Archive Information
Collaborative Research of 2003
The Institute promotes innovative forms of collaboration among humanities scholars through the following programs:
Working Groups
The Institute supports a number of interdisciplinary
faculty working groups with funding and organizational help. Groups undertake
two-year collaborative programs, which can have distinctive shapes but
include at least three public presentations a year and eventually find
more permanent embodiment in a conference or publication. In 2002-03 the
Institute will provide support to two working groups focused on the following
topics:
Endangered and Minority Languages and Cultures
(led by Professors Brian Joseph [Linguistics, Slavic and East European
Languages and Literatures], Gregory Jusdanis [Greek and Latin]).
It is a commonplace observation
these days that English has essentially become the lingua franca of the
modern world. Similarly, on a slightly less broad scale, in numerous regions
around the world, other languages are coming to dominate on a somewhat
more localized basis, usually at the expense of other co-territorial languages,
e.g. Spanish in South America or Mandarin in China. Moreover, this
phenomenon is not an exclusively modern one, as the spread of Latin and
Greek in ancient times demonstrates. One outcome of the spread of one
language in an area is the loss or reduction of other languages, either
altogether, thus endangering them, or relegating them to minority status,
or both, though there are other paths to these outcomes. This working
group seeks to explore the causes and consequences -- for the languages,
the speakers, and the associated cultures involved -- of the processes
of language endangerment and marginalization both in the present and in
the past.
Religion and Violence (led by Professors Sarah
Johnston [Greek and Latin], Fritz Graf [Greek and Latin], Hugh
Urban [Comparative Studies], and Matthew Goldish [History]).
This working group will explore the propensity
of religions of all types--ancient and modern, from all parts of the world--towards
violence in the name of religion, both against members of other religions
and against members of their own who are perceived as deviant. The group
will address such issues as whether most religious systems have a natural,
inherent tendency towards violence (and if not, what else might encourage
violence); whether there are differences between monotheistic and polytheistic
religions in this respect, or between religions that focus on belief and
those that focus on practice; and how political systems could reinforce
or diffuse religious tension and thereby religious violence.
Visit the Web site of the program in Mediterranean Religions at http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/gis/course_list.php
Parallel Lines
Pairs of faculty engaged with similar issues are
invited to make presentations in an occasional brownbag lunch series.
40 colleagues have participated in the series to date.
How and Why Do We Research
This series of lunchtime gatherings profiles humanities
scholars explaining how they conduct their research and what motivates
them to do it. Both established and new colleagues are featured. The Institute
provides complimentary lunches for participants.
Visiting Lecturers
With departments and centers the Institute regularly
co-sponsors lectures by visiting scholars addressing topics related to
Institute themes.
Reading And Study Groups
Space and complimentary refreshments are provided
to reading and study groups meeting at the Institute. Any such group is
invited to use Institute facilities; so far groups this year include:
The Historical Linguistics
Study Group, a loosely affiliated groupof
faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate) who share acommon
interest in language change, language history, and language relatedness.
We meet periodically each quarter with a plannedlecture, usually
by a local faculty member or graduate student but occasionally by an outside
visitor, with ample time for discussion. Anyone who is interested is welcome
to come to the meetings to sharein the discussion. For information,
contact Brian D. Joseph (Linguistics and Slavic,
joseph.1@osu.edu), James Unger (East Asian,unger.26@osu.edu), or Gonzalo Rubio (Near Eastern, rubio.9@osu.edu). Folklore Student Association Graduate Reading Group
"Folk Drama" is the topic this quarter. For further information, please contact Elizabeth Nixon (nixon.45@osu.edu).
Members of the Folklore Reading Group
Humanities Book Club
The Institute this year will begin hosting informal,
brownbag faculty and staff discussions of various books, initiated by
Oversight Committee member Louise Antony.
Special Events
To be announced
