University of Tartu, Department of Semiotics : Timo Maran

senior research fellow contact: Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu Tiigi 78 50410 Tartu Estonia tel: +372 7376 139 homepage E-mail: timo.maran@ut.ee

main fields of research:

theory of biological mimicry, biosemiotics
imitation, mimesis and deception
interrelations of nature and culture, ecosemiotics
nature writing, ecocriticism
problems of locality and context

current research projects:

Estonian Science Foundation Grant No 7790 "Dynamical zoosemiotics and animal representations" 2009-2012 (University of Tartu, Department of Semiotics)
Meaning-generation and transdisciplinary methodology of semiotic analysis of culture, principal investigator 2006-2011 (head of the research theme: Peeter Torop, Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu).
Theory of mimicry and ecosemiotic approach to imitation, grant holder 2006-2008 (Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu).
Topology and texture of Estonian literature. [Intersemiotic analysis], principal investigator 2003-2005 (head of the research theme: Virve Sarapik, Estonian Literary Museum).
The outlines of the ecological dimension of semiotics and the analysis of Estonian examples, principal investigator 2002-2005 (grant holder: Kalevi Kull, Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu).

latest courses:

Environmental semiotics (ecosemiotics) - Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu
Zoosemiotics - Department of Semiotics, University of Tartu
Nature writing - Department of Literature and Folklore, University of Tartu (with K. Tüür)

other academic activities:

Council of the Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics of Tartu University, member
Estonian Naturalists Society, Vice-president 2007-...
Estonian Semiotics Association, Vice-chairman 2006-2008
Estonian Literary Society, member
Estonian Writers' Union, member
European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment, member
International Society for Biosemiotic Studies, member

selected publications:

monographs
Maran, Timo 2008. Mimikri semiootika. [Semiotics of Mimicry] Tartu Ülikooli doktoritöid. Tartu: Tartu University Press. [Revised and extended edition of the Dissertation]
Maran, Timo2005. Mimikri kui kommunikatsioonisemiootiline fenomen. [Mimicry as a communication semiotic phenomenon]. Dissertationes Semioticae Universitatis Tartuensis 7. Tartu: Tartu University Press.

articles
Maran, Timo 2008. Deceiver's activity in biological mimicry systems. - Global Signs. Proceedings from the ISI Summer Congresses at Imatra in 2003-2006. Ed. Tarasti, Eero; Forsell, Paul; Littlefield, Richard. Acta Semiotica Fennica XXIX, 231-238.
Maran, Timo 2008. Towards an integrated methodology of ecosemiotics: The concept of nature-text. - Sign Systems Studies, 35(1/2), pp. 269-294.
Maran, Timo 2007. Semiotic interpretations of biological mimicry. - Semiotica 167(1/4), pp. 223-248. [available in EBSCO]
Maran, Timo 2007. Ökosemiootilise analüüsi perspektiivid: loodusteksti mõiste. - Acta Semiotica Estica IV, lk. 48-72.
Maran, Timo 2007. Structural and semiotic aspects of biological mimicry. - Biosemiotics in Transdisciplinary Contexts. Proceedings of the Gathering in Biosemiotics 6, Salzburg 2006. Ed. Witzany, Günther. Vilnius: Umweb, pp. 237-243.
Maran, Timo 2007. Mimicry. - Semiotics Encyclopedia Online. Eds. Bouissac, Paul; Lewis, Ann. E.J. Pratt Library, Victoria University.
Maran, Timo 2006. Where do your borders lie? Reflections on the semiotical ethics of nature. - Nature in Literary and Cultural Studies. Transatlantic Conversations on Ecocriticism. (= Nature, Culture and Literature 3). Eds. Gerdsdorf, Catrin; Mayer, Sylvia. Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, pp. 455-476.
Tüür, Kadri; Maran, Timo 2005. Eesti looduskirjanduse lugu. - Eesti looduskultuur. Toim. Maran, Timo; Tüür, Kadri. Tartu: Eesti Kultuuriloo ja Folkloristika Keskus, Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, lk 237-270.
Magnus, Riin; Maran, Timo; Kull, Kalevi 2004. Jakob von Uexküll Centre, since 1993. - Sign Systems Studies 32.1/2, pp. 375-378.
Maran, Timo 2004. Mimicry: Towards a semiotic understanding of nature. - From Nature to Psyche. Proceedings from the ISI Summer Congresses at Imatra in 2001-2002. Eds. Tarasti, Eero; Forsell, Paul; Härkönen, Maarit; Littlefield, Richard. Acta Semiotica Fennica 20. Helsinki: International Semiotics Institute at Imatra; Semiotic Society of Finland, pp. 72-84.
Maran, Timo 2004. Gardens and gardening: An ecosemiotic view. - Semiotica 150(1/4), pp. 119-133. [in EBSCO]
Maran, Timo 2003. Mimesis as a phenomenon of semiotic communication. - Sign Systems Studies 31.1, pp. 191-215.

honours and awards:

2000, Timo Maran; II prize in the contest of student research organised by Estonian Academy of Sciences, for MA thesis "Semiotics of phenomena of biological mimicry", 2000.

complete CV