| title: | Reflection of history and tradition in literary and autobigraphical discourse |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6150 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Tallinn University of Educational Sciences |
| head of project: | Mari Tarvas |
| duration: | 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2008 |
| description: | This project will investigate the reflection of history and tradition in different text genres, both in works of literature and autobiographically oriented texts (biographies, diaries, correspondence, etc.). The assumption is that giving meaning to life and heritage takes place in literature, incl. autobiography. This process will be described by specific examples from German-language literature, in particular Estonian-German cultural communication. Given that literature, and autoreflexive texts at its margins which are not meant for the public, emerge in an intertextual field which has to be comprehended in its traditional and historical connections, it will be attempted to investigate this process comparatively on the basis of German and German-Estonian subject matter. Hence, the project will serve as a research targeted at ethnic science, which, on the one hand, focuses on exemplary text analysis aiming to determine specific effective mechanisms of texts at different levels. On the other hand, the project is seeking to provide generalizing meta-descriptions in the light of the above. The first phase of the project will consist in the collection and systematization of source materials and conduction of small-scale pilot projects in order to work out an optimal model for describing the reflection of history and tradition. Thereafter a certain generalizing level is sought to be attained, still proceeding from specific text examples. To sup up, the objective of this project will be to investigate the processes that influence the development of identity and the images of the past in respect of an individual and a larger community. A hypothesis will be set up, according to which close interrelations between history, tradition and the manner of writing exist, both at collective and individual levels. Thus the traditional subject matter will be approached from a novel cultural-historical point of view and the so-far unused sources will be exploited in the treatment of cultural-historical discourse. It has been envisaged to organize two international symposia under the project. Active participation in international conferences will be sought, to introduce the research results and discuss the issues with colleagues. Further, two thematic collections will be published. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Aigi Heero | TPÜ / EHI | lecturer | |
| 2. | Maris Saagpakk | Tallinn University of Educational Sciences | lecturer | |
| 3. | Mari Tarvas | Tallinn University of Educational Sciences | Ass. Prof, Head of German Departmet at the Tallinn Pedagogical University | |