Spring 2017  |  GER 3501 Section 001: Contemporary Germany (67613)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/17/2017 - 05/05/2017
Tue, Thu 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, East Bank
Folwell Hall 103
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Social, political, and cultural developments in Germany, from 1945 to present. prereq: 3011
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?melin005+GER3501+Spring2017
Class Description:
Green (R)evolution? Environmental issues play a prominent public role in German-speaking countries today and are seen as driving social, political, and cultural change. This course (taught in German) looks at the ways environmental imagination is expressed through language and in contemporary culture, as well as the dilemmas and challenges the move toward sustainability raises. Why does Germany have a reputation for green initiatives? Does everyone benefit from going green? How do societies resolve differences of opinion about what should be done for the common good? What role do activists and political parties play in German environmental debates? Does change happen through revolution or evolution - and is sustainability achievable? We will look at how contemporary environmentalism has changed attitudes about food, energy, consumerism, and technological innovation. Taking into account the divergent opinions that surround these topics, multimedia materials and non-traditional assignments (debates, expository writing, and creative projects) will help us critically analyze different points of view. Our starting point will be a book by Volker Quaschning. It is a witty, yet scientifically grounded overview of hot button topics with the title Muelltrenner, Muesliesser und Klimaschuetzer: Wir Deutschen und unsere Umwelt (2010) and Wladimir Kaminer's autobiographical work, Mein Leben im Schrebergarten (2007). We will also read excerpts from Peter Wohlleben's bestseller Das geheime Leben der Baeume (2015) and Karin Duve's Anstaendig essen (2011).
Class Format:
10% Lecture
10% Film/Video
50% Discussion
20% Small Group Activities
10% Student Presentations
Workload:
30 Pages Reading Per Week
25 Pages Writing Per Term
2 Paper(s)
2 Presentation(s)
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/67613/1173
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
21 October 2016

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