Vytautas Kavolis
Encyclopedia
Vytautas Kavolis was a Lithuania
n born American sociologist, literary critic, and culture historian.
and then in the US. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
and the University of Chicago
, receiving his master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University
. He then taught at Tufts University and Dickinson College
; he was Charles A. Dana Professor of Comparative Civilizations and Professor of Sociology at Dickinson from 1964 until his sudden death in 1996. During this time he also served as a visiting professor at the The New School
in New York City
and at Vytautas Magnus University
in Kaunas. He founded and edited the Lithuanian-American journal Metmenys, was a board member of several Lithuanian-American organizations, and the main ideologist of Santara-Šviesa.
Kavolis was a member of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations
, serving on its executive board from 1974 to 1977 and as its president from 1977 to 1983. He was the recipient of Lithuania's 1993 National Prize for Culture and Art. Professor Kavolis was awarded a doctorate honoris causa by Klaipėda University
in 1995.
He authored more than a dozen books and numerous scholarly articles published in the US and Lithuania. Most of his work was published in English
.
Kavolis was especially interested in the conflicts between nationalism
and liberalism
, drawing upon his experience as a member of two cultures. His work often used the resurgence of Lithuanian nationalism in the early 20th century and its re-appearance after Lithuanian independence in 1990 as a case study. Kavolis expressed a guarded optimism that modernization and globalization
could co-exist with nationalism, including the nations of Islam
. His concept of "the polylogue of civilisations" was cited by Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
at a 2001 UNESCO
conference in Vilnius as guidance for Lithuania's future:
Kavolis' literary criticism embraced, and contributed to, postmodern and postcolonial perspectives.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n born American sociologist, literary critic, and culture historian.
Biography
With his parents, Kavolis left Lithuania in the wake of the Soviet occupation in 1944, living first in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and then in the US. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, receiving his master's degree and doctorate from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He then taught at Tufts University and Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
; he was Charles A. Dana Professor of Comparative Civilizations and Professor of Sociology at Dickinson from 1964 until his sudden death in 1996. During this time he also served as a visiting professor at the The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and at Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University
Vytautas Magnus University ) is a public university in Kaunas, Lithuania. The university was founded in 1922 during the interwar period as an alternate national university...
in Kaunas. He founded and edited the Lithuanian-American journal Metmenys, was a board member of several Lithuanian-American organizations, and the main ideologist of Santara-Šviesa.
Kavolis was a member of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations
International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations is an international scholarly organization dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of civilizational issues...
, serving on its executive board from 1974 to 1977 and as its president from 1977 to 1983. He was the recipient of Lithuania's 1993 National Prize for Culture and Art. Professor Kavolis was awarded a doctorate honoris causa by Klaipėda University
Klaipeda University
- Overview :The University was formally founded on January 1, 1991 by a decree of Seimas . The new university incorporated existing institutions of higher education in the city. At its inception, it comprised 3,000 students and three faculties...
in 1995.
He authored more than a dozen books and numerous scholarly articles published in the US and Lithuania. Most of his work was published in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Kavolis was especially interested in the conflicts between nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, drawing upon his experience as a member of two cultures. His work often used the resurgence of Lithuanian nationalism in the early 20th century and its re-appearance after Lithuanian independence in 1990 as a case study. Kavolis expressed a guarded optimism that modernization and globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
could co-exist with nationalism, including the nations of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. His concept of "the polylogue of civilisations" was cited by Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus was President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.In Lithuania, the President's tenure lasts for five years; Adamkus' first term in office began on February 26, 1998 and ended on February 28, 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the next...
at a 2001 UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
conference in Vilnius as guidance for Lithuania's future:
Kavolis' literary criticism embraced, and contributed to, postmodern and postcolonial perspectives.
Books
- Artistic Expression - A Sociological Analysis. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press 1968, was translated into Swedish and Spanish in 1970. Chapter 5 was translated into German in 1979 and Chapter 9 was translated into Lithuanian as "Meno stilius, kaip religijos ypatybiu projekcija," Kulturos Barai, 1993, No 2-3.
- History on Art's Side: Social Dynamics in Artistic Efflorescences. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press 1972.
- Editor, Designs of Selfhood, Rutherford, NJ: Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984.
- Co-editor, with E.V. Walter, E. Leites, M.C. Nelson, of Civilizations East and West: A Memorial Volume for Benjamin Nelson. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press 1985.
- Epochų Signatūros (Epochal Signatures). Chicago: Algimanto Mackaus knygu leidimo fondas, 1991.
- The Trajectories of Consciousness: Modernization Aspects of Lithuanian Culture. Chicago: Algimanto Mackaus knygų leidimo fondas, 1986.
- Kultūros dirbtuvė (Culture Workshop). Vilnius: Baltos Lankos 1996.
- Kultūrinė psichologija (Cultural Psychology). Vilnius: Baltos Lankos 1995.
- Nepriklausomųjų kelias (The Road to Independence). Vilnius: Versus Aureus, 2006.
Articles
- Models of Rebellion: An Essay in Civilization Analysis. Comparative Civilizations Review, No. 3 (Fall 1979).
- Artistic Expression: A Sociological Analysis. American Sociological Review, Vol. 35, No. 3 (June 1970)
- History on Art's Side: Social Dynamics in Artistic Efflorescences. Contemporary Sociology, Vol. 2, No. 6 (November 1973)
- Toward A History Of Bodily Discipline. LituanusLituanusLituanus is an English language quarterly journal dedicated to Lithuanian and Baltic languages, linguistics, political science, arts, history, literature, and related topics. It is published by the non-profit Lituanus Foundation, Inc., and has a worldwide circulation of about 3,000 copies per...
, January 1997 http://www.lituanus.org/1997/97_1_01.htm - Civilization theory and collective identity in the postmodern-globalized era. Kulturos barai, July 2006. Online version at http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-07-24-kavolis-en.html