Click here to read article.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
German 110 Final Blog
German 110 Deutsche Kultur: Overview
and Reflections
I
have enjoyed learning more about the cultures of Germany this semester.
Beginning with some basic history and overview of the states was helpful in
gaining a broader understanding of the changes and struggles that Germany has
faced, which helped to understand where the country is now. The presentations
over the states were greatly useful in learning more about each state and
significant aspects of each. I learned that Germany as it is today is
relatively young since reunification happened only in 1990. I learned that
there are 16 states that are unique and also share similarities to the others.
We have also explored the divide in East and West Germany from 1948-1990. Learning
about food and music and politics in Germany was also interesting and useful. I
also gathered a much clearer understanding of World War I through reading All Quiet on the Western Front and the
activities that accompanied it. It is particularly important that after the atrocities
of the World Wars, Germany is striving to prevent threats to humanity in the
future with a strong constitution and high value on humans as individuals.
Some
things that have surprised me are the conservative nature of the country. One
thing that stands out is that Germany will not use nuclear energy. In learning
about how dangerously the USA is using nuclear energy and cutting back funding
for safety and precautions, this is extremely important. If Germany prefers to
use renewable resources, such as windmills, this shows a commitment to the
environment and trying to find cleaner sources of energy. This is increasingly
important as the planet needs to work together to reduce carbon emissions, and
major countries like the US should be better models of protecting the environment
and safety of the people. I was also surprised about the constitution of
Germany. I sometimes wonder what my country would be like if values such as the
dignity of a person and equality and privacy would be more greatly protected
here. I especially admire that German society is more open to the LGBT
community. There are many German values that could be adopted in the US to work
towards a more equitable and free nation.
Overall
I enjoyed the coursework. Of particular interest to me was learning about the
individual states and the discussions that ensued. Learning about different
cultures in Germany was especially interesting to me. I found it helpful to
look at both similarities and differences between Germany and the USA. Another
aspect that I appreciated was reading the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, and watching the film, Berlin Calling. These helped in creating
a more vivid picture of life and issues in Germany, both in the past and more
currently. In addition, I enjoyed class discussions on all topics during the
class. I also liked having the opportunity to explore topics of my own
choosing, especially learning about Turkish Hip Hop and what life is like for
Turkish people in Germany. I was intrigued by the experience of this population
trying to find their own German-Turkish identity and the struggles they have
faced. It resonates with the difficulties that many Spanish-speaking immigrants
face in the USA.
In
thinking about how this class could be restructured, I would put less emphasis
on group presentations and add more small-group discussion. I think I would
have been able to gain more from discussions with my peers in a smaller setting
since we are a larger class, and then opened up to a whole group discussion. I
also would have liked to have more specifics on assignments and a syllabus to outline
the course to better gauge what was expected of me as well as a time line to
plan accordingly. An interesting idea, although it could be difficult to
coordinate, would be creating a pen-pal system with students in Germany to have
discussion back and forth to learn about each other’s cultures and ask
questions and gain varying insights. Additionally, I have not used a blog as
part of a class, and I found that I enjoyed it once I learned how to upload
projects and navigate the webpage. Perhaps something to add could be cultural YouTube
videos to the main blog, or having online discussions about an article, etc. I
found all of the topics interesting and useful in promoting my understanding of
German culture. The country is rich in history and culture, and there is still
much to be learned. The coursework has motivated me to continue learning the
language and look for an opportunity to travel or live there in the near
future.
Stuttgart, Germany
Capital of Baden-Württemberg
Backpacking in Stuttgart: Click Here!
Thursday, April 3, 2014
20th-21st Century Relations with Neighbors: France and Switzerland
Guests arriving for the initiation of a new German Embassy building in Paris, 1968
Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in 1961
François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl in 1987
50th
anniversary of reconciliation, 8 July 2012: Dr. Angela Merkel (left), Federal
Chancellor of Germany, with François Hollande (right), President of the French
Republic.
Relations with Switzerland
Germans nowadays are appreciated as highly-skilled labour and academics,
but are not always given a warm welcome by the Swiss. History, language
and politics have all affected the two nations’ changing relationship
in the past century.
Not always hostile: a German flag hoisted alongside a Swiss one to welcome a visiting sports team
Expatriate Germans Gerald Rinke, Sandra Günter and Ulf Schiller
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)