Take me to the Fall Time Schedule
101. Elementary Course.
All students with prior coursework in German must
take the placement test. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 100 or 103. (4). (LR).
German 101 is an introductory course for students who have not
previously studied German. The course focuses systematically on the development of all four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), while emphasizing content and meaning at all levels and in all spheres of the language acquisition
process. The unique combination of a weekly group lecture and individual hourly recitation sections is intended to ensure that the course work corresponds to the cognitive and intellectual
level of adult language learners.
The weekly lecture period is devoted to chapter quizzes and presentation of basic points of grammar, as well as linguistic
and analytic strategies. Students learn not only the German language
itself, but also about language and the language learning process
more generally. During the weeks in which there are no chapter
quizzes, a portion of the lecture period includes presentations
on culture, history, economics, philosophy, music, and literature.
Thus, students are presented with the immediate intellectual applications
of their foreign language study and are prepared to take advantage
of the developing language opportunities at U of M, such as the
specialty 232 courses, LAC courses, and the expanding German Studies
program. In the recitation sessions (meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) students practice conversational skills, drill
grammar, discuss reading selections in German, and participate
in a variety of activities that stretch linguistic ability, as
well as intellectual curiosity. By the end of the term students
have a firm foundation in some of the fundamental elements of
German grammar and are able to understand and respond appropriately
to a variety of texts and basic conversational situations. Students
develop analytic skills and strategies crucial to language learning
and success in other academic fields. The night section (M Th
7-9) will be coordinated with, but taught separately from the
day sections, which will allow non-traditional night students
to be able to attend both evening lecture and recitation sections.
Cost:2 WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
102. Elementary Course.
German 101. No credit granted to those who have completed
or are enrolled in 100 or 103. (4). (LR).
See German 101. German 102 completes the two term sequence of Michigan's innovative introductory German
language program. Cost:2
WL:1
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103. Review of Elementary
German. Assignment by placement test or permission
of department. No credit granted to those who have completed or
are enrolled in 100 or 102. (4). (LR).
German 103 provides a review of the fundamentals of the German
language for students who have had German language instruction
before entering the University of Michigan. Although this class
focuses intensively on grammar review and vocabulary development, course work systematically addresses all four basic language skills
(listening, speaking, reading, and writing) so that students are
sufficiently prepared for more advanced university courses both
within and outside of the German department. By the end of the
term, students will have a firm foundation in the fundamental
elements of German grammar and will be able to understand and respond appropriately to a variety of German texts and conversational
situations. Students will also develop analytic skills and strategies
crucial to language learning and success in other academic fields.
Cost: 2 WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
111. First Special Reading
Course. Undergraduates must obtain permission of the department. (4). (Excl).
The objective of this course is to teach students to read simple
German expository prose. The course focuses on an introduction
to the essentials of German grammar and syntax both in class lectures
and in texts. Students are required to read but not write and speak German. The course uses traditional methods of instruction
which present rules of grammar and syntax as well as basic vocabulary.
Since much memorization is necessary, it is essential that students
have time to do required course work, which averages about twelve
hours each week exclusive of class time. Course requirements include
daily preparation and recitation, three one-hour examinations
devoted to specific problems of grammar and vocabulary, and a
final examination requiring the translation of sight passages
without the aid of a dictionary. The class is taught in English.
There are no course prerequisites, but German 111 is open only
to graduate students who wish to meet a German foreign language
requirement and to advanced undergraduates in special programs
who have already met the LS&A language requirement in a language
other than German. Cost:1
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
205. Conversation Practice.
German 102 or 103. Students previously enrolled in
a 300- or 400-level conversation course may not register for 205
or 206. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
In this course, you will practice situations in which you need
to ask for information, express opinions, summarize important
details, and formulate arguments. The topics cover current events, everyday situations, German etiquette, and important cultural
information. The materials for the class will come from German
websites as well as various materials from the instructor. His
class is open to students who are at a German 221, 231, or 232
level and those who intend to participate in the junior-year abroad
program. Course requirements are: active class participation, thorough preparation, and oral presentations.
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Times, Location, and Availability
221. Accelerated Third
Semester German. Placement test. No credit granted
to those who have completed 230 or 231. Four credits granted to those who have completed German 102 or 103. (5). (Excl).
