Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Beliefs and values that shaped a nation (Seminar)

Inhalt: In this area studies seminar, we will look at religious beliefs and traditional American values that had a powerful impact on the US as a newly built nation, such as the Puritan belief in the “promised land” or their Protestant work ethic, which is at the core of today’s capitalism. We will also discuss religious groups that emigrated to America, such as the Amish, in order to understand what religious freedom meant and which importance religion still has today. Other historical movements to be dealt with are “Manifest Destiny” and the resulting Westward Movement, which lead to a clash of Western and Native values. For later immigrants, the belief in the American Dream was a strong motivation - what the term includes and whether the incorporated values still remain -needs to be analyzed. The material dealt with in this seminar includes historical documents, factual texts, literary examples, and visual material.

Britain: Before and After the Brexit (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Inga Dwenger

Inhalt: Britain's relations with continental Europe reach back into prehistory when a wide land bridge enabled settlers to move easily from continental Europe to what is now Britain. As temperatures rose after the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago Britain was finally cut off from the continent. But in spite of the barrier of the Channel, Britain - the United Kingdom and its constituent nations - and the countries of continental Europe have over the intervening period enriched each others lives, fought each other in numerous wars and co-operated in trying to find solutions to European problems. Today the United Kingdom is a multi-faceted, dynamic nation with a rich heritage and an amazing ability to reinvent inself. London for example used to be the hub of an empire and is still a major financial centre. British culture, its film industry and thriving pop, fashion or clubs is as widely known as the British countryside and the Britons' originality when it comes to customs and traditions. This course will look at a variety of aspects: the concept of "Britain" and the UK, the nation's traditions and changes, its cultural identity and diversity, national stereotypes, the troubled relationship between Britain and Germany and Britain's ongoing process of leaving the European Union.

Ethnic Cultures of North America (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maria Moss

Termin:
wöchentlich | Mittwoch | 10:15 - 11:45 | 12.10.2020 - 29.01.2021 | C 5.019 Seminarraum

Inhalt: In this seminar we will explore the different ethnic cultures of Canada and the United States which differ greatly from western thought in both their perception of reality and their assumption about literary creations. We will look at experiences of the indigenous populations (Native Americans, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) as well as recent immigrants to the U.S., most nobably from Mexico. Our seminar will not only be an exploration of groups which have historically been pushed to the periphery of our cultural awareness, but also a contribution to the dialogue that has been challenging discourses both in the United States and Canada for the past decades.

Introducing North American Studies (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Maria Moss

Termin:
wöchentlich | Donnerstag | 14:15 - 15:45 | 12.10.2020 - 29.01.2021 | C 5.019 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Since the North American continent is one of the most diverse places in the world with a rich immigrant history, a vibrant political culture, and an influential media and arts industry, this seminar approaches its topics not only from a socio-cultural and historical point-of-view, but also from a genre- or media-specific perspective. After a general introduction to North American Studies, we will concentrate on the following topics: Native cultures and the oral tradition; European colonization and immigration; Canada-U.S. relations (settlement patterns, ecological movements, and literary cultures); mainstream and marginalized voices that – encouraged by the social movements of the 1960s – enriched both the political debates and the literatures of North America. Apart from traditional academic texts, we will also examine non-academic texts, such as blogs, newspapers, songs and political cartoons.

Understanding Area Studies (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Sabrina Völz

Termin:
wöchentlich | Montag | 14:15 - 15:45 | 12.10.2020 - 29.01.2021 | Online-Veranstaltung

Inhalt: This introduction to area studies is designed to provide students with an understanding of key terminology and readings in the field of area studies. Course participants will become familiar with and learn to analyze and apply approaches to / models for interpreting culture. Practical applications and goals for the classroom will also be discussed.