LIMEN - Journal for theory and practice of liminal phenomena
Liminality as a phenomenon (subject of study) and as a specific term (part
of the methodological organon for the contemporary social sciences and
humanities) for some time now has been broadly accepted in traditional
cultural anthropology, but also among scholars working in the area of
cultural studies, post-colonial studies, political studies, media studies
and gender studies. The term itself derives from the Latin word limen,
meaning threshold, a term used in psychology to indicate the limit between
the sensate and the subliminal (the level below which a sensation ceases to
be perceptible).
Building on Mircea Eliade's concept of division of human experience in
sacred and the profane, Victor Turner introduced a third value: a 'liminal
space' as a space of transformation between phases of separation and
reincorporation. It represents a period of ambiguity, of marginal and
transitional state. Similarly does Arnold van Gennep, while describing
rituals of transition. For Gennep, liminal or threshold world is a space
between the world of status that the person is leaving and the world of
status into which the person is being inducted. In post-colonial studies,
for Edward Said, but especially for Homi Bhabha, the liminality is important
as a category strongly related to the concept of cultural hybridity. For
Bhabha, liminal as an interstitial passage between fixed identifications
represents a possibility for a cultural hybridity that entertains difference
without an assumed or imposed hierarchy.
The concept of liminality as a quality of "in-between" space and/or state is
of the outmost importance in describing some of the most interesting and
highly specific social and cultural phenomena: the transcultural space, the
transgeographical space, the transgender space etc.
The initiative for the new independent peer-reviewed on- and off-line
journal named Limen is coming from the region which itself fit into the
category of liminal (Central and Eastern Europe), being a politically
transitional space, and a marginal space of specific cultural landscaping.
It is proposed by the "liminal generation" (generation in-between industrial
and post-industrial, socialism and capitalism etc.) of scholars, academics
and independent thinkers living and working in different countries of the
area. This fact should make the whole project more meaningful and innovative
particularly in terms of 'globalization from below'.
The journal is open to any article in cultural theory, a case study or
review regarding the "in-between" subject or methodological perspective.
This includes the broad range of subjects: from analysis of mixed and hybrid
identities, minority and exilic discourse, the transage phenomena, border
phenomena in politics, history, cultural geography, comparative studies in
literature, art etc.
The journal will be issued twice a year and made available via the Internet
offering a worldwide distribution at no cost to the readers. Once a year
classical hard copy with selection of articles will be published, with
abstracts in Croatian and Italian language.
Sections of the journal will be: research articles, critical articles and
reviews of books, web sites, exhibitions, conferences etc. Limen aim to be
interdisciplinary, so discipline-specific terms should be used sparingly and
explained either parenthetically or in footnotes.
Every article will undergo a peer-review by independent scholars working in
the field.
Limen will not promote unification of textual strategies proposed by Chicago
Manual of Style or any similar set of internationally established rules. All
submissions to Limen should be mailed to the editors as an attachment in MS
WORD for Windows or Macintosh format.
At the first instance please send one-page abstract by October 1, 2000. The
deadline for the completed paper is February 01, 2001. If you would like to
discuss your project before submission please contact the editors by email.
Hard copy with texts from first two on-line issues to be published by the
end of 2001.
Address submissions or inquiries to:
Aljosa Puzar
Lj. Matesica 19
HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
aljosa.puzar@ri.tel.hr
Igor Markovic
Buconjiceva 39
HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
igor.markovic@excite.com
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From the Literary Calls for Papers Mailing List
CFP@english.upenn.edu
Full Information at
http://www.english.upenn.edu/CFP/
or write Erika Lin: elin@english.upenn.edu
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