PhD Research (2012-2016):

'European Peripheries: stereotyping and (self)characterization in Spanish and South-East European cultural representations’

This project analyses the cultural responses from two European border regions - Spain and Balkans - to the resilient stereotypical images often portraying them as exotically not fully 'European', be it in negative terms in politics or economic affairs, or in positive terms when it comes to ethnic music (for example, flamenco and Gypsy music). Though the peripheries have been an object of cultural representation and stereotyping, the primary sources and the perspectives from the regions themselves are rarely investigated. These cultural voices need to be taken into account for processes of representation and identity formation are not a one way process.           

Supervised by Joep Leerssen and Guido Snel, this research works within the framework of imagology as it analyses canonical and influential literary texts and cinema, in order to understand the effects of dominant stereotypical images onto cultural 'bordering' and identity formation of both these 'peripheries' as well as European identity. To put it differently, this research investigates the complex, multidirectional relationship between social stereotypes, cultural production and identity formation of these border identities in the second half of the 20th century.

The corpus of the cultural objects (novels, films, essays, plays) I analyse in my research includes, among others:

Carmen (1983), a 'postmodern' adaption of Prosper Mérimée's novella from 1845, directed by Carlos Saura.

Paz Vega as Carmen in Carmen (2003), directed by Vicente Aranda.

La confesión de Carmen, a textual adaption of Mérimée's novella, by Román Gubern (2012)

Underground (1995) directed by Emir Kusturica, one of the most influential cultural objects representing former Yugoslavia in Europe in the 1990s.

Euralien (1998), a play written by Goran Stefanovski.

Europe in Sepia / Europa u sepiji (2014), a collection of essays by Dubravka Ugresic.

CV

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• Joep Leerssen (personal website)

• Joep Leerssen (UvA website)

• Guido Snel

• Imagology (image studies)

• European Studies (UvA)

• Waterland stichting
  redacteur
• No ancillary activities