This module follows on from the module German Studies 1. Its key objectives are to continue to extend students’ reading and listening skills in German through the study of longer texts/films than those which feature in the German Language modules; to widen and deepen their understanding of German language texts/films as cultural products which provide important insights for the development of the range of inter-cultural competencies required to function professionally in a German-speaking environment. A theme of this module is the outsider in German-language cultural history.
The class will examine the concept of the individual as outsider in literature, art and history from the perspective of 19th century and early 20th century Germany, Austria and Switzerland, using a selection of written texts in German and related German-language films to explore the notion and link it to its expression in both the social/historical/political and artistic domains, whilst at the same time allowing students to develop further their critical, discursive and presentational skills.
Class content will reflect the research specialisms of German lecturing staff in the School of Languages, Law and Social Sciences, and the actual texts and films studied may vary from year to year to reflect student demand and staff availability, as determined by the research focus of the staff concerned. All texts/films studied will be in the original language.
The notion of the writer or artist as outsider finds many examples in German literature: whether as a political outsider in the turbulence and repression of Germany in the 1830s (Georg Büchner) and again in the 1930s (Kurt Tucholsky), a Jewish writer (Arthur Schnitzler, Franz Kafka) or a feminist and pacifist (Bertha von Suttner) in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century.
Then there were those who appeared to be perfect insiders but who, as artists and writers, were able to distance themselves and turn a cool and often critical eye on their society (for example Adalbert Stifter, Theodore Fontane, Thomas Mann). Students will be encouraged to engage critically with the individual works of these or other writers, and to use the appropriate critical and theoretical apparatus in their exploration of the notion of the outsider.
In view of the module’s aim to develop the range of inter-cultural competencies required to function professionally in a German-speaking environment, lecturers may also introduce a variety of texts to prepare students for the linguistic and cultural challenges of the following year abroad.
The class will be delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminars. Specific reading will be identified for each lecture hour, prioritised as ‘essential’ and ‘further reading’, and should require approximately 2 hours of private study/preparation. Each tutorial topic will be accompanied by a list of specific readings/questions and/or prompts. Adequate tutorial preparation should involve approximately 2 hours of private study.
E-learning
All class materials and additional support materials will be available through Brightspace.
The module is normally delivered over the course over two semesters.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 50 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 50 |