132562 VO Minority Literatures in Society and Education in Finno-Ugric contexts (2022W)

For many minority languages, literature represents the most important public space: Poems and prose are also written and also published in languages that are otherwise hardly visible or present, for example, in the media, in administration or in commercial advertising. Literature, with its identity-forming function, can be used as a linguistic or ethno-political tool.

Particularly interesting questions arise in relation to the educational system, where literature is often closely linked to the teaching of languages, cultures and communication. Literary texts in minority languages are sometimes created specifically for the purpose of teaching or revitalizing the language, and in the teaching of minority literatures the established methods and tools of literature didactics are not always easily applicable.

Finno-Ugric minority languages and literatures offer a diverse field of research here: large and small minorities, ancient or traditional/regional minorities (ethnic groups) vs. different migrant groups and diasporas, established written and literary languages (such as Hungarian or Finnish) vs. languages where the written language has only recently been standardized.
This also raises the question about common characteristics: What can we make of the term minority literature?

In this lecture series, researchers from our institute and from other universities will look at the phenomenon of minority literature from different perspectives. All interested people also from outside Finno-Ugrian Studies are welcome - knowledge of Finno-Ugrian languages is not necessary!

The dates in detail (subject to change):
11 October: Johanna Laakso & Erika Erlinghagen: Introduction - Minority literatures from a linguistic perspective.

18 October: Erika Erlinghagen: Minority literature from a literary studies perspective - canon, literary historiography, literary criticism

25 October: Csilla Horváth (University of Helsinki): On the revitalisation and literarisation of the Mansic.

8 November: Heidi Grönstrand (Stockholm University): On Swedish-Finnish minority literature and multilingualism in literature.

15 November: Satu Grünthal (University of Helsinki): On the didactics of minority literature

22 November: Henna Massinen (University of Eastern Finland): Karelian-language literature in Finland

29 November: Ferenc Vincze (University of Vienna): On dealing with Hungarian minority literatures

6 December: Eszter Propszt (University of Szeged): Hungarian German Literature Didactics & Teacher Education for Minority Education in Hungary

13 December: Krisztina Molnár (Apor Vilmos Catholic College Budapest): Hungarian literature didactics and the promotion of "national consciousness" with regard to the minority context

10 January: Tünde Blomquist (Uppsala University): Hungarian literature in Sweden as migration literature and its didactics at Uppsala University

17 January: Boglárka Straszer (University of Dalarna): National minorities and national minority languages in Sweden & Language hierarchies and language rights in Sweden

24 January: Johanna Laakso & Erika Erlinghagen: Summary and Conclusion

31 January: Deadline for submission of lecture diary

Learning Objectives: Students will gain insights into the diversity of the phenomenon of minority literature as well as relevant research questions and methods.

Contents: Lectures by the course leaders and international guests from other universities (the program will also be published on the Finno-Ugrian Studies Department website), focusing on different minority literatures in the Finno-Ugrian area, from Hungarian minorities and diasporas to Siberia.