CfP: “Communicating Russian Business in Fictional Discourses”

Conference at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business 22 – 23 November 2018

The conference will address representations of post-Soviet Russian business in fictional discourses in genres such as novels and poetry, film, tv-serials, video clips, theatre, visual arts, ‘high’ and ‘popular’ culture alike. The focus of the conference will be on the fact that any fictional discourse may reinforce or challenge norms, evoke criticism, bring into focus unexpected visions of people, objects and situations. In doing so, fictional discourses on Russian business affect reality rather than merely representing it. Analyses of such discourses necessarily trigger reflections on business cultures, values, norms and social practices, which is an indispensable prerequisite of successful intercultural business communication. The conference is designed as interdisciplinary, inviting participants from cultural studies, literary studies, theatre, linguistics, communication studies, management studies and other disciplines.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• narratives and representations of Russian business, business people, entrepreneurial practices, the everyday of business organizations in fictional texts;
• philosophies, ethics, cultures, images of Russian business, business people, and entrepreneurship as conveyed or implied by fictional discourses;
• class, ethnic, gender, sexual or other identity aspects of narratives and representations of Russian business, business people and entrepreneurship in fictional discourses;

The following plenary speakers have confirmed their participation:

• Prof. Evgeny Dobrenko (Russian and Slavonic Studies, Sheffield University)
• Dr. Marina Scharlaj (Institute for Slavonic Studies, TU Dresden)
• Prof. Natalya Vasilieva V. (Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Linguistics)

Please send your abstract (350 words excluding references) along with a short biographical note (no more than 50 words) to 22112018-3257@wu.ac.at

Papers in English, German and Russian are welcome.

Submission date for abstracts – March 10^th 2018

Notification of acceptance – April 2018

Organization: Angelika Hechtl, Edgar Hoffmann, Katharina Klingseis

CfP [PDF]