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Based on an ongoing project, this lecture will put up for discussion a number of arguments about the role of literary studies in public debates. It will be argued that literary studies are currently not playing the role they might play in helping to understand current debates about key issues in pluralistic societies: what about populist challenges to liberalism and pluralism, the debate about identity politics or the limits of satire? What role can a better undestanding of the functions and effects of narrative play in understanding corporate marketing, political manipulation, the escalation of conflicts or climate scenarios? The lecture will show how key competencies in literary studies can be helpful here. We will mainly discuss contemporary cases, but will also seek to historicize debates by looking at precedents from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The lecture will not present established findings, but insights into an ongoing project. Participants are invited to join a debate about the their own field of studies! Materials for discussion will be made available electronically.
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