The problem of terminological precision in studies on cultural exclusion zones

Abstract

Studying cultural memory and practices of “oblivion” and “remembrance”, scholars encounter a whole range of phenomena which have remained nameless and practically undescribed in special literature so far and, therefore, are, in a manner of speaking, “illegitimate”. Moreover, to use well-established terminology inevitably means to employ traditional approaches, which due to their retrospective character aren’t able to recognize new phenomena. Thus, we should describe such phenomena and “bring them to light” by means of specific terminology. The paper introduces these fundamental terms, allowing for the description of previously unapparent cultural phenomena. The list of these terms includes “cultural exclusion zones”, “current (field) of culture”, “deactualization,” “reactualization”, and “cultural frontier (borderline) zones”.

Keywords

• semiotics of culture
• cultural exclusion zones
• cultural frontier (borderline) zones
• deactualization
• reactualization