Cultural Studies - A Routledge Journal

There are six book review contributions in Volume 39, Issue 5 of Cultural Studies. This post will introduce the first three, and it will be followed by a second post featuring the remaining book reviews.

The first three book reviews are:

1) “Breaking Through the Silence of Structural Heteropatriarchy,” the title of Mattie Hamilton’s review of “Complaint!” by Sara Ahmed

2) Vivien J. Bediako’s review of "Migration, Crisis and Temporality at the Zimbabwe-South Africa Border: Governing Immobilities” by Kudakwashe Vanyoro

3) Skyler Meeks’ review of "Black Iconoclasm: Public Symbols, Racial Progress, and Post/Ferguson America” by Charles Athanasopoulos

The first few sentences of these three featured book reviews can be read in the images above.

All six book reviews can be read in full in the online version of Volume 39, Issue 5 or found between pages 792-809 in the printed edition.

"Translating Familiar Stranger Into German: The Particularities of the Historical, Cultural and Political Context" by Victor Rego Diaz, Natascha Khakpour, Jan Niggemann, Ingo Pohn-Lauggas and Nora Räthzel is the second article included in Volume 38, Issue 6 of Cultural Studies, a special issue on "Stuart Hall in Translation."

Here is the abstract:
"The translation of Familiar Stranger by Stuart Hall into German was a particular challenge, especially with regard to the concept of race. Hall uses the term ‘race’ to fan out the countless cultural meanings, which are not covered by a homogeneous theoretical conception of race. The result is the ambivalent articulation of race – as well as of colour – which unites racist as well as emancipatory meanings in the same term. This ambivalent chain of meanings has no equivalent in the German language, as the conceptual history of race cannot be detached from the context of German fascism, either theoretically or in everyday language. Another requirement was the translation of gender, not because Hall problematizes this, but because the German language is a deeply rooted genus-typifying language. With some examples of translation, we want to show how we have tried, to consciously act in the space of the displacement of culture, to recognize the specific situatedness of the heterogeneous representations that Hall talks about in Familiar Stranger, and not to unify them in favour of a homogeneous German textuality."

The full text for "Translating Familiar Stranger Into German: The Particularities of the Historical, Cultural and Political Context" can be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09502386.2024.2403662

We look forward to sharing some information about the final few contributions to Issue 6 before transitioning into posts introducing Volume 39, which you can begin reading here: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcus20/39/1?nav=tocList

"Through a Southern Prism: Translating Stuart Hall Into Spanish," written by Eduardo Restrepo, is the second article featured in the current special issue on "Stuart Hall in Translation."

Here is the full abstract:
"Translation is an intellectual endeavour that requires engagement with authors and conceptual frameworks from different times and worlds. It is not a neutral or simple task of converting linguistic codes but a situated, partial, and interested process that goes beyond mere intellectual activity. In translating Stuart Hall into Spanish for a Latin American audience, specific challenges and interests arise, as detailed in this article. Three main challenges are discussed: preserving the contextuality and complexity of Hall's writings, resisting the temptation to simplify or academicize his work, and ensuring that translations facilitate meaningful cross-cultural exchanges. The article underscores the importance of understanding Hall's work as an intellectual and political project, deeply rooted in specific historical and cultural contexts, and argues for an approach to translation that remains faithful to these dimensions while making his ideas accessible and relevant to contemporary Latin American readers. Finally, the paper reflects on the political significance of translation, highlighting how ideas can transcend boundaries and enrich local debates. Hall's concepts, such as articulation, context, and conjuncture, are presented as valuable tools for understanding and intervening in the social and political realities of Latin America today. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing relevance of Hall's intellectual and political contributions and the need for translations that honour his legacy while engaging with the specific challenges and opportunities of our present moment."

The full text for "Through a Southern Prism: Translating Stuart Hall Into Spanish" can be found here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09502386.2024.2410753

Cultural Studies will be taking a two-week posting hiatus for the holidays, but we hope you will join us again at the beginning of the new year to learn more about the contributions featured in this special issue on "Stuart Hall in Translation," including two additional research articles and twelve book reviews.

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