ACLA Conference Panel: Cultural Mis/Myth/Translation

[Madelaine Hron]

sorry for the previous empty, missing message. Obviously a mistranslation... ;-)

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Cultural Mis/Myth/Translation

Panel proposal for ACLA conference (April 15-18, 2004 at the University of
Michigan)

     This panel explores the paradigm of cultural translation and the problems
inherent in translating values, languages and/or cultures, focusing especially
on the role of cultural myths, misunderstandings, mistranslations and/or
omissions. Strictly speaking, all comparative scholarship across cultures can
do nothing but translate. Similarly, the historical past, socio-cultural
politics and national or ethnic identity are “all in the translation.”

     What are implications of specific cultural misunderstandings? How have
cultural myths and mistranslations shaped history, societies and politics? How
do politics, power relations and/or the market economy influence cultural
mis/myth/translations? How do cultural mis/myth/translations create the image
of writers, texts and/or literary canons?  What is the role of emotion,
affectivity and/or creativity for the cross-cultural subject, writer or
interpreter? How to characterize the methodology and/or ethics of cultural
translation? Can cultural misreadings be constructive? How can cultural myths
be resisted, re-appropriated and/ or re-turned? These are but some of the
questions that we hope to address in this panel.

Topics to consider (other suggestions welcome):
-       transmitting/transforming cultural myths, stereotypes &
misunderstandings
-       cultural (myth)misconceptions in history and politics
-       cultural (myth)misunderstandings in the Bible, ancient texts or oral
texts
-       cultural (mis)interpretations of visual and musical texts.
-       cultural translation in the legal forum, religion, science and
technology
-       “feeling culture”: cultural translation and the (missing) role of
affect, emotion, trauma or pain
-       the culturally untranslatable, ineffable, omissions and/or mistakes
-       cultural politics, cultural capital and/or cultural censorship
-       ethnocentrism, logocentrism, linguistic imperialism, and/or the
literary canon
-       mimicry, hybridity, syncretism and/or métissage
-       creoles, pidigins and/or multilingualism
-       translation in indigenous, multicultural and global contexts

Papers on lesser-known languages and cultures and pre-modern topics are
particularly encouraged. All participants must become ACLA members to attend
conference.

To be considered for this panel, please Email a 300 word abstract to Madelaine
HRON, at mhron at umich.edu, no later than August 12th, 2003.

Madelaine HRON,
Dept of Comparative Literature
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
mhron at umich.edu

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