This course combines an intensive review of basic grammar with
more advanced practice in the four basic language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Substantial emphasis will be
placed on providing a firm grammatical base, and on reading, discussing, and writing about authentic German texts from a variety of fields
ranging from natural and social science to history, literature, and the arts. By the end of the course, students will be able
to read and write about short texts from periodicals and textbooks, and from classic texts by Nietzsche, Kafka, etc., independently, so that they will be able to pursue their own specific interests
in German 232 and beyond. Requirements include daily homework
assignments (reading, writing, learning vocabulary, etc.),
regular attendance, video assignments, three in-class tests, and a final examination. Cost:2
WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
231. Second-Year Course.
German 102 or 103, or the equivalent (placement test).
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 230 or 221. (4). (LR).
In this course, grammar and vocabulary from the first year will
be reviewed and extended. Greater emphasis will be placed on reading
German texts and talking and writing about them in German. Reading
texts include both short literary works and non-fictional texts
from a variety of fields ranging from history to science and the
arts. Course requirements include daily homework assignments (reading, writing, learning vocabulary, etc.) regular attendance, video assignments, three in-class tests, and a final examination.
Cost:2 WL:1
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Times, Location, and Availability
232. Second-Year Course.
German 221 or 231 or the equivalent (placement test).
No credit granted to those who have completed or are enrolled
in 230 or 236. (4). (LR). All sections of German 232 address special
topics, e.g., music, philosophy, science, current political issues, etc.
Second course of a two-term sequence in intermediate German. The
second-year program is designed to increase students' proficiency
in understanding, speaking, writing, and reading German. Students
are expected to increase the level of accuracy at which they can
understand German texts and express themselves in their area of
interest. The language of instruction is German. Each section
of 232 aims to introduce students to the study of a specific discipline
in German. For descriptions of individual sections, see below.
Section 001 – German Crime Stories: Literature and Popular Culture. In this class, we will examine the representation of crime in various texts and genres with a view to establish some characteristic features of these genres. In particular, we will try to establish what sets "serious" crime "literature" apart from "popular" crime fiction and crime journalism, so that this course will constitute a serious and entertaining introduction to the question "What is literature?" Friedrich Durrenmatt's novel Der Richter und sein Henker will constitute the main part of this course. We will read stories by other "serious" writers (Max von der Grün, Günter Kunert, Wolfdletrich Schnurre) and by "popular" writers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We will read newspaper articles and compare their approaches to crimes that caught people's attention. Towards the end, we will discuss Doris Dörrie's movie Happy Birthday, Türkel!! Be prepared to read, write, and talk a lot. One brief presentation, three short essays, one midterm, one final, some grammar, some fun. Cost:2 WL:1
Section 002 – Contemporary German Society & Business Culture. While building a basic vocabulary and reviewing essential grammar appropriate to this level, students will be reading a variety of authentic texts dealing with such current issues as Germany's geographic location; Germany's recent history and the need to come to terms with its past; the reunification of "the two" Germanies and repercussions thereof in contemporary German society and business world; foreigners in German society and the workplace; and the evolution of the European Union. Cost:1 WL:1
Section 003 – Topics In Music. This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the discipline of music by focusing on the works of a particular composer or period. For example, this course has in recent years focused on Mozart's Magic Flute. Students will study the composer or period from a variety of perspectives, and will also develop vocabulary and reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through activities focused on that composer or period. There are no musical prerequisites for this course, but students should be willing to sing! Cost:2 WL:1
Sections 004 and 005 – Mathematical and Scientific German. In this course we will spend several weeks each reading, discussing, and actually doing some basic math, computer, physics, astronomy, and biology work in German (just as Einstein learned to do these things in English...). The necessary vocabulary and grammar will be provided along the way. This should be easier than it perhaps sounds, because the technical terms are usually very similar in German and English, and there is a clear context for guessing the meaning of unknown words. No background in math or science is assumed. Grades will be based on participation, homework, quizzes, and exams. Cost:1 WL:1
Section 006 – Opposition and Resistance In Nazi Germany. Germany during the Third Reich was by far not the monolithic society which Nazi ideologues had envisioned. Despite an ever-tightening grip on the population opposition to the regime took on many forms, from civil disobedience to violent opposition. Moreover, such resistance originated from different backgrounds, political as well as religious. In this section we will explore the historical situation by analyzing first hand documents and by studying modern textbook narratives. A film portrait of "The White Rose," a students' resistance group, will serve as an introduction to the constraints of everyday life in a dictatorship. By investigating historical moments of resistance and opposition we will also become familiar with history as an academic discipline, its terminology, its sources, its writing, its methods. Cost:1 WL:1 (Puff)
Section 007 – Women's Studies: A German Perspective.
