Transmediality and transculturality

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The terms transmediality and transculturality suggest both transcendence and procedurality. Since the mid-20th century, these concepts have entered debates surrounding cultural and medial sectionalisms, often overshadowed by competing terms like inter- or multiculturality and inter- or multimediality, which reinforce distinctions of privilege and hierarchy. As pragmatic alternatives, transmediality and transculturality aim to describe experiences with enhanced realism and temporary adequacy. This volume features essays from scholars in American Studies, Inter-American Studies, Media Studies, and Comparative Literature and Culture, examining transmediality and transculturality across diverse perspectives, cultural contexts, and languages, spanning from the Renaissance to the 21st century, with works originating from Europe, the Caribbean, and the United States. The first section traces the origins of transmediality to intermedia concepts in post-World War II transatlantic culture. The second section focuses on Cuban sociologist Fernando Ortíz, who introduced the term transculturation in the 1940s, initiating its academic exploration. The final section presents essays that investigate the contemporary relevance of correlating both terms to develop a general typology of cultural and medial phenomena.