Key Areas of Research at the Faculty of Arts
- Linguistic research focused on the relationship of foreign languages and cultures
In this area, the research activities of Faculty staff focus on the linguistic image of the world and the comparative research of text in intersemiotic contexts, methodology of teaching foreign languages for specific purposes, linguistic research with other interdisciplinary interfaces (psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, cognitive and comparative linguistics) and culturological research of foreign languages. The research results are presented in the publications and studies in international linguistic journals with a focus on linguistics and in the local journal Topics in Linguistics, which is in the Scopus database. The journal is indexed in the Scopus and EBSCO database and it is editorially prepared at the Department of English and American Studies.
- The research in translatology focuses on the history of translation, translation as intercultural communication, methodology of translation, memory processes and mental operations in interpreting, translation of legal texts and online interpreting.
In the context of translatological research, special attention is paid particularly to the areas of audiovisual translation and machine translation, which are currently unique in Slovakia. The journal X-Linguae is registered in the Scopus database. The quality of translation studies at FF UKF is also emphasized by participation in the international project 177295-LLP-1-2010-FR-Erasmus-Enwa, Optimising Professional translator training in a multilingual Europe (OPTIMALE), Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACAE), cooperation in the project titled Lifelong Learning Programme, coordinated by the University of Rennes (France), with a high score from international evaluators, active cooperation with the Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission in Brussels and Luxembourg and the international Certificate of Quality EMT (European Master's in Translation).
- Interpretation of a work of art, including the pop-culture artifacts, in terms of reception aesthetics, semiotics and the communication theory.
In recent years, the basic research has been focused on the interpretation model for works of art in the context of tradition and present, the models of deficient worlds, existential and intermedial models of the works of art. Applied research is focused on the interdisciplinary methodology of practical aesthetics. The focus on the current state of arts and culture, including the pop culture, interdisciplinary and methodologically distinctive reflection of its stratification, expressive and value changes and interpretative shifts, is scientifically specific and unique in the Slovak and international context.
- Research of ancient and early-history settlements in Slovakia
This research is aimed to address the issues of population adaptation to the changes in the natural environment, settlement structure and housing areas, the economic potential of prehistoric communities and ethnic interactions in various historical periods. The research activities are carried out in close cooperation between a number of Faculty departments (Department of Archeology, Department of History and Museology) and the SAV Archaeological Institute. This is also supported by joint grant projects and participation in the SAV Center of Excellence team – project Ancient Slovakia. The field research is also conducted with the involvement of students – within the framework of International Summer School of Archeology, which is annually supported by the Visegrad Fund.
- The research in Slovak and Slavonics is conducted with an emphasis on phraseology, syntax, history of language and spoken language.
An important part of Slavonics is the research of Slavic languages and cultures, especially the relations of the Russian language and culture and other Slavic languages and cultures. The editing and publishing of the Slavonic interdisciplinary journal Slavica Nitriensia is an important contribution to the presentation of the research problem. The literary-scientific part of this research is focused on the history of Slovak literature and literary theory with a particular focus on children's literature, older Slovak literature (since the beginning of writing to the 19th century), realism and modernism, artistic writings of the second half of the 20th century, literary criticism and contemporary literature.
- Research of St. Constantine and Methodius and their cultural heritage
This research examines the value and spiritual and cultural legacy of St. Constantine and Methodius in history, archeology, philosophy, linguistics, literary studies, art history and religion. The Institute for Research of the Cultural Heritage of St. Constantine and Methodius, a unique unit at the Faculty, collaborates with the institutions with a similar focus in Slovakia and abroad in order to highlight the significant contribution and message of the Byzantine mission for the European cultural tradition. A substantial part of the research results is presented in internationally recognized scientific journal Konštantínove listy, which is indexed in EBSCO and International Medieval Bibliography.
- Applied sociological research in the fields of sociology of family and social pathology
The sociological research at UKF is comparatively-oriented, focusing on the families in Slovakia and Poland and the Roma families in Slovakia. Within the research of social deviance, the issue of anomia in society and social pathology is analyzed. The data obtained through quantitative and qualitative sociological methods are the basis for subsequent processing in specialized sociological laboratories and their results are implemented in the educational process.
- Research on cultural traditions of the Lowland Slovaks.
This research focus is unique in the Slovak and European context. The field research activities are conducted on the basis of a long-term cooperation with foreign institutions of expatriate Slovaks (e.g. Ethnic Council of the Slovak National Minority in Serbia). The results are presented in several scientific publications issued in domestic and foreign publishing houses.
- Cultural traditions and their transformation in the Slovak regions, socio-cultural development of rural and urban environments, research of ethnic communities and their cultures
The research of living expressions of music and dance is unique and irreplaceable in the academic environment in the context of Slovak ethnological research, which includes abundant publications and recordings of the traditional music and dance in the phonic and film anthologies.
- Forms and tools of media and marketing communication in a contemporary society
The research of this issue at the Faculty is broken down into partial investigative priorities such as media education, international marketing, visual studies and new digital forms of communication. The confrontation of scientific research in the international context is clearly reflected in the implementation of Massmedia Studies with Integrated Teaching of French in collaboration with the University of Metz, and in a joint study program in cooperation with the University of Economics in Katowice, which ends with a double diploma.
- Basic ethical and ethical-philosophical research of human morality
The research of discourse in ethics is focused on the area of tolerance, justice, sexual morality and ethical attitudes, which are the hallmarks of morality in a contemporary society. The research also includes an analysis of the ability to respond to social pressures for the benefit of the individual, as well as the balance of formative processes, which are the very essence of personality hierarchy of moral values. The philosophical dimension of these research activities is represented by the research of issues related to utilitarianism, phenomenology, ecophilosophy and spiritual traditions in the European and non-European cultures.
