Imagology as a Part of Compartive Literary Studies

• Main Author: Ryachikova E. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University 2018-07-01
• Series: Слово.ру: балтийский акцент
• Subjects: comparative studies; imagology; image; self — other opposition
• Online Access: https://journals.kantiana.ru/slovo/3945/10976/
• ISSN: 2225-5346; 2686-8989

The author explores the genesis and evolution of imagology as a field of comparative literary studies abroad, considering ideas of G. M. Carré, M. F. Guyard, A. Dima, D. H. Pageaux, H. Dyserinck and paying particular attention to the modern approach presented by J. Leerssen, a well-known representative of Western imagological school. The author analyzes the main ideas of Leerssen's updated conception “Imagology: on using ethnicity to make sense of the world” published in 2016: the thesis about interdisciplinary nature of images, the threefold procedure of an ethnotype's analysis, "frame/trigger" approach, irony and meta-images. The author describes some aspects of imagological studies in Russia. The author analyzes interpretations of the term “imagology” of such Russian researchers as A. R. Oshchepkov, V. A. Khorev, N. P. Mikhalskaia, E. V. Papilova, V. B. Zemskov, O.Iu. and O. A. Poliakovy. It is underlined that for Russian researches the main dilemma of imagology can be formulated in the following way — should imagology exclusively analyze the images of the "other" or selfimages as well. Consequently, in the Russian studies there is still no generally accepted definition of the term imagology. The article describes recent tendencies in the imagological studies in Russia. The author holds that imagology has a significant potential for development and the subject of this field of science can be extended due to intensifying interactions between different national cultures and literatures.