Thresholds of liminality in literature, linguistics, philosophy and culture
University of Siedlce
Institute of Linguistics and Literary Studies
and
University of the Balearic Islands
Faculty of Philosophy and Art
would like to kindly invite all scholars from across the Humanities to take part in the
9th Annual Siedlce Forum for Contemporary Issues
in Language and Literature
to be held online for the purpose of presenting unpublished research findings in English on November 21st-22nd, 2024.
The leitmotif of the conference is:
Thresholds of liminality
in literature, linguistics, philosophy and culture
Although Arnold van Gennep initially introduced the notion of liminality in his work Rite de Passage (1909) as an anthropological term delineating the intermediate phase in different ritual transitions, it has subsequently been applied to several disciplines, including psychology, sociology, literature and linguistics, among others. Coming from the Latin limen, meaning “threshold” or “boundary”, the liminal may occur in various moments and situations.
In literature, liminality is commonly seen as the space where various and contrasting forms, ideas and concepts converge—such as life and death, the individual and society, fact and fiction, among several—and together they create a distinctive aesthetic encounter. Some genres, like the Gothic, have used liminality as one of their main motifs going beyond and exploring the possibilities it offers, such as the exploration of border and thresholds or transgression. Using such techniques alongside ample imagination and a good degree of fantasy, a literary text becomes an avenue to depart from our mundane reality, with its trivial—or not so trivial—concerns, responsibilities and routine existence, and enter a world where boundless possibilities unfold. That way, literature draws the line between the realm of the present reality, the “here”, carrying the tangible and factual aspects of the world, and the realm of fiction, the “there”, characterised by its departure from reality and its reliance on imagination.
Liminality is also a matter of significant importance and inquiry within the field of linguistics. As it refers to transition, uncertainty, and a state of being in between, liminality deals with, among other things, the question of boundaries and the degree to which categorical distinctions can be made in language description as well as the implications such blurred and unstable borders may have for understanding and describing the language. In the globalised world, contact between cultures opens enormous possibilities for language interference and change, leading to overlapping at its different levels. In the realm of cognitive linguistics, liminality relates closely to mapping cognitive content onto the appropriate language frame, with diversity in language corresponding to diversity in human conceptualization. Moreover, research in liminality may extend to the sphere of discourse and pragmatic prosody, meticulously examining the pragmatic, cultural, and discourse-functional aspects that exert influence on the usage of language.
Liminality, the concept of being in a transitional state or on the threshold between two distinct phases, has long captured the imagination of philosophers across various traditions. From ancient inquiries into the nature of existence and being to contemporary explorations of identity and uncertainty, liminality serves as a rich terrain for philosophical inquiry. Our conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and critical reflection on the philosophical dimensions of liminality.
We encourage participants to explore and share illuminating insights on the literary, cultural, and discourse-functional dimensions of liminality, thereby significantly enhancing our comprehension of the intricate nature of language and its profound impact on communication and the dynamics of culture.
Suggested Research Areas
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
- literary representations of liminality
- liminal experiences in literature
- liminal experiences within different literary genres
- symbolic meanings associated with liminal spaces and thresholds in literature
- narrative structures and techniques employed to depict liminal spaces and thresholds in literature
- archetypal representations of liminality in literature
- representations of liminality in popular culture
- diversity and similarity within a language and across languages
- connotative and associative meaning in social and cultural context
- liminal practices in translation
- overlapping in languages for special purposes
- figurative language
- idiomatic meanings and their motivation
- pragmatic and discourse-functional dimensions of meaning
- cultural aspects of language usage
- intercultural communication
- intercultural learning
- the metaphysics of liminality: exploring the ontological status of transitional states and thresholds
- liminality and identity: examining how liminal experiences shape individual and collective identities
- ethical considerations of liminality: reflecting on the moral implications of navigating transitional phases and ambiguous spaces
- phenomenology of liminality: analyzing lived experiences of liminal states and transitions
- cultural and historical perspectives on liminality: investigating how different cultures and historical contexts conceptualize and navigate thresholds of liminality
- the role of liminality in philosophical traditions: exploring how liminality is addressed in various philosophical traditions and schools of thought.
Plenary Speakers
Richard Jorge, University of the Basque Country
Marek Łukasik, Pomeranian University in Słupsk
The conference will be a virtual event. The organizing committee will do their best to ensure that all participants have the IT support they need to access the conference.
Oral Sessions
Each presentation will be scheduled for a 20-minute slot, followed by a 10-minute discussion.
Abstract Submission
An abstract of 200-300 words (including a bibliography) should be submitted by October 15th, 2024 in .doc or .docx format via e-mail to magdalena.wieczorek@uws.edu.pl. Your abstract must be accompanied by the following information: name of the author, title of the paper, affiliation, academic degree, research area and a biographical note of 60-80 words in length. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by October 31st, 2024.
The registration form will be available soon on our official site. If you wish to receive an invoice, please tick off the Invoice Box in the registration form.
Conference Fee
All participants are requested to return the registration form and pay the conference fee by November 10th, 2024. The fee is EUR 50 or PLN 230.
Publication
Submitted text proposals will be considered for publication either in the journal Forum for Contemporary Issues in Language and Literature or in a peer-reviewed volume. The texts will need to be submitted by February 15th, 2025 to katarzyna.kozak@uws.edu.pl. Further information concerning publication as well as submission guidelines will be available soon on the conference website.
The fee should be transferred to one of the following bank accounts:
Institution Name
Uniwersytet w Siedlcach
ul. Konarskiego 2
08-110 Siedlce, Poland
Bank Account for Payments in EUR
PL 84124026851978001014643201
SWIFT BIC: PKOPPLPW
Bank Pekao S.A. O/ Siedlce
Wojskowa 24, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
Bank Account for Payments in PLN
19124026851111000036563195
Bank Pekao S.A. O/ Siedlce
Wojskowa 24, 08-110 Siedlce
Title for the payment: Name, Surname 9th Annual Siedlce Forum
Please note that participants will cover all the costs associated with money transfer services.
Organising Committee
Edward Colerick (University of Siedlce)
Andrés L. Jaume (UIB)
Charlie Jorge Fernández (UIB)
Katarzyna Kozak (University of Siedlce)
Katarzyna Mroczyńska (University of Siedlce)
Agnieszka Rzepkowska (University of Siedlce)
Astrid Marie Schwegler Castañer (UIB)
Magdalena Wieczorek (University of Siedlce)