This course serves as an introduction to the complex field of
Women's Studies in contemporary Germany. We will approach this
topic from different angles: (1) we will familiarize ourselves
with the current debates in feminist and gender theory; (2) we
will explore the cultural production of women in literature, film, and art. We will start our exploration with post-unification Germany, and extend the inquiry back into the immediate postwar period
dealing with both East and West Germany. The language of instruction
will be German. Student evaluation will be based on participation
in class, regular writing exercises, oral presentations, and a
substantial presentation at the end of the term on a topic of the student's choice. Cost:2
WL:1 (Hell)
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Times, Location, and Availability
305. Conversation Practice.
German 232; concurrent enrollment in a 300-level
course is encouraged but not necessary. Students who have previously
participated in a 400-level conversation course may not register
for 305 or 306. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory credit/no credit.
This course does not satisfy the language requirement. May be
elected for credit twice.
The goal of this course is to increase students' confidence in
speaking on any topic and, therefore, the course will focus on
a variety of topics ranging from practical language situations
to current cultural events to areas of students' academic interests.
Students will work on expanding vocabulary, finding synonyms, and understanding/using varying spoken styles, which are necessary
to appreciate life in German-speaking communities. The materials
for the class will come from German websites as well as various
materials from the instructor. Course requirements are: energetic
class participation, thorough preparation, e-mail in German with the instructor and fellow students, and oral presentations.
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Times, Location, and Availability
325. Intermediate German.
German 232. (3). (Excl).
This course is primarily intended to improve fluency and accuracy
in written and spoken German. Each section of 325 aims to introduce
students to the study of a specific discipline in German. For
descriptions of individual sections, see below.
Section 001 – Contemporary German Life. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with contemporary German politics and life, and to enable them to read and discuss newspaper articles on these topics on their own. Readings will be taken from various sources. Strong emphasis will be placed on the development of the vocabulary and grammar required to discuss such matters. Written work will consist of papers every other week which are corrected and returned in each intervening week. The term will conclude with an oral report instead of a term paper. Cost:1 WL:1 (Cowen)
Section 003 – Verfilmte Literature. This course will be based on 4 or 5 pieces of German literature which have been made into films. After reading sections of the literature, we will view the films. Class discussions and written assignments will be based on analysis, comparison, and contrast of the written and filmed versions. Grammar and questions of written style will be reviewed according to needs of the class. The language of instruction is German. Cost:1 WL:1 (VanValkenburg)
Section 004 – The German Language through Space and Time.
The goal of this section of German 325 is to acquaint students
with the discourse and methods of German dialectology and language
history. We shall survey the historical development of German
and its dialects from the beginnings to the present day, in the
context of changing sociological, political, economic, and cultural
environments. As we study the changes in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar of German, we shall also examine illustrative texts
from a variety of genres, translate the older ones into modern
German, and compare their features with those of modern German.
Then, toward the end of the course, we shall turn our attention
to the divisions between East and West, between political Left
and Right, between native and immigrant, between generations, and between genders, and how those divisions are reflected in
language behavior. Our studies will fall into three areas: (1)
readings from the textbook; (2) discussions of the illustrative
texts; and (3) discussions of weekly homework problems. There
will be weekly quizzes on the previous week's readings, frequent
short papers on those readings, and frequent oral presentations
in class. Review of grammar will be conducted as needed. Cost:2
WL:1 (Kyes)
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329. Independent Study.
Permission of chairman. (1-4). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).
May be repeated for credit.
Independent study for students who need work in a certain area
to complete their degrees and are unable to acquire it from a
regularly scheduled course.
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Times, Location, and Availability
350. Business German.
German 232. (3). (Excl).
This course introduces students to the language of business German
and gives them insight into Germany's place in the global economy.
