FR 4.3, Department of British, North American, and Anglophone Literatures and Cultures

In the present experiments we extend previous findings that established a relationship between feeding behavior and hypothalamic serotonin as measured by in vivo microdialysis. The new result is hypothalamic release of serotonin in anticipation of eating when the animal sees and smells food. We have now verified brain serotonin peaks in four different ways: 1) a serotonergic reuptake blocker (fluoxetine 1 or 10 microM) in the perfusion medium raised basal levels of serotonin, 2) every sample was oxidized at two potentials using a dual potentiostat to confirm the voltage characteristics of each peak, 3) serotonin peaks were reduced by the selective serotonin cell body agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), thus helping confirm that most of the serotonin observed in these experiments was neuronal in origin, and 4) lateral and medial hypothalamic microdialysis probes were used simultaneously to monitor the degree of diffusion from one to the other. The results show that extracellular serotonin increases at both sites during preingestive events as well as during eating, but not afterwards.

Wie sprechen wir über Menschen, die nicht den heteronormativen Vorstellungen „Mann-Frau, heterosexuell“ entsprechen? Die Sprache liefert uns Vorschläge, aber was genau bezeichnen diese eigentlich und wie sind sie zu verstehen?
Ein Blick auf diese Bezeichnungen macht deutlich, wie Sprache und gesellschaftliche Wahrnehmung sich gegenseitig beeinflussen.
Nicht nur die Bezeichnungen verändern sich im Laufe der Zeit. Es entstehen immer neue Bezeichnungen und vorhandene Bezeichnungen unterliegen einem Bedeutungswandel. Aber auch die bezeichnete Realität selbst ist keine starre Einheit.
Nach Betrachtung des sprachlichen Repertoires ist zu überlegen, ob ausreichende sprachliche Möglichkeiten vorliegen oder ob Lücken offen bleiben und was die verwendeten Bezeichnungen bzgl. der Wahrnehmung und Wertung von Nicht-Heteronormativität aussagen.

@ Queering Translation - Translating the Queer Conference
27 March 2015
Centre for Translation Studies
University of Vienna

In this paper, I would like to draw the attention to the Queering potential of lexicography and to try to shed light on heteronormative traits and traps in this field.

In this paper I outline verbal humor and irony in LGBTIQ designations, i.e. in name giving among and by LGBTIQ+ persons and also terms about them. My analysis focuses on personal nouns used in a humorous way both for LGBTIQ+ persons and straight/heterosexual persons, both used within LGBTIQ+ communities to refer to other group members or to outgroup persons and also used in heterosexual/heterosexist/homophobic discourse. I examine instances which are structured by heteronormativity as well as cases in which heteronormative thinking is overcome or deconstructed, in which humorous personal nouns are used for exclusion and serve as markers of otherness. Also aiming to identify who is targeted and in what ways humorous designations are used to downplay persons, I outline similarities and differences between humorous personal nouns used in heterosexist/heteronormative discourses and those used within LGBTIQ+ communities. The aim of this paper is to show how the humorous aspect of such personal nouns is constructed and what role it plays in transmitting and understanding certain semantic aspects.

This paper aims at bringing together queer approaches and lexicography, i.e. a critical heteronormativity research within the field of theoretical lexicography and practical dictionary making. The analysis focuses on power and authority in dictionaries. Power and authority do not only influence the process of dictionary making but are also produced by the dictionaries themselves. The author supports these theoretical reflections with practical examples taken from existing dictionaries. Furthermore, she outlines the influence of heteronormative power structures and refutes the dictionaries’ alleged objectivity. - See more at: http://www.gendersexualityitaly.com/potere-e-autorita/#sthash.GvijF8RJ.dpuf

Wörterbücher bilden Sprache ab, mit dem Anspruch einer objektiven Darstellung der dadurch widergespiegelten Welt. Doch sind solche Wortschatzsammlungen tatsächlich so objektiv beschreibend, wie sie vorgeben - bzw. können sie es überhaupt sein? Eva Nossemwirft einen kritischen Blick hinter die "Instanz" Wörterbuch.

