An Inquiry into Cultural Semiotics: Germaine de Staël's Autobiographical Travel Accounts
Author
Summary, in English
By linking insights made by Alfred Schutz in his phenomenological sociology to those made in cultural semiotics, the importance of culture-bound types in human encounters has become clear. This is shown very neatly by Germaine de Staël's travel accounts, in particular when her own writings are confronted with the description of the same encounters by somebody else. Mme de Staël's writings were a result of being ideologically influenced by other texts, notably by authors of the Enlightenment. James V. Wertsch's theory (based on Bakhtin and Vygotsky among others) of written texts has been helpful when studying Mme de Staël's literary influences. Also, insights made by the Prague school have been equally important since they have pointed to the essential role of the receiver in the process of giving meaning to an artwork. Hence, the artist is influenced by the implied receiver in the making of the artwork.
The main conclusion drawn in this inquiry is that willingness and ability to establish a dialogue in cultural encounters is crucial for the understanding and/or appreciation of the Other. Germaine de Staël's point of departure in her cross-cultural meetings, as described in the writings by her and by others engaged in dialogue, was always the France she loved and identified with: the Parisian culture of salons at the end of the eighteenth century.
Department/s
Publishing year
2007
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Lund University Div. of Semiotics Department of Art History and Musicology Box 117 SE-221 00 LUND
Topic
- Languages and Literature
Keywords
- Phenomenological sociology
- Fenomenologi
- Contemporary history (circa 1800 to 1914)
- Phenomenology
- Humanities
- Parisian salons
- Humaniora
- Fransk litteratur
- Germaine de Staël
- Cultural semiotics
- Autobiographical travel accounts
- French literature
- Modern historia (ca. 1800-1914)
Status
Published
Supervisor
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISBN: 978-91-628-7109-3
Defence date
28 September 2007
Defence time
10:00
Defence place
Lund University Department of Art History and Musicology Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
Opponent
- Anders Marner (Docent)