GERM 302: High Intermediate German II

Was ist „deutsch“, wer ist „deutsch“?

Wer definiert das, und wer entscheidet darüber?

Wie fühlt sich „deutsch sein“ an?

Was macht einen zum „Deutschen“ und warum?

This course explores contemporary German culture in the context of its history and institutions, posing questions that relate to cultural awareness and connect the past to the present. For instance, did you ever wonder why the forest plays such an important role in fairy tales and other cultural products? How do German politics work and what are the different political parties? What do “multiculturalism” and “integration” mean in German-speaking society? How and why did current policies and attitudes toward hot-button issues like environmentalism and migration develop? Using literary texts, film, music, and images, we will draw comparisons between German-speaking culture and the United States. In the process, we will improve not only our written and spoken German, but our critical thinking skills and media literacy as well. (Highlights include a field trip to the art museum!)

The prerequisite for German 301 is the successful completion of German 202 or placement by examination, and students must take 301 and 302 in sequence.