Minority Literatures in Society and Education (MILISE)

An International Research Network

Minority studies is a wide-ranging field of research, that deals with an essential aspect of social coexistence, namely the way minorities are treated from a historical, political, cultural, social, economic, and institutional perspective.

Especially for Finno-Ugrian studies, which deals with a variety of cultures living in different minority contexts, minority studies are a central field of research from both a linguistic and literary viewpoint. Of course, the different minorities live under partly completely different circumstances - be it with regard to the political circumstances, their linguistic situation or the framework conditions of their identity formation processes. But it is precisely a comparative approach that makes it possible to put findings in relation with each other and develop best practice examples that can be used outside the academic context as well.

For this reason, the Minority Literatures in Society and Education (MILISE) research group was founded, in order to build up an international network dedicated to minority studies focusing on questions of identity, literature and education. The geographical framework for the discussion can be defined as “Intermediate Europe” or the zone between the big empires in Europe, in the vicinity of the Great East and at the border of Western Europe.

The research group brings together international researchers who look at various aspects of minority literature and minority education from different perspectives and disciplines and would like to examine different approaches more closely and discuss them together. Crucial questions and main research areas of the researchers involved are:

• Identity (Questions of Belonging, Identity and Community Building /…)
• Literary History from a minority perspective / Canonization of Literature
• Involvement of the minority itself
• Pedagogical aspects (Literature & Language teaching / Usage of literature in teaching / pedagogical concepts / minority teacher education / …)
• Minority Policy / Cultural and Education Policy as Minority Policy

The research group is interested in an open, interdisciplinary exchange and welcomes new members, renowned and younger researchers alike to join the network that wants to function as a platform for facilitating future collaborations.

Main goals of the research group are:

• Bringing together research on various aspects of minority literature and minority education, which is usually conducted separately

• Using the thematic breadth of the research work of its members to establish cross-spatial, cross-epochal, and cross-disciplinary connections

• Promoting networking among researchers who are conducting research on various aspects of minority literature and minority education on an international level to foster the exchange of ideas and cooperation

• Supporting the preparation of applications for third-party research funding

• Making the research of its members more visible