Research

The research carried out at the Section for Comparative Literature explores the theories, methods and history of literature and its cultural impact on criticism, on the media, on the book market, on teaching and other channels of research communication.  In principle the entire world literature is our domain, but we mainly concentrate on European literature or literature with a European background in terms of language and culture.
The field of study is under permanent change due to the development of new media, the changing role of literature in society and the ongoing processes of globalization. The Section works closely together with the other research units at the Department of Aesthetic Studies and the Faculty of the Humanities, and takes part in research projects with national and international partners. The homepages of individual researchers show their specific research interests ( staff members ) .

Research Domains

The main focus points of the Section are:

• Studies of literary and cultural history focusing on world literature, Romanticism, Realism, the relation between Nordic and European literary history, literature and urban culture, law and literature, literature and politics, Holocaust and a number of individual writers
• Literary Modernism and theories of Modernity, mainly concerning the period after 1850. Particular interests are related to canon formation, literary institutions and the circulation of literature in society
• Textual theory and analysis, comprising the cutting edge of theories and methodologies of literary studies combined with intensive analytical practice
• History and theory of genres with emphasis on prose genres, selected classical lyrical genres and the essay. Also the hybrid forms of 20 ^th century avant-garde movements occupy a central position
• History of criticism and literary historiography, including the theory and practice of literary criticism, the theory and practice of the writing of literary histories and scientific editions of important writers.
• Literature and digital media.

Our research is carried out by tenured academic staff and by post-docs and doctoral students working on individual projects. The education of doctoral students takes place in the Doctoral School in Arts and Aesthetics. Some research activities receive external funding, others are financed by Aarhus University as part of individual staff members’ research obligations. The research is publicized in various national and international publications, in conference papers presented in Denmark and abroad, in research-based teaching, and, in order reach a larger public, in popular publications, talks and interviews.

Research contexts

The research opens different perspectives in a variety of contexts:

• Local contexts: Both at the Department of Aesthetic Studies and the Faculty of the Humanities  researchers are active in research teams across disciplines. We work together in groups with subjects such as, globalization, travel literature, world literature, literature and politics, style.
• Other projects: A great deal of our research is carried out as individual projects, at times receiving external funding, and we act as members of Danish or international research teams and as contributors to publications. At present a series on world literature is being prepared together with publications on Romanticism, travel literature, law and literature, digital literature and avant-garde movements.
• Working papers: Part of our research appears in Danish and other languages in a series of working papers produced by academic staff, guest and graduate students. Issues are available for free at the department, or can be downloaded ( link ). Top-grade MA theses are published electronically ( link ).
• Scientific editions: Comparative Literature has a long tradition of publishing scientific editions of important writers. The department continues this line of work by publishing editions of Danish classics, literary criticism and text books for higher education.
• Teaching: An important object for university research is the development of form and contents of teaching in order to provide students with the most up-dated knowledge in the field. The continuous reforms of study programs therefore reflect the state-of-the-art in national and international research. Topics like world literature, literature and communication and the cultural functions of literature are an integral part of the study program and are developed through ongoing research activities together with traditional research-related disciplines like textual theory and analysis and history of criticism.
• Other contexts: The dissemination of our research outside the university is channelled through text books for high schools and secondary schools, re-education of teachers, public talks, reviews and committee work for ministries and municipalities.