Topic & Aim
The research group will establish an interdisciplinary forum for research into the historical, political, religious, and literary narratives that permeate all cultures, both past and present. The topics range from religious myths, legends, and fairy tales to chronicles, historical works, and political ideologies, as well as cultural imaginations and fictional narratives. These will be addressed from overarching methodological and theoretical issues, while the researchers’ knowledge from their respective special fields will be brought into play, resulting in new shared insights. The group’s activities will focus on three problem areas that are interwoven but can still be distinguished as specific.
1. Narrative & Community
The stories a culture tells about itself and the societies and cultures that surround it shape its communities. Some narratives bind people together across generations. Others are the focal point for more punctual and specific communities. Some communities are upheld by a nostalgic narrative of an idealized past. Others, conversely, are constituted by a critical attitude towards this type of narrative. With a theoretical basis in, among other things, critical heritage studies, we examine how such narratives are created and maintained, and who has the power to define what is considered a valuable narrative. By analyzing these dynamics, we gain a deeper understanding of how narratives shape communities and identities, and through awareness of the power structures behind the creation and maintenance of cultural narratives, we lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and critical approach to heritage.
2. Narrative & Information
Narrative is a fundamental element in the information society’s exchange of knowledge and ideas, whether this exchange concerns current political conditions, historical events, celebrity culture escapades, or new scientific breakthroughs. Narratives provide context and meaning to all the data that constantly circulates and help integrate this information into existing frameworks of understanding. But if all information is narrative, all narrative is also information. This means that any narrative, regardless of form, carries a wealth of information that can be analyzed and interpreted. With a theoretical basis in, among other things, humanistic information studies and narrative historiography, we examine the relationship between different forms of information, how information is created, communicated, and received within a cultural and historical context, and how narratives are constructed and what role they play in our understanding of both the past, present, and future.
3. Narrative & Change
Awareness of the historical, political, religious, and literary narratives that characterize different cultures at different times, and the critical examination of their origins and influence, is crucial both for assessing which narratives should be preserved and for creating new and better narratives that open up new perspectives and possibilities. With a theoretical basis in memory studies, postcolonial studies, ecocriticism, and Anthropocene studies, we examine, among other things, how artistic and literary narratives can contribute to creating a more nuanced understanding of the past, present, and future, which can lead to positive changes in society, but also how many historical, political, religious, and scientific narratives stem from societal engagement and a desire for change.