How Adaptation Studies can save the Humanities

Adaptation Studies and the Adaptation Studies and the Future of the HumanitiesFuture of the Humanities

Laurence RawLaurence RawBaşkent University, Başkent University,

Ankara, TurkeyAnkara, Turkey

• Current Issues in Current Issues in Adaptation StudiesAdaptation Studies

• Expanding “Adaptations” Expanding “Adaptations” Beyond BordersBeyond Borders

• Pedagogical ImplicationsPedagogical Implications• Futures for Humanities Futures for Humanities

EducationEducation

Current Issues in Current Issues in Adaptation StudiesAdaptation Studies

TheThe GhostGhost ofof FidelityFidelity has at last been laid to has at last been laid to restrest

Cross-Media Adaptation Cross-Media Adaptation (theater, film, television, (theater, film, television, etc.)etc.)

Adaptation and Adaptation and Convergence Cultures Convergence Cultures

BADadaptationBADadaptation Commercial Issues in Commercial Issues in

AdaptationAdaptation Cultural Issues in Cultural Issues in

AdaptationAdaptation

Susan Bassnett

““Much time Much time and ink has and ink has been wasted been wasted attempting attempting to to differentiate differentiate between between translations, translations, versions, versions, adaptations adaptations and the and the establishmenestablishment of a t of a hierarchy of hierarchy of ‘correctness’ ‘correctness’ [….] all texts [….] all texts are are translations translations of of translations.”translations.”(Susan Bassnett, Translation Studies (1990))

Susan Bassnett

CONFINING ADAPTATION

(Re-) Thinking (Re-) Thinking About About

AdaptationAdaptation

“Adaptation” only becomes significant in Europe & the USA with the introduction of copyright laws (1838, codified in the Berne Convention of Literary and Artistic Works (1928))

Definitions of “Adaptation” are historically and culturally constructed

MAINSTREAM CONSTRUCTIONS OF ‘ADAPTATION’ DOMINATED BY THE TRANSFER MODEL.

USED FOR IDEOLOGICAL PURPOSES (COLONIALISM, VALIDATION, HIERARCHIZING)

““Adaptation” as Adaptation” as liberationliberation (as opposed to (as opposed to “translation”)“translation”)

““Adaptation” as “Adaptation” as “writing backwriting back” to the west” to the west ““Adaptation” as Adaptation” as polysemypolysemy: “to get used to,” : “to get used to,”

“to get accustomed to,” “to suit a new “to get accustomed to,” “to suit a new purpose,” as in “adapting our native cuisine”purpose,” as in “adapting our native cuisine”

““Adaptation” as “Adaptation” as “pseudotranslationpseudotranslation” or ” or (Gideon Toury) or “(Gideon Toury) or “tradaptationtradaptation” (Michel ” (Michel Garneau)Garneau)

Alternative ConstructionsAlternative Constructions

“Adaptation,” irrespective of context, raises issues of languagelanguage and cultural politicscultural politics. A workable theory of ADAPTATION STUDIESADAPTATION STUDIES should be guided by such issues

Lech Walesa (1943-), former Chair of Solidarity in Poland

Adaptation, Psychoanalysis and Adaptation, Psychoanalysis and PsychologyPsychology

“when the work of interpretation [or adaptation] is completed we perceive that a dream is the fulfillment of a wish” (1913)

“In neurosis a piece of reality is avoided by a sort of flight, whereas in psychosis it is remodeled [….] [one must have] somatic feel” (1924)

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)(1856-1939)

“Adaptation is an equilibrium between assimilation and accommodation.” that creates a “new representation” in a child’s mind (1953)

Education in children Education in children “means making “means making creators” through creators” through adaptation: “You have adaptation: “You have to make inventors, to make inventors, innovators, not innovators, not conformists” (1979)conformists” (1979) JeanJean Piaget (1896-1980)Piaget (1896-1980)

In adaptation, individuals learn to “fit together,” and thereby consolidate their adaptive discoveries. Adaptation is free of conflict or repression; the means by which individuals define themselves in relation to their environment (1939, 1958)

Heinz Hartmann (1894-1970)Heinz Hartmann (1894-1970)

Adaptation isAdaptation is … …

• A creative process: not focused on outcomes but the ways in which people adapt;

• Both conscious and unconscious and involves the psyche’s four poles: wish, superego, ego and its reality;

• A means to define oneself in relation to environment

• The fulfillment of a dream

Adaptation as cultural politics: the role of consumers, producers and other stakeholders; cross-cultural adaptation; terminologies

Adaptation and Psychoanalysis

Adaptation and Adaptation and PsychoanalysisPsychoanalysis: : Emphasis on the individual Emphasis on the individual consumer as creative producerconsumer as creative producer

Laurence Raw, James M. Welsh & Dennis Cutchins, Redefining Adaptation Studies; The Pedagogy of Adaptation (2 vols) (Scarecrow Press. 2010)

Pedagogical Pedagogical ImplicationsImplications

HHow learners adaptow learners adapt Learners as creative producers creative producers fulfilling dreamsfulfilling dreams Classroom as site for inter- and cross-cultural Classroom as site for inter- and cross-cultural

negotiationnegotiation Top-down Top-down learning replaced by learning replaced by adaptiveadaptive

learninglearning

Adaptation Studies should focus Adaptation Studies should focus onon

Gurr 2011

EducationalLiteracies

LearningLiteracy

EmotionalLiteracy

PedagogicLiteracy

CurriculumLiteracy

MediaFluency

CreativityFluency

CollaborationFluency

InformationFluency

SolutionFluency

21st CenturyFluencies

AssessmentLiteracy

CriticalLiteracy

Adaptive Learning: Literacies and Fluencies (Gurr 2011)

LITERACIES are transferable skills extending beyond the bounds of subject discipline (e.g. IT skills, communicative, organizational skills).FLUENCIES are the means by which LITERACIES can be improved

Our Equation:Teaching Adaptation Studies → Acquire

Literacies + Fluencies → Develop Critical Literacy

Innovation

CriticalLiteracy

Synthesis Evaluation Analysis

Social & Personal Responsibility

Ethicality

Leadership

Accountability

Problem Solving

FlexibilityInitiative Self-Direction

Adaptability

ProductivityEngagement

Teamworking Participation

Reflection

Creativity

Gurr 2011

Browne [Lord Browne, author of Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education] implies that other subjects, especially the arts and humanities, are just optional extras. If students are […] willing […] to study them […] so be it; but if they’re not, then there is no public interest in having them. (Stefan Collini, London Review of Books, November 4, 2010)

Futures for Humanities Education

This concern for the larger picture of the student’s experience across the curriculum requires that we ask ourselves questions among the disciplines the students are learning [….] we as faculty must agree on the general outcomes we wants to see our students develop (Tim Riordan, Alverno College, Milwaukee (1993))

Three Modest Proposals for the future of Adaptation Studies:

Jonathan Swift, author of A Modest Proposal (1729)

1. Humanities Educators and Learners in different subject areas need to talk to each other and “adapt” their practices

““Adaptation Studies,” is practiced in Adaptation Studies,” is practiced in different disciplies in different waysdifferent disciplies in different ways

Proposal 22. We need to know more about how “adaptation” is practiced in different disciplines in different ways to develop literacies and fluencies

““Adaptation” is an essential part of lifeAdaptation” is an essential part of life

Proposal 3

3. Adaptation is a central process of human life and psychology. A visionary humanities educator should use this knowledge to create opportunities for their learners’ future careers.