| Summary: |
The Institute for Comparative Literature Margarida Losa (ILC) is a Research Unit that has been
developing its research work for almost 20 years. Stemming from the academy, this research
work has always been committed to activities of cultural extension and connection with the
community. The collaboration with national and international post-graduation programs has
always been a strong concern of the ILC. These different competences have ensured the ILC the
higher possible grades (Excellent and Outstanding), for respectively the periods between 2008-
2014 and 2014-present.
Hosted by the University of Porto, a highly ranked Institution, the ILC has always played a crucial
role widespreading and implementing the area of Comparative Literature in the North of Portugal.
Yet, this work has never been locally limited: on the contrary, it has consistently been
characterised by its international connections (mainly with the European and the American
continents). With 22 Full Members, the ILC team counts also with a very large number of
collaborators from Portugal and abroad, which has been crucial for the development of
collaborative interactions regarding international networks and projects.
The ILC subscribes a methodology founded on the guiding principles of the scientific field of
Comparative Literature, promoting also connected fields such as Cultural Studies, Post-Colonial
Studies, Interarts and Intermedial Studies, Feminist and Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Utopian
Studies and Food Studies.
The Unit was always organized around common denominators: Literature and Identities (2013-
2015); Literature and Frontiers of Knowledge (2015-). Thus, from 2013 to 2015, the main
research domains were: Liminarities, dealing mainly with the concepts of border, margin and
exchange, and Subjectivities and Sexualities, dealing mostly with the notions of personal identity
and enunciation, sexual identities, gender roles, and politics of the body. From 2015 on,  |
Summary
The Institute for Comparative Literature Margarida Losa (ILC) is a Research Unit that has been
developing its research work for almost 20 years. Stemming from the academy, this research
work has always been committed to activities of cultural extension and connection with the
community. The collaboration with national and international post-graduation programs has
always been a strong concern of the ILC. These different competences have ensured the ILC the
higher possible grades (Excellent and Outstanding), for respectively the periods between 2008-
2014 and 2014-present.
Hosted by the University of Porto, a highly ranked Institution, the ILC has always played a crucial
role widespreading and implementing the area of Comparative Literature in the North of Portugal.
Yet, this work has never been locally limited: on the contrary, it has consistently been
characterised by its international connections (mainly with the European and the American
continents). With 22 Full Members, the ILC team counts also with a very large number of
collaborators from Portugal and abroad, which has been crucial for the development of
collaborative interactions regarding international networks and projects.
The ILC subscribes a methodology founded on the guiding principles of the scientific field of
Comparative Literature, promoting also connected fields such as Cultural Studies, Post-Colonial
Studies, Interarts and Intermedial Studies, Feminist and Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Utopian
Studies and Food Studies.
The Unit was always organized around common denominators: Literature and Identities (2013-
2015); Literature and Frontiers of Knowledge (2015-). Thus, from 2013 to 2015, the main
research domains were: Liminarities, dealing mainly with the concepts of border, margin and
exchange, and Subjectivities and Sexualities, dealing mostly with the notions of personal identity
and enunciation, sexual identities, gender roles, and politics of the body. From 2015 on, these
domains evolved into a common project: LITERATURE AND FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE:
POLITICS OF INCLUSION. This project has three fields of action, each of them dealing with
different corpora of analysis, specific research questions and methodologies, and explored by
three internal and interconnected groups: INTER/TRANSCULTURALITIES, INTERMEDIALITIES
AND INTERSEXUALITIES.
INTER/TRANSCULTURALITIES explores, from a literary and aesthetic point of view, different
faces of contemporary Europe, as well as its linguistic and cultural plurality, so as to promote the
redefinition of national and international cultural policies. Exploring past and present mechanisms
of inter- and transcultural hybridisation, this field of action aims at problematizing Europe?s
imaginary margins and discussing new perspectives on literature and communities.
INTERMEDIALITIES explores the role of the literary phenomenon from an intermedial and
transmedial perspective, aiming at rethinking the principles that regulate the setting of welldefined
frontiers between the arts and also its transgression and/or overcoming. It also addresses
the ways through which Literature, particularly Poetry, has problematized the idea of Europe.
Thus, the relationships between Literature and Visual and Audiovisual Arts are considered, as
well as the poetics of resistance.
INTERSEXUALITIES aims at triggering a critical reflection about politics and power. Considering
that there are social groups lacking representation in a number of recognised political structures,
that there are subjects (human, literary) ignored or discarded, and that neither Sci |