Intercultural Germany: Literature, Politics, Migration, and Culture

Taught in German. Most readings in German; some theoretical readings in English. Exploration of issues surrounding immigration and intercultural identity in Germany since 1960, with focus on period after 1990. Examination of various cultural spaces, practices, and standpoints as staged in literary and nonliterary texts, with emphasis on constructions of ethnicity, nation, race, class, and gender. Analysis of several political and cultural debates that dominated media and public discussions in Germany and Europe for several weeks. Discussion of several literary texts by Turkish German and other minority/intercultural writers. Examination of hip-hop minority music and culture as voices in political debates. Exploration of contemporary controversies around Islam in Germany. Reading of several theoretical pieces that examine relationships between immigration, globalization, culture, and identity.

P/NP or letter grading.