Key research themes
1. How is the notion of fiction conceptualized and challenged within film and literature studies, and what implications does this have for audience perception and scholarly categorization?
This theme investigates the conceptualization of fiction as explored in film studies and literary theory, highlighting the limitations of text-oriented and indexical approaches to fiction films. It underscores the necessity of developing non-textualist accounts and theoretical frameworks that address the relationship between fiction, belief, and imagination. The theme matters because it addresses fundamental disciplinary assumptions—such as the fiction/nonfiction dichotomy and the belief-change function of fiction—and their ethical and interpretative consequences for audience engagement and scholarly categorizations.
2. How do literary and cinematic genres evolve and operate in contemporary media landscapes, and why does genre remain a crucial organizing principle despite technological and industrial transformations?
This theme explores the continued relevance and adaptability of genre classifications within literature, cinema, and digital media, particularly as distinctions between media forms blur. It investigates the ontological and pragmatic aspects of genre as both a flexible and contested category that shapes production, distribution, reception, and academic study. The inquiry is significant for understanding how media industries and audiences negotiate genre in environments marked by algorithmic recommendations, hybrid forms, and transmedia storytelling.
3. What roles do media innovations, intermediality, and performativity play in shaping literature and art’s production, reception, and cultural significance from historical and contemporary perspectives?
This theme investigates the intersections of literature, art, and evolving media technologies from the invention of writing to digital media. It addresses how transitions between media—oral, written, print, electronic—and intermedial practices influence cultural memory, artistic expression, and social power dynamics. Additionally, it considers performance as a vital locus of literary and artistic engagement, exploring how media specificity and spatiality affect narrative construction and audience participation. Understanding these processes illuminates the frameworks through which arts adapt and persist.