Dienstleistungen rund um Sprache sind ein boomender Markt, mit immensem Volumen. Der Kuchen zwischen den „Language Service Providers“ (LSP) und Freiberuflern jedoch ist ungleich verteilt, die Rollenzuweisung von Opfern und Ausbeutern ein (gut gepäppeltes) Klischee. Unternehmen wie das junge Lingotransfair gehen dagegen an und und setzen auf kooperative, nachhaltige Lösungen. Eva Nossem und Myriam Caminiti über die Entstehung ihres Unternehmensmodells.

Talk at the IGALA9: Time and Transition Conference, City University of Hong Kong (May 20th, 2016)

The  impressive  success  of  ‘queer’’s  career  is  due  to  its 
experiences in traveling and transitioning, both over time and
space.  In  its  time  travels  within  the  English  language,  it  has 
adopted  a  considerable  range  of  meanings  and  connotations, 
from  the  original  pejorative  aspect  to  a  proud  self-definition. 
New meanings and connotations, rather than substituting prior
ones, have added up to the semantic content, thus opening up
‘queer’’s enormous semantic potential. However ‘queer’’s career
paths do not only move in temporal directions, they also reach
beyond linguistic borders, thus I will argue that also for ‘queer’
time and space are relate

Talk at the 10th BAAL Language, Gender and Sexuality SIG Meeting Language, Discrimination and Conflict. University of Nottingham (April 27th, 2017)

In this paper, I aim to outline correlations between dictionaries and discrimination. By examining various dictionaries and their historical developments, I will draw the attention to how words, especially labels, referring to so-called “minorities”, i.e. social macro-categories as women, LGBTIQ* persons, etc. have been lexicographed. Also in dictionaries, discriminating discourses can be found, for example, in terms of discriminating style or even in the form of silencing non-dominant voices. Thus it is my aim to show how dictionaries not only reflect, but also (re)produce and reinforce dominant discourses. As both a producer and a product of the dominant discourse, dictionaries mirror and promote social and cultural changes and can contribute significantly the production or elimination of violent and discriminatory discourses in society. Considering this role and weight of the dictionary, the attention shifts to the lexicographer, its producer. Even though some lexicographers rose to fame thanks to their creations, as e.g. Noah Webster or Samuel Johnson, many other remain invisible. But, I argue, the lexicographer is not so much a “harmless drudge” as Johnson himself wanted to make us believe, but the producer of a powerful, authoritative tool. It is the lexicographer who has the power to (re)produce and strengthen or to modify discourses, and hence to reinforce or dismantle discriminatory and violent discourses. Lexicographers can wield influence on a subtle level by promoting their point of view under the guise of “common sense”, or explicitly take a stance and elucidate their positionality and take a stance against violence and discrimination and for a more inclusive and language (use) and a fair society. I argue for a queering of lexicography in order to bring to light the possibilities and limits of lexicographers and dictionary making.

Talk at the Lavender Languages & Linguistics 24. University of Nottingham (April 30th, 2017)

In this paper, I aim to bring together queer approaches and lexicography, i.e. a critical heteronormativity research within the field of theoretical lexicography and practical dictionary making. I will draw the attention to the queering potential of lexicography and focus on dictionaries, which commonly enjoy the status of “objective”, often unquestioned authorities. My analysis will show how heteronormative discourses are reflected in dictionaries and will critically question the lexicographer’s normative work and role. I will shed light on oppositions and contradictions in the field of dictionaries and dictionary making. I will elaborate on how expectations and claims made towards dictionaries, both by dictionary users and by lexicographers, can be mutually dependent but partially also contradict each other. The argumentation will show how these claims and expectations are influenced and determined by norms. These norms can be of lexicographic or linguistic nature, as for example good practices in lexicography, spelling and grammar rules, and many more. Though often neglected and hardly ever explicitly mentioned, social norms also play a highly influential role in the processes of dictionary making. In this sense, I outline the influence of heteronormative power structures and refute the dictionaries’ alleged objectivity. In my analysis, I will pay attention to the role dictionaries play as reference works and as authoritative sources in the production of knowledge and power. Power and authority do not only influence lexicographical decisions but are also produced by the dictionaries themselves. My theoretical reflections are supported by practical examples taken from existing dictionaries.