2013-2014 Topic: tba

Seminar Facilitators: to be announced

How can the humanities effectively contribute to public discourse on social and political issues, as well as to the larger world of academe? Can humanities scholars remain honest to the complexity that characterizes scholarship in the cultural disciplines while navigating the push for simplicity that comes from outreach to a broader audience? What is the relationship between work that explicitly serves a particular constituency and work that indirectly informs the cultural milieu and language that shape public debate? How can we, from within the academy, contribute to a “living intellectual world,” in Simone de Beauvoir’s evocative phrase?

This seminar aims to expand the definition of the public humanities as it supports discrete research projects by Carleton faculty members engaged in humanistic research in any academic discipline. It assumes that all arts and humanities scholarship lies somewhere on a continuum between the “pure” and the “applied,” and that scholarship all along that spectrum can contribute to important conversations with a variety of audiences. In an era of shrinking financial and cultural support to the humanities, we can all benefit by making the case for our work beyond our immediate fields of study.

We are seeking colleagues whose individual research projects compel them to look for answers to these and similar questions.  Faculty members who have already crafted an essay or artist statement for a public audience may be working to transform such a piece into an article for an academic journal.  Others whose work is currently directed at specialists in their own field may be seeking to recast projects so as to meaningfully engage a broader readership.  In the tradition of Carleton humanities seminars, this seminar is not constituted simply as a reading group around these issues.  It is an intellectual space in which scholars can relate their individual research projects to each other and to larger questions of audience. As such, it is important that applicants describe the specific research project they will pursue in relation to the broader questions raised by the common readings and discussions.

Readings

tbd.

The Seminar will meet once every two weeks during the academic year to discuss common readings and individual research and creative work. Participants will also plan a symposium (panel, mini-conference, lecture series, exhibition, or major visiting speakers) for 2014-15. A $500 book budget will be available to the group, and Seminar participants will receive $2000 for their participation.

Faculty Fellows: tba.

Director or Co-Directors: tba.

Participants: tba.

How to apply

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