Module overview
Germany has had a long tradition of immigration and is one of the most multi-cultural countries in Europe today. We will examine the impact of diverse immigration movements on recent German history and notions of German identity. This includes examining broad developments of post-war immigrations, exploring some of the legacies of German colonialism and addressing contemporary issues and debates. The course puts emphasis on working with a range of scholarly, media and aesthetic texts (including films) and students will continue to hone their critical reading, reflection and research skills.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Be familiar with key political and cultural terminology relevant to the subject of the course;
- Read and evaluate texts by and about minority cultures in Germany and Austria;
- Define, present and exemplify concepts relevant to the task in hand.
- Formulate and defend personal judgements clearly and persuasively on the basis of evidence;
- Respond to ethnic and cultural difference in non-reductive ways;
- Articulate an informed response to questions of textual and visual interpretation, in both discussion and writing.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The significance of key debates on race, ethnicity and diversity in the light of German history (post-colonialism, post-Nazism, post-unification);
- Techniques for analysing media discourses and cultural productions.
- The main issues, events and policies that shaped post-war immigrations in Germany;
- The relevance of immigration to processes of identity in post-war German culture;
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Carry out close analysis of cultural artefacts and reflect on the relationship between socio-historical context and the content and form of the works studied;
- Understand theoretical approaches and apply them to selected material;
- Express your ideas in the form of short reviews, thus combining critical observation with in-depth understanding of a subject.
- Participate in and lead group discussion;
- Further develop strategies of independent research and learning;
- Organize relevant material in written and oral discussion in order to communicate in appropriate genres and to required conventions;
Syllabus
This course explores contemporary Germany, recent German history and notions of German identity through the lens of immigration and diversity. We begin by tracing the broad developments of post-war immigrations and their close relationship to larger historical developments. The significance of German history for the political and cultural formation of a multicultural society will be addressed throughout the course. The topics explore both significant public debates and discourses, as well as engage with specific issues and communities. These might include:
- Multiculturalism, 'integration' and the idea of a 'leading culture'
- Muslims in the German media
- Notions of 'race' and the relationship between Germanness and whiteness
- postcolonial Germany
- the 'refugee crisis'
- Turkish Germans
The course puts emphasis on working with and responding to a range of scholarly, media and aesthetic texts (including films) and students will continue to hone their critical reading, viewing, reflection and research skills. In engaging with this subject we also want to enhance our awareness of political and social processes of racialization and of anti-racism.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
There will be a double seminar each week. The tutor will introduce topics and provide some brief lecture-style input. Special emphasis will be placed on (small group) seminar discussions of study material and student work. Students will take on role of facilitators of seminar meetings. The aim of the seminars is to establish a collaborative context in which each student can work creatively with ideas, build on the thoughts of others, strengthen their communication skills and develop their research interests. A session on ‘how to write a review’ will prepare the aesthetic text review assignment. A news blog containing student posts on contemporary German news reporting on migration issues will facilitate a news review assignment and produce a shared resource.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wider reading or practice | 20 |
| Completion of assessment task | 45 |
| Follow-up work | 10 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Seminar | 20 |
| Tutorial | 5 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Internet Resources
Bundeszentrale politische Bildung, Grundlagendossier Migration.
Textbooks
Beverly M. Weber (2013). Violence and Gender in the 'New' Europe: Islam in German Culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Ulrich Herbert (1990). History of Foreign Labor in Germany, 1880-1980: Seasonal Workers, Forced Laborers, Guest Workers. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Richard Dyer (1997). White. London: Routledge.
Deniz Göktürk, David Gramling, Anton Kaes (2007). Germany in Transit: Nation and Migration, 1955-2005. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Peter Wade (2002). Race, Nature and Culture. London: Pluto.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Assessment Method 1. Essay [summative] 2. Seminar Presentation [summative] 3. News blog posting [summative] 4. Aesthetic text review [summative]Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Review | 20% |
| Essay | 40% |
| Presentation | 20% |
| Blog | 20% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Critical review | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 60% |
| Critical review | 40% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External