Research Areas

The Department of Comparative Literature at the University of Oregon offers a distinctive approach to literary and cultural study, organized not by national traditions alone but around core concepts that define the field—translation, media, performance, and theory. This structure allows students to engage literature as a dynamic, global practice and to develop practical skills in critical thinking, interpretation, and communication. Rigorous theoretical inquiry is paired with hands-on analytical methods, preparing students to navigate and shape the evolving landscapes of culture and media.

Research and teaching in the department span an expansive range of topics, from world literature, cinema studies, and media theory to performance studies, the environmental humanities, and postcolonial theory. Faculty and students explore literature and culture across multiple genres and platforms from poetry, drama, and the novel to photography, film, and new media. The department’s strengths extend across diverse linguistic and cultural traditions, including African and Middle Eastern studies, Caribbean and Latin American literatures, Chinese and Sinophone studies, Japanese popular culture, Russian and Turkish literature, and many others.

By combining conceptual innovation with global and multilingual breadth, the department fosters a uniquely integrative and forward-looking environment that equips students to think across boundaries, analyze complex cultural phenomena, and contribute meaningfully to the humanities in a rapidly changing world.