The course is organized around major business and economic topics, such as: the geography of business in German; the European Union
and Germany's roll therein; trade; traffic and transportation, marketing, industry; money and banking; and ecology. In addition
to the basic text, students will read actual business, merchandising, and advertising material, newspapers and magazines. There will
also be short videos on business and related topics. There will
be three major exams, a number of short reports, papers, and projects
and a final exam. The language of instruction in German. Cost:1
WL:4 (VanValkenburg)
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Times, Location, and Availability
381. Eighteenth to Nineteenth-Century
Drama. German 232. (3). (HU).
This course provides an introduction to German literature of the
late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries through several
of the great dramas of the period. In conjunction with German
382, 383, 384, or 385 this course can be elected in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for a German concentration or for a German
teaching major or minor. The course will include the following
texts by Lessing, Lenz, Goethe, Kleist, and Büchner. The
emphasis of the course is on the analysis of the works, mainly
in class discussions. The instructor will also provide background
information on the playwrights, their times, and the artistic theories they represent. There will be one longer interpretive
paper, a midterm exam, and a final exam. These may be written
in German or English. The language of instruction is German. Cost:1 WL:4.
(Cowen)
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Times, Location, and Availability
384. Short Fiction: Romanticism
to Realism. German 232. (3). (HU).
This course provides an introduction to some of the major figures
and movements in German literature from the end of the eighteenth
to the second half of the nineteenth century through the study
of selected masterworks of short fiction. Furthermore, it offers the students the opportunity to gain some insight into the cultural
as well as the social and political trends of this period. The
readings consist of short works of fiction by such authors as
L. Tieck, E.T.A. Hoffmann, J.v. Eichendorff, H.v. Kleist, G. Büchner, A.v. Droste-Hülshoff, F. Grillparzer, and G. Keller, and G. Hauptmann. German will be used as much as possible in this
class. The course grade will be based on class participation and two papers. (Weiss)
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Times, Location, and Availability
405. Conversation Practice.
German 305 or 306. (1). (Excl). Offered mandatory
credit/no credit.
This class addresses students who have lived in Germany or plan
to go there in the imminent future. We will create a German-speaking
environment that practices common professional or academic situations.
These structural pillars of the class will offer ample space for
integrating clusters of cultural topics in German-speaking communities
(German menus and table manners will be digested first-hand).
The virtual reality that this course aims to provide should become the real virtuality. This course is restricted to students who
have already completed a 300-level German conversation course
or who have reached the 325-level course plateau. Various presentations
and vigorous discussions within and without the classroom will
establish the formal requirements of this course.
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Times, Location, and Availability
415. The German Language
Past and Present. One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl).
The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the
assumptions, terminology, and methodologies of descriptive and historical linguistics, and to apply these to a study of the evolution
of the German language from pre-literate times to the present, with emphasis on the emergence of a standard literary dialect.
Although a major concern will be the changes in the internal structure
of the language, we shall relate this to the cultural context
in which the language has evolved. Instruction will be through
readings, lectures, and discussions. Requirements include frequent
short essays and homework problems, several in-class written exercises, a term-paper, and an oral presentation on the subject of the paper.
Previous coursework in linguistics is not required. Texts to purchase:
Astrid Stedje, Deutsche Sprache gestern und heute, and a course pack consisting of additional readings and homework problems.
Cost:2 WL:1
(Kyes)
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Times, Location, and Availability
425. Advanced German.
German 325/326. (3). (Excl).
Various approaches will be used to improve the students' proficiency.
Written assignments include a weekly composition of at least two
pages. Several times during the term students are required to
listen to tapes or watch video-cassettes concerning the history, culture, or politics of the German-speaking countries in order
to use them as departure points for compositions or discussion.
Readings include articles of topical interest, stories, poems, and so forth. Class members are expected to give several brief
presentations and lead the subsequent discussion. The final grade
is based on the compositions as well as class participation. German
will be used exclusively in this class. (Weiss)
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Times, Location, and Availability
450. Medieval German
Literature in Modern German Translation. One year
beyond 232. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Parzival: Hero for all Times? No other novel
of the German Middle Ages has inspired modern poets, authors, and playwrights as perseveringly as Wolfram von Eschenbach's wondrous
tale of Parzival and his adventurous quest for the Holy Grail.
