Online Sociality and Literary Representation: 1,17 million DKK

Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

Description

In today’s world, social media are ubiquitous; they permeate work, leisure, culture, finance, and politics to an extent that has made leading an offline life increasingly difficult, if not downright impossible. Meanwhile, contemporary literature and art abound with depictions of how our daily lives increasingly unfold online. This project investigates how literary representation helps us understand the effect of new media on friendship and community – an underdeveloped yet promising area of study. Informed by literary theory and philosophy, I will study novels, essays, and poetry that describe online sociality. The project centers on the following research questions: How do contemporary works of literature describe the relation between social media and modern friendship? And how can we – based on literary representation – define the concept of friendship in a world heavily influenced by social media connectivity?
Granting OrganisationsCarlsberg Foundation