Annual interdisciplinary conference “Horizons”

PERIPHERY: AGAINST THE MAINSTREAM

An Interdisciplinary Conference for English Philology MA and PhD Students

Department of English at Nicolaus Copernicus University

Academic Association for Doctoral Students at the Department of English

Toruń, 16 November 2018

Program

In the cultural context, the periphery is often understood as the opposition to the mainstream culture, known and recognised by the majority of a given community. Therefore, although the periphery is a part of a cultural system, it functions partially outside of it, located on the border between being acknowledged and being obscure. The relations between the mainstream (the centre) and the periphery are often tense and marred with misunderstandings. Yet, despite all the differences between the two, a distinctive feature of the centre/mainstream-periphery binary is the fluidity of its boundaries exemplified by the constant shifting of theories and the works of culture from the periphery to the centre and vice versa.

Following our earlier explorations into horizons and what lies beyond them in 2016 and 2017, the aim of the upcoming interdisciplinary conference is to provide space for discussion of the way in which the binary opposition mainstream-periphery functions in contemporary society and culture and how it is approached in the academic context.

The conference organizers extend their invitation to academics representing different fields, including but not limited to cultural studies, cross-cultural studies, film and theatre studies, literary studies, linguistics, methodology of teaching English, and translation. In order to accommodate to the needs and interests of the participants, the conference will be divided in two major panels: the Cultural Panel (encompassing cultural studies, cross-cultural studies, film and theatre studies as well as literary studies) and the Linguistic Panel (encompassing linguistics, methodology of teaching English and translation).

The list of suggested fields for the Cultural Panel includes the following, but is not limited to:

• representations of peripheries in the mainstream and vice versa
• shifting of theories and works of culture from peripheries to the mainstream and vice versa
• the relationship between mainstream and alternative cultures
• the relationship between popular culture and high culture
• the history of interactions between the mainstream and the periphery
• new emerging theories (in the mainstream and on the peripheries)
• alternative modes of expression (non-belonging to the mainstream culture)
• giving voice to the peripheries
• the role of minorities and diasporas in the mediation between the periphery and the mainstream
• revisions of anthropocentric perspective and approach to culture
• discussing the oppositions between the dominant and the subordinate (humannon-human, culture-nature, coloniser-colonised, etc.)

The list of suggested fields for the Linguistic Panel includes the following, but is not limited to:

• instances of the periphery and the mainstream in (applied) linguistics (i.e. linguistics, methodology of teaching English, translation studies)
• shifting of theories and works of (applied) linguistics from the peripheries to the mainstream and vice versa
• the relationship between the peripheries and the mainstream in (applied) linguistics
• the history of interactions between the mainstream and the periphery in (applied) linguistics
• new emerging theories (in the mainstream and on the peripheries)
• the means of expressing the periphery and the mainstream in (applied) linguistics

Proposals of papers (up to 20-minutes followed by 10-minute discussion) between 150-200 words should be sent by 20th September to our e-mail address: currentsjournalumk@gmail.com and include the following: the name of the author, their academic title, affiliation, title of the presentation, and between 3 to 5 keywords.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 25th September.

Conference fee is 50 PLN and covers the costs of conference materials, coffee breaks and lunch (optional). The conference should be paid by 15th October. Account number for bank transfer will be provided upon the acceptance of proposal.

The conference is to be held on 16th November 2018 at the Department of English, NCU in Toruń, Poland (Collegium Humanisticum, ul. W. Bojarskiego 1 in Toruń). After the conference selected papers will be published in the peer-reviewed volume.

Further details on the conference will be provided in the second circular.

Organising committee

dr hab. Edyta Lorek-Jezińska

mgr Joanna Antoniak

mgr Paula Budzyńska

mgr Julia Siepak