Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Estudios Norteamericanos "Benjamin Franklin" Home

•   RESEARCH SEMINAR ON ECOCRITICISM 2010: “MOUNTAINS: REALITY AND SYMBOLISM”

GIECO held their annual seminar in the “Parque Nacional de Las Cañadas del Teide” from March 12th to 14th, 2010. The aim of this seminar was twofold. On the one hand, the scholars presented their works in progress during debate sessions as an exercise of exchanging their different perspectives about the mountain as a cultural and literary archetype. On the other hand, the members of the group had the opportunity to learn and discuss about the cultural meaning and implications of the Teide landscape. The seminar also became a useful tool to identify common fields of research among the members of the group, with special attention to the literary representation of the mountain.

•    RESEARCH SEMINAR ON ECOCRITICISM 2009: “LOCI LOQUENTES”

The second seminar of the GIECO research group was held in Huéscar (Granada) from October 22th to October 25th. Patrick Murphy, a well-known expert on ecrociticism and ecofeminism and also a member of GIECO, attended the seminar and offered a lecture entitled: “An Ecological Feminist Revisioning of the Masculinist Sublime.” He also took part in the different activities made during the seminar: the study of different ecocritical theories about space, the analysis and debate of Barbara Kinksolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible, and the field trip to the Sierra de la Sagra and the Cerrada de Catril. Murphy’s participation enriched the debate and favored the creation of joint projects.

•    ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION: 32nd AEDEAN CONFERENCE: “ECO-ALTERITY: ‘SCAPING’ DIFFERENCE IN AMERICAN LITERATURE”

Once again, the GIECO research group participated in the AEDEAN annual conference, which celebrated its 32nd year, in November 2008 in Palma de Mallorca. With Juan Ignacio Oliva as chair, the round table discussion “Eco-Alterity: ‘Scaping’ Difference in American Literature” was formed by Carmen Flys, Begoña Simal, Diana Villanueva and Irene Sanz. The main theme of the discussion was how the idea of otherness is expressed through landscape in the works of several American writers such as James Baldwin and Rudolfo Anaya, Shawn Wong, Daniel Quinn and Octavia Butler.

•    ECOCRITICISM SEMINAR IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OPORTO

The GIECO research group took part in the Ecocriticism Seminar held on November 25th 2008 in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Oporto (FLUP). Representing GIECO, Dr.Montserrat López Mújica presented a  study entitled: “Lectura ecocrítica de la novela Derborence de C.F. Ramuz.” The aim of this Seminar was to acquaint Portuguese scholars with this literary school and to open a future debate. For this purpose, specialists on different literatures (in French, Spanish and English) and on criticism were invited from France and Spain, countries where this theory is gaining more supporters. 

•    3rd BIENNIAL EASLCE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. ALCALÁ DE HENARES, OCTOBER 2008

For the past few centuries, and especially during the 19th Century, the contemplation of landscape has been the source of artistic inspiration. In the 21st Century, landscape has become a concern and an issue of socio-political debate, as illustrated by the European Landscape Convention, Florence 2000. The environmental experts of the Convention included the cultural dimensions of landscape in their definition: “Landscape refers to an area perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors”. Therefore, landscape is “the geological, ecological and cultural characteristics that can be perceived in a natural scene”. Perception, a key issue, directs us to the fields of Humanities and the Arts. The theme of the 3rd EASLCE Conference focuses on the role of landscape representation and perception, by studying its development in literature as well as in other arts. More specifically, we hope to put forth a new perspective in the socio-political debate by illustrating how the artistic and philosophical language has also represented (and continues to do so) the close link and relationship between human and non-human beings. This artistic discourse not only illustrates these relationships, but also influences and shapes perceptions and attitudes, and is thus, crucial in fostering environmental awareness.
   
•    RESEARCH SEMINAR ON ECOCRITICISM 2008: “ECOCRITICISM IN SPAIN”

GIECO will have their annual seminar in “Parque Nacional de Monfragüe” from April 4th to 6th, 2008. The aim of this seminar is twofold. On the one hand, the scholars will make a presentation of their work in progress in debate sessions as an exercise of exchanging their different perspectives. On the other hand, since ecocriticism rejects traditional disciplinary barriers -between sciences and arts above all- and is committed to environmental activism, there will be a lecture given by a scientist and walks along the park to broaden the environmental knowledge and awareness of the group. Another objective for this seminar is the identification of possible common fields of research among the members of the group.

•    ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION: 31ST AEDEAN CONFERENCE: “ECOFEMINISM: ESSENTIALISM, SHARED EXPERIENCE OR QUINTESSENTIAL ENVIRONMENTALISM?”

The research group GIECO organized a panel discussion in the 31st AEDEAN Conference held in November 2007 in A Coruña. The round table, “Ecofeminism: Essentialism, Shared Experience or Quintessential Environmentalism?” was chaired by Carmen Flys participants were Margarita Carretero, Diana Villanueva, Imelda Martín and Irene Sanz. The concept of ecofeminism was analysed in this round table, first from a theoretical point of view and then the conclusions were applied to actual examples such as the novel Desert Blood by Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Dawn by Octavia Butler and the PETA association campaigns against the use of animal skin.