HomeInsects, “bichos” and other “bugs” in the literature of the Americas (19th to 21st centuries)

HomeInsects, “bichos” and other “bugs” in the literature of the Americas (19th to 21st centuries)

Insects, “bichos” and other “bugs” in the literature of the Americas (19th to 21st centuries)

Insectes, « bichos » et autres « petites bêtes » dans les Amériques (XIXe-XXIe siècles)

Insectos y otros «bichos» en la literatura americana (siglos XIX-XXI)

Insetos e outros «bichinhos» na literatura das Américas (séculos XIX-XXI)

“Amerika” n°29

« Amerika » n°29

«Amerika» n°29

«Amerika» n°29

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Published on Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Abstract

This call aims to bring together works that question the representation of insects and other “bichos” in literature aimed primarily at young people, in the Americas. Scrutinized especially through the prism of European culture, the insect appears small, repugnant, sometimes useful (the bee), sometimes an example of tenacity and courage (the ant). What about its place in the American space? Do indigenous cultures deploy discourses and images referring to a unique relationship to the world of “bugs”, different from or linked to those of European cultures? How does the study of “bugs” allow us to deepen our knowledge of the relationship with nature in the Americas and to identify avenues for educational action based on works published for young people?

Announcement

Argument

In conjunction with the seminar “Bugs in children's literature” of the research and study group on written culture and societies (GRECES) of the CELLAM team (Rennes2 University), this call aims to bring together works that question the representation of insects and other “bichos” in literature aimed primarily at young people, in the Americas.

The insects in nursery rhymes and stories, fables and myths, stories and documentaries, are part of the “bugs” which have inhabited our childhood and crossed our readings. Together with other animals they compose a real and imaginary bestiary which is an integral part of our cultures. For several decades, while the consequences of the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources have become more visible, the public has become alarmed by the impact of climate change on their daily lives and insects have entered the media sphere. In 2008, Hubert Reeves returned to Albert Einstein's undoubtedly apocryphal assertion that the fate of humans is linked to that of bees, and concluded: "this sentence, whatever its version, conveys an important message: the fate of humanity is linked to that of pollinators. And these are mainly insects, including bees.”

Since then, the extinction of insects has become particularly topical, as an indicator of the threats to the environment and our societies. This context has given a new life to research on the links between literature and ecology which emerged following the publication of Rachel Carson's work, Silent Spring, in 1962. “Animal studies” (Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, 1975), zoopoetics (Anne Simon, 2010), and ecocriticism explore in particular what Carlos Aldunate Balestra calls “the ecological factor” (2001), that is to say, “the clear and constant conscience of the radical interconnection between human life and the environment, and of the most urgent responsibility to respond to the crisis of survival faced by the planet.” Beyond the study and analysis of discourses and representations, the question of environmental education becomes more urgent than ever.

The United Nations have set a goal for 2030: to ensure that all students acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to promote sustainable development. Education is thus mobilised to raise awareness of the current environmental problems and encourage new attitudes towards nature and living things. This action on behaviours cannot exist without a reflection on the influence of fantasy, stories and constructions stemming from the relationship between man and his environment in singular cultures and spaces.

Monographs on insects in literature are rare. In 2022, L’insecte au miroir des livres pour la jeunesse, directed by Christiane Connan Pintado, offered a set of studies revealing the presence of insects in children's literature, questioning the influence of genres and literary forms on such studies and proposing a reflection on the symbolic issues of the encounter between insect and man. Scrutinized especially through the prism of European culture, the insect appears small, repugnant, sometimes useful (the bee), sometimes an example of tenacity and courage (the ant). What about its place in the American space? Do indigenous cultures deploy discourses and images referring to a unique relationship to the world of “bugs”, different from or linked to those of European cultures? How does the study of “bugs” allow us to deepen our knowledge of the relationship with nature in the Americas and to identify avenues for educational action based on works published for young people?

Proposals for communications must address one or more representations of insects or other “small creatures” (arthropods) and favour works for young people, but other bodies of work may be accepted if they correspond to the following areas of work:

Proposals for communications must address one or more figures of insects or other “small creatures” (arthropods) and favor works for young people, but other corpora may be accepted if their study can fit into the following indicative axes:

  1. Origins, avatars, creations: studies on the genesis and evolution of representations of insects, associated images and values, and on the links between childhood and nature in children's literature, in different languages ​​and geographical areas and what they reveal about cultures and imaginations. Recent creations and articulation with inherited stories.
  2. Edition, circulation, exchanges: articles on translations, editions, reissues and rewritings of stories about insects from indigenous, European, Asian cultures or elsewhere, in the Americas.
  3. Popularization, education: Articles proposing a reflection on the dialogic link between literature understood as a field of fiction and the popularization of science and/or a questioning of the uses and scope of books for young people featuring insects, and on the educational use that can be made of it, within the framework of environmental education policies deployed in the countries of the American continent.

We also accept papers for our for our “Miscellaneous, Interviews, Opinions, and Reviews” section.

Submission guidelines

Abstracts and articles must be in one of the four American languages: English, Spanish, French or Portuguese. It is preferable to submit the abstracts in English. The instructions for the authors regarding the presentation of the texts are found here.

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words long, and should include the following information: name, scientific affiliation, desired publication section (Dossier, Mélanges, Varia/opinions, Entretiens, Comptes-rendus) and five keywords. 

They must be sent to cellam-amerika@univ-rennes2.fr and catherine.sablonniere@univ-rennes2.fr

before 15 September 2024.

Publication schedule 

Scientific committee

  • Catherine Sablonnière, MCF, Université de Rennes 2
  • Anaïs Fabriol, MCF HDR, Université de Rennes 2
  • Néstor Ponce, PR Émerite, Université de Rennes 2
  • Editorial committee of Amerika

Date(s)

  • Sunday, September 15, 2024

Keywords

  • insectes, Amériques, petites bêtes, littérature jeunesse

Contact(s)

  • Anaïs Fabriol
    courriel : cellam-amerika [at] univ-rennes2 [dot] fr

Reference Urls

Information source

  • Anaïs Fabriol
    courriel : cellam-amerika [at] univ-rennes2 [dot] fr

License

CC0-1.0 This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.

To cite this announcement

« Insects, “bichos” and other “bugs” in the literature of the Americas (19th to 21st centuries) », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, https://doi.org/10.58079/126mr

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