The Center of West-European Culture Studies conducts research on: history (especially social history), politics (or in a broader sense: elements of culture and history), as well as on literature, culture and arts of the countries which languages are offered in the study programmes of our Institute: Germany (and other German-speaking countries), Great Britain and Italy. Scientific research of the countries mentioned above, which on the one hand differ geographically, ethnographically, culturally and politically from each other, but on the other hand are derived from the Latin civilization and have common roots, was extended to Poland, which is not only a part of “Western Europe”, but is also located on the borderline between the Western and the Russian-Byzantine Eastern civilization. This location makes Poland as well a natural reference point for research (especially for comparative one) on the countries of Western Europe.
Furthermore, the term “culturology”, as a broader and less scientifically exploited one than “cultural studies”, inclines us to try to fulfil it with a new content, and perhaps in the course of time even with a new research paradigm.
The Center conducts research especially on the following areas:
- historical and contemporary cultural-literary relations in the countries of Western Europe (German-speaking countries, Poland, Great Britain and Italy);
- historical background of contemporary political relations (both bilateral and multilateral) in the countries within as well as outside of Western Europe;
- cultural transfer: exchange of values at the meeting point of cultures and literatures of Western Europe and their connections with the culture and literature of Poland;
- perception of literatures of Western Europe in Poland, as well as perception of the Polish literature in Western Europe;
- political philosophy, socio-political theories and methodology within the scope of social history and sociology of literature.
[Magdalena Latkowska]