Necessary Entanglements of Postcolonial Queer

Whereas questions of gender already play a significant role within German Literary Criticism, queer theories and postcolonial theories have attracted attention only recently. Taking this into account this research project aims to develop a specific methodology and reading strategy that interconnects queer theories and postcolonial theories in an innovate way. Queer theories and postcolonial theories are grounded and explored from a literary perspective with respect to the mutual interdependency of cultural and sexual difference. This theory-based study unfolds itself on the basis of paradigmatic readings. The readings of literary texts and the theoretical impulses both enter in an oscillating relation with the aim of openening up a dynamic space of interaction between theoretical insights and literary exploration. The discussion and reflection of the intertwinement of sexual and cultural difference becomes productive along central concepts like identity, alterity, hybridity, center/periphery and `third space`. Starting from the thesis of the proliferation of differences and, hence, of the important interconnection of theories of difference, the project tries to rethink the central concepts of queertheoretical and postcolonial approaches - as developed by Homi Bhabha (cf. `third space`, `the bridge`, `the cultural staircase`) - in order to re-inscribe them into the postcolonial and queertheoretical discourse rendering them useful for German Literary Criticism. In the literary focus of the interplay stand texts in German language that both thematically address the connections between patriarchal and colonial discourses of power and describe and perform the construction and production of gender identities and cultural identities within the texts at the same time. In view of a meaningful and convincing spectrum of literary texts and taking into account both the possible thematic as well as the chronological frames, the following themes will be carried out: "Perceiving the `self` and the `other`, description and modelling of gender in the travelogues of the 19th century" with Ida Pfeiffer and Ida von Hahn-Hahn" - "The Orient as discursive and geographic construction and projection area of cultural difference and homoerotic desire with Franz Kafka" - "Aspects of postcoloniality and gender with Ingeborg Bachmann" - "postcolonial figurations of space and literary character`s constellation with Barbara Frischmuth" - "Literary situatedness and dislocation, negotiations of culture and gender with Dimitré Dinev und Anna Kim".