Introductory description

This module allows advanced students of German to explore contemporary German culture and language. Students will acquire profound knowledge of current social, political, cultural, economic, and ecological developments in Germany, advancing linguistic fluency alongside cultural fluency. Taught in German, this module aims at a critical in-depth understanding of highly topical debates that shape German society today, including Germany’s role on the international stage. Newspapers, journal articles, essays, TV series, films as well as media like news channels, broadsheets, blogs, and podcasts will provide materials for the module.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: Introduction to the module & Cultural Studies; Week 2: Cultural and collective identity; Week 3: The political system, federalism, economy, and industrial locations; Week 4: Migration, minorities, and diversity; Week 5: Germany in Europe and the world; Week 6: Reading week; Week 7: Gender in politics, society, and language; Week 8: Climate, sustainable energy and environment; Week 9: What’s on in Germany? - Culture and Art; Week 10: East, West, North, South: Regional differences, dialects, and local patriotism

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Students will critically assess current affairs in Germany; make use of cultural theories as an analytical tool to contextualise, evaluate and contrast current German social and political discourses with developments in other countries.
• Cultural competency will be acquired alongside enhanced linguistic competency in German.
• The module will equip students with language, intercultural and research skills to interact in an increasingly globalised world.

Indicative reading list

Week 1 - Introduction to the module & Cultural Studies :
Assmann, Aleida. Einführung in die Kulturwissenschaft. Grundbegriffe, Themen, Fragestellungen. Erich Schmidt, Berlin 2011, 3rd edition (Einleitung: “Cultural Studies und Kulturwissenschaften - zwei Entstehungsgeschichten.” p. 20-30).
Bachmann-Medick, Doris, Jens Kugele, Ansgar Nünning (eds.). Futures of the Study of Culture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Global Challenges. Berlin, Boston 2020.
Bachmann-Medick, Doris. Cultural Turns: New Orientations in the Study of Culture. De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2016.
During, Simon (ed.). The Cultural Studies Reader. Routledge 3rd edition 2007.

Week 2 - Cultural and collective identity:
Assmann, Jan and Czaplicka, John. “Collective Memory and Cultural Identity.” New German Critique No. 65, Cultural History/Cultural Studies (Spring - Summer, 1995), pp. 125-133.
Assmann, Jan. Das kulturelle Gedächtnis. Schrift, Erinnerung und politische Identität in frühen Hochkulturen. C.H. Beck, Munich 1992 (chapter 1-3, p. 34-132).
Bachmann-Medick, Doris. The Trans/National Study of Culture: A Translational Perspective. De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2016.
Dröscher, Daniela: “Ich bin zwar privilegiert, aber immerhin nicht reich”. Die ZEIT, 23.2.2021.

Week 3 - The political system, federalism, economy, and industrial locations:
Bahr, Amrei and Hagedorn, Katja. Basiswissen für Dolmetscher. Deutschland und das Vereinigte Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland. Frank und Timme, Berlin, 2018.
Deutsche Welle. Akademie. Deutschland verstehen | DW
Hübl, Philipp. “Framing und Populismus: Wie bestimmt die Sprache die Politik?” Die aufgeregte Gesellschaft. C. Bertelsmann, Munich 2019, pp. 197-205.

Week 4 - Migration, minorities, and diversity:
Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat. BMI - Nationale Minderheiten in Deutschland (bund.de). 09.02.2021.
Bachmann-Medick, Doris and Jens Kugele (eds.). Migration: Changing Concepts, Critical Approaches. De Gruyter Berlin/Boston 2020.
Gümusay, Kübra. Sprache und Sein. Hanser Berlin 2020.
Khider, Abbas. Deutsch für alle. Das endgültige Lehrbuch. Hanser, Munich, 2019.

Week 5 - Germany in Europe and the world:
Sibum, Helen: Deutschlands Rolle in der EU: Zehn Zahlen und Fakten 30.10.2019.

Week 6 - READING WEEK

Week 7 - Gender in politics, society, and language:
Nübling, Damaris. Genderdebatte: Flexibilität ist ein Lebenszeichen unserer Sprache - De Gruyter Conversations, 08.09.2020
Pusch, Luise F.. “»Liebe Kolleg*innen in der Stadtverwaltung« Genderstern, Unterstrich oder Binnen-I, queer oder nicht queer? Eine ganz kurze Geschichte der feministischen Sprachkritik.” Die ZEIT, 11.2.2021.
Mayr, Anna. “Damenopfer. Warum das Machtspiel Politik nach 15 Jahren Angela Merkel immer noch Männersache ist.” Die ZEIT, 6.1.2021

Week 8 - Climate, sustainable energy and environment:
Tatje, Claas. "Unsere liebsten Klimakiller." Die ZEIT, 24.2.2021
Welzer, Harald (ed.). Die nachhaltige Republik. Umrisse einer anderen Moderne. Fischer, Frankfurt, 2017.

Week 9 - What’s on in Germany? - Culture and Art:
Agirbas, Funda. “Sang- und Klanglos.” Die ZEIT, 20.11.2020.

Week 10 - East, West, North, South: Regional differences, dialects, and local patriotism:
Flippo, Hyde. When in Germany. Do as the Germans Do. Edition McGraw-Hill Education, 2nd edition 2018.
Regev, Dana. Deutschland: Lokalpatriotismus statt Nationalstolz | Meet the Germans | DW | 26.08.2020.
Stedje, Astrid. Deutsche Sprache gestern und heute. W. Fink, Paderborn, 2007. (chapter 16-17, pp. 195-262).

Interdisciplinary

With its focus on the study of cultural representation this module takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining history, politics, folklore, queer and gender studies as well as linguistics, literature, regional and transcultural studies. Special focus will be put on the analysis of cultural phenomena regarding their specific context and their interrelationships.

International

Students will be learning about and actively practicing intercultural competence while immersed in an international setting of German-speaking and anglophone contexts. Taking a comparative approach between the source and target languages and cultures, this module is taught by German native or near-native speakers. The intercultural training programme of this module, focusing on language, intercultural and research skills will equip students to better understand, communicate, and build effective relationships with those from different cultural backgrounds.

Subject specific skills

This module will enhance students’ linguistic (oral and written) skills through engaging with pertinent material in German. It will build students’ capacity to engage with various aspects of public life and current affairs in Germany through the analysis of a variety of different sources, e.g. newspaper articles, videos, podcasts etc, as well as oral presentations, seminar discussion, workshops, and student-led roundtable discussions in the target language.

Transferable skills

All SMLC culture modules demand critical and analytical engagement with artefacts from target-language cultures. In the course of independent study, class work and assessment students will develop the following skills: written and oral communication, creative and critical thinking, problem solving and analysis, time management and organisation, independent research in both English and their target language(s), intercultural understanding and the ability to mediate between languages and cultures, ICT literacy in both English and the target language(s), personal responsibility and the exercise of initiative.