Representations of Gender in Slovenian Literature

Students acquire the knowledge and skills to read and interpret constructions and representations of gender identities in the imaginary of a literary text and to develop the ability to transfer critical readings of texts to other fields where a critical approach to interpreting texts is also important. They are able to make value judgements about literary texts, taking into account the author's relationship to the theme of gender relations, using theoretical insights from feminist and gender studies theory. They are aware of the problem of gender as an important element that constitutes the social and symbolic order at different levels, with particular emphasis on its role in literary texts. In this way, they develop a sensitivity to the hidden mechanisms by which traditional value hierarchies in the field of gender identities are created in texts.

Study of the subject is vertically integrated with other literary-historical formations in the core courses on Slovenian literature, while horizontal integration of the knowledge offered by other literary-historical courses is also necessary.

The course is related to the course on Feminist Literary Studies and assumes knowledge of these theories. The lectures include a presentation of individual high-profile foreign and Slovenian debates on gender representations in literature. Through images depicting female and male gender roles that question whether these are mere representations or are social constructs, the lectures also deal with the question of specific narrative procedures and genres, how the gendered subject is represented in specific literary works and on film, and vice versa, and to what extent gender representations in literature, film, and the media have an impact on the actual construction of gender identities and norms.

The students acquire basic notions in the field of literary history that is related to gender studies. They are able to critically discuss literary periods, movements, trends and to ciritcally think about the relation between sex/gender and the writing process.

• Silvija Borovnik: Samorastnice v Samorastnikih. Sodobnost 41/1993, 11—12, 995—1005. E-version
• Silvija Borovnik: Tema ženske v prozi Mire Mihelič. V: Marko Kravos (ur.): Mavrica nad zapuščino. Ljubljana: Slovenski center PEN, Ljubljana: 2000. 21—34. Catalogue
• Blanka Bošnjak: Vloga stereotipov v sodobni slovenski kratki prozi. Jezik in slovstvo. 50/2005.1. 25-36. E-version
• Katja Mihurko Poniž: Materinstvo kot umetnostni motiv in njegova upodobitev v povesti Samorastniki. Jezik in slovstvo. 46/2000/01 1—2. 5-18. E-version
• Katja Mihurko Poniž: Drzno drugačna. Zofka Kveder in poodbe ženskosti. Ljubljana: Delta, 2004. Catalogue
• Katja Mihurko Poniž: Labirinti ljubezni v slovenski književnosti od romantike do druge svetovne vojne. Ljubljana: Sophia, 2008. Catalogue
• Katarina Tomazin: Strindberg, antifeminizem in slovenska literatura. Primerjalna književnost. 20/1997. 1. 21-42. E-version
• Alojzija Zupan Sosič: Na literarnem otoku Berte Bojetu. Jezik in slovstvo 43/1997/98,7—8, 315—330. E-version
• Alojzija Zupan Sosič: Spolna identiteta in sodobni slovenski roman. Primerjalna književnost. Letn. 28, št. 2 (2005), str. 93-113. E-version
• Alojzija Zupan Sosič: Homoerotika v najnovejšem slovenskem romanu. Jezik in slovstvo. 50, št. 3/4 (maj- avg. 2005), str. [5]-16. E-version
• Metka Zupančič: Feministična proza: miti in utopija. Primerjalna književnost 18/1995, 2, 1—6. E-version

Seminar work 70 %
Oral exam 30 %

Prof. Katja Mihurko Poniž, PhD is an Associate Professor in Literature and a dean of the School of Humanities of the University of Nova Gorica. Her research interests include: women writers, intercultural contacts, representations of gender, digital humanities and history of Slovenian women’s movements.

References:

MIHURKO PONIŽ, Katja. Od lastnega glasu do lastne sobe : literarne ustvarjalke od začetkov do modernizma. Ljubljana: Beletrina, 2021. 477 str., ilustr. ISBN 978-961-284-758-6.
159. MIHURKO PONIŽ, Katja. Literarna ustvarjalka v očeh druge_ga : študije o recepciji, literarnih stikih in biografskem diskurzu. Nova Gorica: Univerza v Novi Gorici, 2017. ilustr. ISBN 978-961-7025-02-6, ISBN 978-961-7025-03-3. http://www.ung.si/sl/zalozba/, http://www.ung.si/en/publisher/.
MIHURKO PONIŽ, Katja. Der Bruch mit der literarischen Tradition : Weibliche Identitätskonzepte in Zofka Kveders multikulturellem Œuvre. Germanoslavica. 2016, jg. 27, nr. 2, str. 37-64. ISSN 1210-9029. 8. MIHURKO PONIŽ, Katja. The reflections of feminist ideas in novels and short stories by Slovenian women writers. Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne. 2016, no. 11, str. 143-156. ISSN 2084-3011.
MIHURKO PONIŽ, Katja. Labirinti ljubezni v slovenski književnosti od romantike do II. svetovne vojne, (Zbirka Sodobna družba, 2008, 20). Ljubljana: Sophia, 2008.