Instability: Language(s) and Representations (in the Anglophone world), March 21-22 2024, Toulouse II University, France

The notion of instability, which evokes an absence of stability relative to a point or state of reference, can be understood both as referring to a non-fixed position, revealing a lack of maintenance or an imbalance, and as relating to movement. In this way, instability can be defined as the character of being mobile, moving, shifting, or moveable. But instability can also be fundamentally tied to temporality, in that it can be considered as unlasting and precarious, with the potential to deteriorate or be transformed. This leads us to consider the identity of an unstable element, begging the question of how a given element can stay the same if its characteristics are continually fluctuating or evolving. In turn, we may question the idea of instability being an intrinsic or extrinsic characteristic, since a domain or an element may be unstable by nature, or made unstable when destabilized by its environment. Negative connotations can be associated with the term “instability”, especially in psychology, though it is valued in some fields. In the arts, for example, the ephemeral character of certain objects can represent a point of appeal, since instability may be seen as a creative force. By setting the scene for play and possibilities, instability provides the subject with an emancipating freedom that unleashes it from linguistic standards or from the canon, thereby contributing to the establishment of new forms of expression. Stability, on the other hand, can lead to a certain stasis, a form of immobility. It would seem, then, that stability is likened to tradition (at the root of normalization processes), while instability can be associated with transgression (which may give rise to counter-cultures). The notions of stability and instability evidently reflect different means of relating to the world.

The notion of instability therefore raises a number of questions pertinent across and within the domains of language, translation, cognition, the arts, and literature, as well as when it comes to reception.

When it comes to language, instability regarding the evolution (or perhaps disappearance) of language forms is inherent to its functioning, and may be considered in relation to the question of potential resistance to change. The instability of meaning in synchrony is instrumental in phenomena such as deixis, polysemy and homonymy, which can be examined in relation to the impact they have on mutual understanding. Functional instability is also a fundamental aspect of language, surfacing in constant recategorization phenomena (e.g. grammaticalization). One could assert that the question of instability is ultimately integral to the very system of language, since it is characterized by the necessary features of deformability and plasticity. Phenomena of variation (especially in oral speech) can be observed in the transition from language to discourse. Indeed, the alteration of set phrases and ensuing efforts to play with words in various 5 discursive productions raises questions relating to interpretation or reception. This is also the case with double meanings (innuendos, euphemisms, metaphors) which sometimes lead to fluctuating interpretations.

In the field of translation, we can question the very status and interpretative stability of the original text, since the text is always subject to new readings and new interpretations made possible by the “language of continuation” that characterizes translation. One major question lies in the degree of proximity to the source text, illustrated by the difficulties involved in translating texts featuring, for instance, humour, puns, or slogans. The translation of minority voices also provides a source of fluctuation, paving the way for the destabilization of certain ideological legacies. Furthermore, the translator’s status should be considered, as well as the potentially precarious nature of their profession, constantly facing reinvention. This reinvention is visible in the emergence of non-professional translators, but also in the rapid developments in machine translation.

The place of artificial intelligence is, more generally, a source of destabilization in certain human practices and cognitive functioning, since humans rely, consciously or not, on machines, which leads to a transformation of our intellectual mechanisms. Our attention span is also impacted by new technologies, which distract individuals, or draw them in, raising the question of free will.

Instability plays a vital role in various artistic and literary strategies. The process of destabilization in literary texts in particular comes to mind, when texts contain, for instance, unreliable narrators, self-correcting voices, enunciative and referential blurring, shifting and unclearly marked points of view. Such destabilizing aspects provide stimulus for rich experimentation and even for the reworking of myths. The very term “representation”, involving “presenting again”, may lead to reflections around the gap between the reality of the represented entity and the ensuing imagined conception, in aesthetic approaches that may or may not subscribe to a mimetic tradition. The study of the political stakes of this gap allows us to take into account the potentially subversive dimension of the work, and the ideological context of such transformations or transgressions can be examined. Literature also frequently addresses the link between memory and identity, both of which are not necessarily stable, since they can evolve and reinvent themselves, and depend heavily on stylistic choices. In the field of theater, the transition from page to stage can constitute a major source of distortion. Moreover, the question of destabilizing representations, or the established order, lies at the heart of dramaturgy and of contemporary stagings. Accordingly, representations of the threshold, of the liminal, of the in-between are of major importance for the arts and literature whose practices and limits can be redefined.

Likewise, the question of intermediality offers rich material for reflection, but can also generate forms of blurring, leading to the hybridization of genres and, sometimes, to significant tension between tradition and countercultures. In audiovisual arts (and more specifically in TV series), new means of experimentation can result in the breaking of traditional codes, giving rise, for instance, to works that challenge the usual linear order and offer unique viewing experiences by reorganizing episodes according to receivers’ individual preferences. 6 For literary texts, as well as theatrical or audiovisual productions, and even ordinary conversations, the question of reception is a domain where instability prevails. The interpretation of the works necessarily leads to individual appropriation, which is in its turn influenced by the environment of the receiver. Although certain new media outlets are attempting to influence the way in which different works are interpreted, they can also be the target of distortion.

Deadline for submissions: 15 September 2023

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