Literature in School as a Space for Conceptualizing and Negotiating the Cultural Identity–Globalization Relationship (The Case of Ismail Kadare’s Chronicle in Stone)

Abstract

This study examines the role of literature in schools as a space for conceptualizing and critically discussing the relationship between cultural identity and globalization. Focusing on Ismail Kadare’s novel Chronicle in Stone and drawing on theoretical perspectives from literary anthropology and cultural studies, the research aims to demonstrate how literary texts foster reflective understanding of identity in global contexts. Methodologically, the study adopts an anthropological-literary framework combined with a poetics of experience approach, which allows for close reading of textual details while maintaining a dialogic relationship with broader cultural processes. The analysis reveals how Kadare’s narrative reflects the complex interplay between local memory, cultural specificity, and global dynamics. Findings suggest that literature not only develops aesthetic sensibilities but also cultivates critical awareness, enabling students to perceive globalization as a dialogic and transformative process rather than a threat to cultural identity. The article concludes that literary education can nurture an open, reflective, and democratic cultural consciousness, reinforcing the value of literature as both an artistic and anthropological tool in contemporary pedagogy.