Mount Holyoke College German Studies Department Fall 2015 Courses

Transcription

1 Mount Holyoke College German Studies Department Fall 2015 Courses German Studies FYSEM-110RR-01 - Remembering as Reconciliation in the Wake of Violence (Taught in English;) We explore how memorialization and reconciliation take place in societies that have experienced extreme violence. How do survivors, perpetrators and their descendants record the experience of atrocity through testimonials and memorials in ways that contrast with official national narratives of the past? In what ways does memorialization end cycles of violence without re-triggering trauma? How does restorative justice, for example, address feelings of despair or guilt that get passed down from one generation to another? Our transnational study will include examples from Germany, Japan, Rwanda, and Cambodia primarily, with other examples included based on student interest. Meets Humanities I-A requirement K. Remmler TuTh 10:00 11:15 A.M.

2 German Studies 101 (01) - Elementary German This course introduces speaking, reading, and writing German. Cultural and literary readings together with frequent use of video and other online resources dealing with everyday situations and experiences in the Germanspeaking countries sensitize students to the cultural context in which the language is used. Weekly conversation sessions with a German language assistant supplement class work. Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement D. Van Handle MWF 8:35 9:50 A.M.

3 German Studies 101 (02) - Elementary German This course introduces speaking, reading, and writing German. Cultural and literary readings together with frequent use of video and other online resources dealing with everyday situations and experiences in the Germanspeaking countries sensitize students to the cultural context in which the language is used. Weekly conversation sessions with a German language assistant supplement class work. Meets Language requirement; does not meet a distribution requirement M. Lauer MWF 11:00 12:15 P.M.

4 German Studies 201 (01) Intermediate German This course emphasizes further development of contextual reading, writing, and speaking skills in German. Focus on strategies that help students learn vocabulary and use grammatical structures in appropriate ways. Discussion of a variety of texts and genres, as well as exploration of topics such as immigration and social justice. Frequent writing assignments and speaking opportunities. Meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement M. Lauer MWF 8:35 9:50 A.M. Prereq. Previous study of German, normally equivalent to 3 semesters of college German, or 3 or more years of high school German; or permission of instructor.

5 German Studies 221 (01) German Culture Today: Stories & Histories This course examines historical, cultural, and political developments that continue to frame debates surrounding the twentieth century, WWII, the former GDR, and German unification. Thematic focus helps students develop accuracy, fluency, and complexity of expression. Reading, writing, and speaking are consistently integrated. Special emphasis placed on text organization toward expanding students' language abilities, with a gradual movement from personal forms of expression to written and public discourses. Meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement A. Holden TuTh 1:15 2:30 P.M. Prereq. Previous study of German, normally equivalent to 3 semesters of college German, or 3 or more years of high school German; or permission of instructor.

6 German Studies 223-EN (01) (FLMST-220) Topics in German Studies Representing the Holocaust in Film To mark the seventieth anniversary of the end of WW II, this seminar explores the impact of films depicting the European Holocaust from the first encounter between the liberators and the survivors up to the present day. We analyze the global contexts in which the films came into being and the changing reception of the films with the advent of digital distribution. With a focus on less well-known films from newly distributed archival footage and more recent documentaries made by second and third-generation children of survivors and perpetrators, we examine issues such as the precarious relationship between memory and history and the ethics of filming the dead and individuals in pain.meets Language requirement or Humanities I-A requirement Note: May be taken for 300 level credit K. Remmler TuTh 1:15-2:30 P.M. Prereq. Previous study of German, normally equivalent to 3 semesters of college German, or 3 or more years of high school German; or permission of instructor.

7 German Studies 325 (01) Senior Capstone Seminar: Deutschsein Images of Being German : Identities, Languages, and Cultures This seminar is designed to explore the nature of our field of inquiry in theory and practice. 1) All students read texts exploring such questions as: What does German Studies mean? What is interdisciplinary work? What role does literature play in culture studies? What is the relationship between language and the construction of culture? Why learn German vis a vis global English? What meanings have been attributed to the terms "culture" and "civilization"? 2) Students pursue independent research connecting German studies and another major academic fields of interest, respond critically to each other s work, and lead discussions. Fouqué s UNDINE, a migrant author s bestseller of Romanticism-the iconic era of German Nationalism, inspired Austrian Bachmann in her 1961 subversive tale, Undine geht, challenging and transcending gender and other social-cultural boundaries. Weimar Cinema,realized the cultural-critical and economic dimensions of Romantic texts by filming the margins: dracula, shadows, fairytales. Even Nazi-supporter Riefenstahl drew on the dark side of the tradition. All postwar Germanys have struggled to find common languages for a globalized economy and a de-facto immigrant society. Presently culture wars are raging again about gender-inclusive language and the judeo-christian tradition versus islam. G. Davis W 1:15 4:05.M. Prereq. sr; adv knowledge of German; non-srs by perm of the instructor.