Under the Auspices of the University of Sfax,
The Faculty of Humanities and Letters of Sfax
&
The Laboratory on Approaches to Discourse
Organize a study day on
The ‘De facto’Trauma: a Narrative of Pain/Ethics
Saturday 16th December 2017
With Prof. Cathy Caruth (trauma specialist and theorist) as a keynote speaker
for the first time in Tunisia
If “the twentieth century can be defined as a century of trauma” (Felman 2002) so the twentieth century is the century of public mass trauma; with the dominant trauma related to extremism, terrorism and violence. Trauma theory is becoming extremely significant not only in literature but also in language and culture studies. The focus- in trauma theory-should be transposed from a ‘truth of trauma’ (Caruth 95), a ‘reality of trauma’ (Tal 96), trauma of denial and proclamation (Herman 92) and metaphors of psychic scars (Lukhurst) to de facto trauma: trauma in practice.
New issues and controversies have led to destabilize canonized trauma theory and question its future. Aside from Holocaust Studies, native and Afro-American literature, there are gaps in trauma studies(in concepts, application and PTSDs). Consequently the aim of this study day is to unearth novel experiences of trauma in practice, raise debates around trauma, memory, language, testimony and suggest trauma management measures.Participants can cover, but are not limited to the following themes:
-Trauma and Pragmatics
- Trauma, Terror and Terrorism
- Trauma and Narratology -
Trauma, Testimony and Discourse Analysis
-Systemic functional Linguistics and Trauma Theory
- Gendering Trauma
-Post-colonial VS. Western Trauma
- Trauma in the Humanities
-Mediatized Public Trauma ( Trauma and ICT)
- Trauma of the Displaced
-Trauma and Identity/Inter-Subjectivity
Abstracts of 300 words should be sent to: defacto.trauma@gmail.com before September 30th 2017. Notifications of acceptance/rejection will be sent on 07 October 2017.
Organizing Committee: Prof. MounirTriki, Dr. FatenHouioui, Dr. YosraAmraoui, ImenChmangui