In this course we will engage in a dialogue between the distant
past and our present. We will read Wolfram's epic (in a modern
German translation) as well as more contemporary adaptations ranging
from Richard Wagner's opera to most recent texts. We will not
only take Parzival as a guide to medieval culture and topics like childhood, tournament, etc., but we will
also explore the changing matrix of literary production, of writing
and reading. (Puff)
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Times, Location, and Availability
457. Twentieth Century
German Fiction. One year beyond German 232. (3).
(Excl).
Section 001 – The "New Woman". This seminar explores
images of the "New Woman" in the films, novels, photojournalism, dance, advertising, and fashion of the Weimar Republic. We will
trace various strategies for the "modernization" of
feminity in a range of popular female "types" (the flapper, the garconne, the "girl", the female student) and specific
figures such as Louise Brooks, Asta Nielsen, or the "Artificial
Silk Girl" (Keun). The seminar will analyze how popular discourse
on the "New Woman" addressed female spectators, readers, and consumers, and we will consider the role played by women in the construction of this discourse. (Barndt)
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Times, Location, and Availability
491. German Honors Proseminar.
Senior Honors standing. (3). (Excl). May not be repeated
for credit.
Completion of the sequence of German 491 and 492 is required for
an Honors concentration in German Studies. Interested students
are encouraged to contact the Honors Concentration Advisor for
admission into the program (minimum 3.0 GPA with at least 3.5
in German) for Fall term of their senior year, preferably – but
not necessarily – as early as Winter term of their sophomore year.
German 491 is regarded as a preparatory term in anticipation of
492 (Winter), in which each student writes an Honors thesis. The
kinds of work to be read will be determined in part by the perceived
needs of the students, geared possibly toward already-identified thesis topics and/or toward intensified focus on reading literary
texts, acquiring and honing interdisciplinary research skills, and developing a persuasive and sustained argument. Every effort
will be made to accommodate students with a broad range of interests
from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. Regardless of ultimate
subject matter, the intent of the seminar will be to increase
students' critical reading abilities in their chosen field of
interest and their familiarity with secondary literature, source
material, and contemporary scholarship. Requirements for the course
include at least one oral presentation (depending on the number
of participants) and two papers (to total about 25 pages, in German
or English). Students are urged to contact the Honors Concentration
Advisor in advance of the Fall term to arrange an interview in
which particular individual needs and interests will be discussed, so that the course may be tailored to fit each group. Cost:2
WL:3 (Rast)
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499. Seminar in German
Studies. One year beyond 232. (3). (Excl). May be
repeated for credit.
Section 001 – New German Politics: Social Movements, Youth's Activities
and Expert's Politics. See German
449. This course was listed incorrectly in the Time Schedule,
and will be offered under the German 449 course. (Ritter)
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Times, Location, and Availability
500. Introduction to
Germanic Linguistics. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – The German Language Past and Present.
For Fall Term, 1998, this course meets with German
415. (Kyes)
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Times, Location, and Availability
504. History of the German Language. Graduate standing; or permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
In this course we will trace the development of the German
language in reverse. We will start with a description of the internal
structure of the modern language and how it is related to external
factors, after which we will quickly trace backwards through the
centuries. Major emphasis will be placed on the internal and social
developments in Early New High German, Middle High German, and Old High German. The development of German will also be placed
in the wider context of the Germanic languages and the Indo European
language family. Language data and most readings will be in German.
Linguistic terminology will be introduced as necessary to deal
with the issues at hand. Evaluation will be based on class participation, presentations, and take home exams. Cost:2 WL:4
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Times, Location, and Availability
531/EducationD 431. Teaching Methods. Senior standing; and candidate for a teaching certificate. (3). (Excl).
This course is intended to provide the theoretical and practical
foundations for the teaching of German as a foreign language in
schools and colleges. The course will combine regular reading
assignments with frequent class observations, and the preparation
of sample lessons in order to generate a fruitful interplay between theory and practice. Course requirements include regular reading
assignments, regular class observations, several short presentations, quizzes, and a final paper or project. Graduate Student Instructors
enrolled in this course must also enroll in the departmental teaching
orientation workshop prior to the beginning of the semester. Cost:
2 WL: 1 (Rastalsky)
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Times, Location, and Availability
540. Introduction to
German Studies. Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).
