Philology, Politics, Society, from the Franco-Prussian War (1870) to the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and Beyond
Settori ERC:
Categoria di finanziamento:
Durata:
Recent studies are steering the paradigms of many traditional disciplines towards research perspectives that are less self-referential and more interested in exploring the historical context in which knowledge was produced. The SwarD project aims to provide the “knowledge society” with a digital archive of primary sources that highlight the connections between politics, society, and scientific activity: autobiographies, memoirs, activist writings, and letter correspondences of European scholars, covering the period from the Franco-Prussian War (1870) to the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989). The project focuses on prominent figures in Romance philology and linguistics (the “Pantheon"), selected also for their involvement in public life. The goal is to promote the study of philology and linguistics not only as research fields in their own right but as disciplines that emerged during a historical phase of nation-building, often driven by ideological purposes that were not openly stated, which should be highlighted to aid in understanding and interpreting the scientific work itself, as well as for their meaningful relevance in the contemporary world (see Expected Results). In accordance with the call for strengthened cooperation between universities and research bodies required by PRIN Call (D.D. no.104 of 02.02.2022), the development of the aforementioned digital library, which will include an advanced document management system, is based on the interaction between academic research in philology and linguistics and the digital innovation expertise of CNR-IRCrES, a partner in this project, together with the research units of the Universities of Catania, Cagliari, and Perugia Stranieri (see Team).
Purpose:
Objective 1, general. To make a significant contribution to the “knowledge society” by providing network users with a substantial archive of texts that are currently hard to find and/or not digitized (about 50).
Objective 2, general. To make the collected texts and documentation searchable through advanced search software.
Objective 3, specific. To highlight the social value and the “activist” nature of philological and linguistic sciences.
Objective 4, specific. To clarify the political intentions behind the formation of national cultural canons during the process of the birth and affirmation of nation-states, as well as during times of war or other critical moments in national histories within the chosen historical timeframe.
Attività / Fasi del progetto:
- Implementation of a thematic digital library divided into three "shelves": autobiographical and commemorative writings; political and activist writings; correspondence between scholars;
- development—in an innovative digital environment—of a repository for the advanced management and querying of documents;
- production of new knowledge, through the exploration of archives, the study and edition of unpublished primary sources, and the publication of open access critical essays (books and articles);
dissemination of research results at conferences, conventions, seminars, and on social networks.
From a technical standpoint, the first two activities/phases involve transferring texts in PDF format to a dedicated collection created within the Byterfly repository, managed by CNR-IRCrES, and using the innovative features of the Archipelago platform, an advanced documentation system developed by the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO) for the preservation and presentation of digital objects, reducing technological barriers to access and usability.
The specific tasks of the Perugia Stranieri research unit are as follows: - acquisition, scanning (in high definition), and transmission to the CNR-IRCreS research unit of texts to be included in the digital library, with particular reference, within the "Pantheon", to writings by Italian linguists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; - exploration of the Bruno Migliorini archive at the Accademia della Crusca; - collection and analysis, in annotated editions and critical essays, of documentation obtained through research on the scientific and civil commitment of Italian scholars in dialogue with leading figures of European linguistic and philological culture regarding the dynamics of the relationship between language, national communities, and social transformations; - (among other expected publications) cooperation with the University of Catania research unit for the selection, translation from German, and commentary on writings—with a nationalist or internationalist background—published during the Great War by the linguist Hugo Schuchardt and the philologist Leo Spitzer.
Risultati attesi:
The implementation of the SWarD project will contribute to the development of a "social history" of Romance philology and linguistics and, in a broader perspective, of humanistic culture.
Regarding the epistemic aspect, the project aims to consolidate the new trend emerging in Romance philology and linguistics, namely in studies that have begun to move away from the positivist and structuralist view of these disciplines as entirely autonomous and neutral systems of knowledge. This conceptual shift entails examining key topics, such as the uses of philology and linguistics, scientific "correctness," negotiation, compromise and self-censorship, perceptions of ethnic and national identity, relationships with politics, ideology, and power.
On a social impact level, the hope is that the new findings and debates promoted by the project will eventually influence decision-making processes concerning schools, universities, and foreign policy, with particular regard to cultural diplomacy. In fact, the search for sensible and shared solutions for the future of European identity cannot take place without a reflection that starts from history and helps address in the present such crucial issues as the relationship between researchers’ freedom and the political system; ethical guidelines for research and teaching; the organization of curricula and programmatic content across various disciplines, with particular reference to the humanities, in a globalized context where the aim is to counter the resurgence of nationalist conflicts and to educate to the values of European citizenship.
Pubblicazioni:
As of today (September 2024), the following products have been published:
COVINO, S. (2023 [but 2024]), Between Nationalism and Universalism: Dante in Two Writings by Ernesto Giacomo Parodi and Francesco D’Ovidio in the Years of the First World War, in F. Calitti, S. Covino, E. Terrinoni (eds.), The “Varying Fortune of Dante” in Italy and Europe, Alessandria, Edizioni dell’Orso, pp. 9-38. ISBN: 978-88-3613-448-9.
MANICHEDDA, P. (2024), Philology, Love and Freedom, Cagliari, UNICApress. ISBN: 97888-3312-147-5; e-ISBN: 978-88-3312-148-2.
Notizie / Eventi / In evidenza:
As part of the SWarD project, the conference “Philology, linguistics and politics in history and literature” will be held in April 2025 at the University of Cagliari.
Coordinatore:
Team:
UR STRANIERI OF PERUGIA
Prof. Sandra Covino
Dr. Paolo Rondinelli (contractor)
PROJECT PARTNERSHIP
UR1: University of Catania (P.I. Prof. Stefano Rapisarda);
UR2: University of Cagliari (Coordinator: Prof. Paolo Giovanni Maninchedda);
UR3: University for Foreigners of Perugia (Coordinator: Prof. Sandra Covino);
UR4: National Research Council (Coordinator: Dr. Edoardo Novello Lorenzetti)