What are the crisis that comparative literature face?

Answer 1

Comparative literature was relatively quick to adopt a variety of critical theoretical positions that are now accepted in most humanities and communication fields. The crisis came in that the uniqueness of that theoretical contribution was not exclusive. The empirical side of comp lit, namely translation and translation studies is still strong, although as the uniqueness of comp lit to the general humanities declined the necessity of maintaining distinct departmental identities, and remaining apart from the language/culture programs themselves greatly diminished.

The crisis from the lack of disciplinary cohesion is not faced by comparative literature alone. The vision of the post-World War 1 university with separate branches of knowledge is in decline due to the recognition of the fiction of disciplinary convention and economic factors making the consolidation of department structures desirable. In this sense, comp lit faces the same crises that other humanities, Social Sciences, and arts face in that the idea of cohesive disciplines is fading fast.

Now, how will comp lit survive? The only thing that holds most disciplinary structures together is an emphasis on professionalization and gatekeeping, if the discipline uses the strength of the translation side to maintain professionalization, they will effectively transition. If they attempt to hold onto the glory days when they were theoretical trail blazers, they will be torn apart.

Answer 2

Some of the crises that comparative literature faces include questions about its methodological approaches and relevance in an increasingly globalized world, challenges in defining its boundaries and scope, and concerns about the decolonization of the discipline to ensure diverse voices and perspectives are represented. Additionally, there are ongoing debates about the role of translation, technology, and interdisciplinary studies within comparative literature.