Section 001 – Theoretical Approaches to Goethe's Wilhelm
Meister. Instead of covering a number of texts from a single interpretive
perspective, this seminar will attempt to read and re-read one
work of fundamental importance under several different theoretical
optics in succession. We will begin by rehearsing the history
of German literary criticism by studying representative interpretations
of the Lehrjahre (Goethe's contemporaries, Jungdeutschen, Nationalliberalen, Positivismus, Geistesgeschichte, Präfaschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Werkimmanent/New Criticism, Morphological/Archetypal), and then undertake both to study interpretations typical of various
contemporary "schools" (Marxist, Sociological/New-Historical, Reader Response/Hermeneutic, Psychoanalytic, Formalist/Structuralist, Port-Structuralist, and Feminist) and to generate our own, original
interpretations in the spirit of each. Cost:2 WL:none (Amrine)
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Times, Location, and Availability
German Literature and Culture in English
250. Literature and Culture
of War in Germany. (3). (HU).
Germany is one of the world's peoples and nations whose experiences
and destiny have been most horrifically intertwined with war.
This course introduces students to the reading and critical understanding
of Germany's literature and cultural reflections of war. Drawing
from poems, novels, plays, film, essays, and memoirs, but also
from Clausewitz's canonical philosophic treatise On War
and from painting – from the baroque poet Gryphius to the 20th-century's
Brecht, Grass, and Das Boot – the rich and terrible "culture
of war" that has repeatedly marked early-modern and modern
German will be comprehensively examined. One lecture and two discussion
sessions per week. Students will be evaluated by two in-class
tests, two papers, and class attendance and participation. (Bahti)
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Times, Location, and Availability
330. German Cinema. (3).
(Excl). Laboratory fee ($12) required.
Section 001 – The Films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Upon
hearing of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's death in 1982, Andy Warhol
noted in his diary, "he was 37 and he made 40 movies!"
If Fassbinder's sheer productivity had already been a source of
both awe and controversy during his lifetime, the years since
his death have seen a mythologization of the director as a genius
of the German Autorenfilm, an uneasy "representative"
of Germany and the New German Cinema. This class intends to take
a closer look at the conflicting elements of the Fassbinder phenomenon
in both its cinematic and its biographical dimensions. Though
no one class can survey all of Fassbinder's prolific work, we
will look at a representative cross-section of his films, examining their representational strategies in terms of formal considerations
(the uses of American genres, Fassbinder's "style"), the relationship of cinema and history, Fassbinder's politics
of gender and sexuality and the socio-political context in which
he worked, as well as the films' relation to Fassbinder's self-styled
"star" image. The course will be conducted in English, with the option of selected readings and assignments in German.
(von Moltke)
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Times, Location, and Availability
375/MARC 375/Rel. 375.
Celtic and Nordic Mythology. (3). (Excl).
See Religion 375. (Beck)
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Times, Location, and Availability
449. Special Topics in
English Translation. (3). (Excl). May be repeated
for a total of 9 credits.
Section 001 – New German Politics: Social Movements, Youth's Activities
and Expert's Politics. German politics changed profoundly
since the late sixties. Out of the students' revolt arose an extensive
democratization of the old Federal Republic in the West. In the
seventies and eighties, peace, environmental, and women's movements, besides other new social movements changed the use of political
institutions and created an unconventional public sphere of political
articulation. In 1989 the Buergerbewegung of the GDR
taught us that western social movements are not the only way to
"enrich" and to challenge governmental politics. Together
with this grass roots politics a new kind of expert's politics
developed to regulate highly complex, scientifically specified
potentials and problems, for example genetic engineering, or environmental
technologies. This new type of bureaucratic "activism"
gains an increasing impact on the outcome of political decisions.
In contrast to such an "Expertentum" young people are
developing their own interpretations of politics. Since German
unification the spectrum of different subcultures enlarged, encompassing
punks, multicultural mixed identities, the extreme right, as well
as very different ways of "consumption" of politics.
They include more than pure youth rebellion. Young people in Germany
are going to transform the current dissent between typical western
politics, and East German interpretations of conflict and consent
in politics. Students don't need to have any special knowledge
about German politics or German history as prerequisites for this
course. The course will cover both, a thorough introduction to
German politics and comprehensive readings about visible changes
in the politics of postunified Germany. There will be an oral
midterm and a written final exam. Students will also be given
several short written assignments. Regular attendance, reading
of the texts and participation in the discussion are requested.
For further information contact ritterc@umich.edu (Ritter)
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Times, Location, and Availability
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