The European Literary Field: Structures, Processes and Networks of Book Production and Translation in Europe

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Lahusen
• Subject Area: Sociological Theory
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 454018841

This proposal aims to engage in a sociological inquiry of the European literary field. The aim of this inquiry is to analyse processes and structures of cultural integration in an important field of cultural production, translation and circulation in Europe. Book markets are exposed to globalisation processes, which are strongly affecting the position of local authors and book producers, since they are subjected to competition that generates inequalities between language areas and book markets. Europe, however, is witnessing the emergence of its own field of literary production that seems to impact on these opportunities and constraints, even though we know very little about this field, its structures and consequences. The proposed project is anchored in the sociology of culture and Europe, and aspires to contribute to a better understanding of the European integration process and its consequences. The proposal puts its focus on translations, because the latter are key to understanding and analysing the structures and functions of the European field of literature. The project has two major objectives. First, we wish to gather systematic data on the scope and structure of the European literary field (e.g., intensity of cultural exchanges, inequalities between languages and countries, closure towards non-European areas). Second, we wish to better understand the (economic, political, social, cultural) forces behind the formation and structuration of the European literary field. At the same time, we wish to deepen our knowledge of the forms of cooperation and bargains, the rules and discourses patterning cultural exchanges within a field that is marked by a high degree of cultural diversity. The project proposes a work plan consisting of four work packages. The project will start with a review of available data and documents, and a series of expert interviews, in order to adapt our knowledge to the situation at the start of the project. In a second step, the structures of the European field will be systematically reconstructed and analysed by means of a standardised, statistical analysis of translated books. We will generate a dataset comprising all translated books over one year, and engage in a rigorous network analysis geared toward identifying the structures of translation flows and explaining them with reference to contextual indicators. In a third step, we will devote ourselves to the analysis of translation processes in order to unveil the cooperation, strategies, norms and discourses patterning the European literary field. For this purpose, we will resort to qualitative data and methods (interviews, document analysis, observations and situational analysis). Finally, the project will be dedicated to the synthesis and triangulation of findings across work packages, and the dissemination and publication of our research findings.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants