrowdfiguresasanamorphousmassinwhichpersonalidentityisrenderedlargelyopaque.Hencethecrowdisfrequentlyimaginedasanurbanwilderness,asahidingplaceforcriminalsandlowlifes.Throughastuteobservationandreasoning,thedetectivethenimposesorderonthecrowdandcarriesthelightofknowledgeintothewilderness.As“theepistemologicalgenrepar excellence”(McHale),detectivefictionthusreassertsasenseofheroicindividuality.Postmoderndetective(orʻanti-detectiveʼ)fiction,bycontrast,underminessuchrationalistunderpinnings,asitultimatelyfrustrates thesearch forcertainty. Involvingashift towardsontology, itemphasizesnotsomuch theproductionofknowledgeastheconstructionofmultipleworlds.Inthispaper,IexploretheseconceptualizationsofdetectivefictioninAgainst the Day.First,IsketchhowPynchonʼstextplotsanarrative itinerary that taps into threesub-genresofdetectivefiction (namelydimenovel,Victorianandhardboileddetectivefiction).Second,Iillustratehow,indoingso,thenarrativeprojectsthreecorrespondingurbanwor-lds(Chicagointhe1890s,Londoninthe1900sandLosAngelesinthe1920s),thushighlightingtheroleoftheurbanimaginationasanactiveconstituentofdetectivefiction.Finally,IoutlinehowAgainst the Day negotiates the relationship betweentheindividualandurbansocietythroughcanvassingthesegenericmodes.Inthiscontext,thenovelindicates,asIargue,thatthedetective‘swilltoknowthecityunwittinglyfosterstheplacelesslogicofaninformationeconomy.

Utku Mogultay studiedEnglishandSocialSciencesattheUniversityofCologneandtheUniversityDuisburg-Essen.He isadoctoralcandidate in the internationalPhDprogram“AdvancedResearch inUrbanSystems” (ARUS)of theUniversityofDuisburg-Essenandamemberoftheresearchproject“Spaces–Representations–Communities:UrbanTransformationsintheUSA”oftheRuhrCenterofAmericanStudies.Hisresearchinterestsincludemodernandpost-modernAmericanliterature,literaryandculturaltheory,filmandmediastudies,criticalspatialtheory,urbanstudiesandvisualculture.




Venues & How to Get There & Organizers

Venues

Ruhr-University Bochum University Duisburg-EssenMensabuilding,Level01,Tagungsraum2,Veranstaltungszentrum Casino–CampusEssenUniversitätsstr.150 Reckhammerweg344780Bochum 45141Dortmund

How To Get There

Bochum by car:TheRUBisbestreachedviatheA43.Justtaketheexit19(Bochum-Querenburg),followthesignsfor“Ruhr-Universität”and,oncethere,lookforthe(electronic)informationboards.WerecommendtolookforparkingonParkplatzP9.

Bochum by public transport:OnceyoureachBochummainstation,justtaketheU35headedtowards“BochumHustadt.”Aftera10minride,exitat“Ruhr-Universität”and,uponleavingthestation,headtotheright.Passingthe„Universitätsbibliothek“onyourleftandfacingthe“Audimax,“youwillseetheMensa.TheVeranstaltungszentrumislocatedintheMensabuilding.

Essenbylocalpublictransport(recommended):OnceyouarriveattheEssentrainstation,walkdowntothelowerfloor,whereyou´llfindthesubwayandtramlinetracks.Takethetramline101or105fromtrack1,directionBorbeckorFrintrop.GetoffatRheinischePlatz,whichisthesecondstop.Whenyougetoffthetram,you´llseeanescalatoronyourleftside.AttheendoftheescalatorturnleftagainintoRheinischePlatzandwalkacoupleofminutesalongGladbeckerStr.(thelargeroadwithpossiblyalotoftraffic).YouwillcrossUniversitätsstraßeandpassthemainUniversitybuildingtoyourleft.ContinueforoneminuteuntilyoufindReckhammerweg–thenextstreetonyourleft-handside.TurnleftintoReckhammerwegandthenleftagainintotheuniversityarea.You´llfindyourselfinalittleinternal“square.”TheCasinoisrightthere.

Organizing Team (in alphabetical order)

Anna Bongers(Ruhr-UniversityBochum)[email protected]

Sandra Danneil (TUDortmundUniversity)[email protected]

Dietmar Meinel (UniversityDuisburg-Essen)[email protected]

Sina Nitzsche (TUDortmundUniversity)[email protected]

Stephanie Nowitzki (Ruhr-UniversityBochum)[email protected]

Alexia Schemien (UniversityDuisburg-Essen)[email protected]


Senior Experts & Notes

NotesSenior Experts

Laura BiegerisProfessorattheDepartmentofEnglishandNorthAmericanStudiesattheAlbert-Ludwigs-UniversitätFreiburgwithafocusonAmericanliteratureandcultureofthe19th,20th,and21stcentury.ShestudiedatFUBerlinandUNCChapelHillandheldteachingandresearchpositionsatFUBerlin,UCBerkeley,andUniversitätWien.Amonghermanypublications,themostrecentareThe Imaginary and its Worlds: American Studies after the Transnational Turn(NewEnglandUP2013)andNo Place Like Home. A Narrative Theory of Belonging(forthcoming2015).Hermainareasofresearcharetheoriesofnarrativeandaestheticexperience,theoriesofcultureandmodernity,visualandmediastudies,Americanartandarchitecture,andAmericanpopularculture.

Heike BungertisaFullProfessorfor“NeuereundNeuesteGeschichteunterbesondererBerücksichtigungderNord-amerikanischenGeschichte”attheUniversityofMuenster.AfterstudyingHistory,English,andAmericanStudiesaswellasRomanceStudiesattheUniversityofRegensburg,Freiburg,andattheUniversityofNorthCarolinainChapelHill,sheobtainedherdoctorate in1995at theUniversityTuebingenon”DasNationalkomiteeundderWesten:DasNKFDunddieFreienDeutschenBewegungenausderSichtderWestalliierten,1934-1948.”In2004,shecompletedherhabilitationtreatiseattheUniversityofCologneonthetopicof”FestkulturundGedächtnis:DieKonstruktioneinerdeutschamerikanischenEthnizität,1848-1914,“whichwaspublished in2015.Herresearch interests includeethnic-,international-,andculturalhistory. Inaddition,Prof.Bungertalsopublishedon thehistoryofsecretservices,nativeAmericanethno-history,onhistoryandfilm,historyoftheuniversityandandtransnationalhistory.Currently,sheispartofthe“ExzellenzclusteronReligionandPolitics”attheUniversityofMuensterfocusingon“ZivilreligioninUS-amerikani-schenpatriotischenFeiertagenundInaugurationsfeierlichkeiten”andisworkingonahistoriographyofnativeAmericansintheUnitedStates.

Barbara Buchenau

dok Forum

Kornelia Freitag

Walter Grünzweig

Randi Gunzenhäuser

Jens Gurr

Josef Raab

Isabelle Steiner

Michael Wala

and all the other

helping hands...

Thanks (in alphabetical order)...

ruhrcenter of american studies presents 2015 …...2015/01/24 · ruhrcenter of american studies...

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