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2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

GERM1070 Approaching German Culture

20 creditsClass Size: 45

Module manager: Jane Wilkinson
Email: j.i.wilkinson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

A post A-Level reading knowledge of German is a pre-requisite for this module.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

What is 'German culture'? How does culture play a role in the development of German identity? This module is suitable for students with an interest in developing their skills in literary and filmic analysis while learning about German culture. Students develop a critical understanding of the key concepts relevant for an understanding of modern Germany, and analyse a wide interdisciplinary range of texts from two centuries - films, plays and literary texts - that engage with the question of what 'Germanness' means.Essay writing skills, reinforced within the seminars, develop alongside an engagement with the themes and issues. The ability to express ideas and engage critically with secondary literature is a major element in the assessment of this module.

Objectives

This module introduces students to two key questions. Firstly, what is 'German culture'? Secondly, how has culture, in its broadest sense, impacted on the question of 'what is Germany?'

Students will look at the 'birth' of the German Nation, and the part played in this by the study of German culture. Using selected primary and secondary texts, students will examine a range of issues that have changed our perception of culture, as well as the impact of these changes on national identity, such as the principles of Enlightenment philosophy, constructions of 'Germanness' under the Nazis, reflections of the former GDR in post-unification Germany and the continuing problem of 'coming to terms' with the Holocaust.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- demonstrate their knowledge of the internal and external factors relevant to an understanding of German culture
- analyse a range of literary, filmic and critical texts in their cultural context
- show an awareness of the interplay between politics and culture
- engage critically with secondary literature and its use

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of German culture and its artefacts
- analyse extracts of literary texts and analyse films in the German language
- show increased confidence in the study of German-language texts
- demonstrate team work skills


Syllabus

This module examines extracts from a variety of different texts which address two key questions.

Firstly, what is German culture? Students will examine different approaches to the study of culture, from the 'aesthetic', which sees art as 'the highest form of human expression', to the 'anthropological', which sees culture as a means of examining key social and political issues within society.

Secondly, students will examine the way culture has impacted on the question of 'What is Germany?', from the Enlightenment through to the present day through a range of representative films, plays and literary texts that address the question of 'what is Germany'.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture101.0010.00
Seminar201.0020.00
Private study hours170.00
Total Contact hours30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Students will be required to research topics in preparation for the Seminars, including meeting at least once in preparation for the group presentation task (52 hours) and spend a further 40 hours in autonomous research and learning in preparation for the assessments (essay, presentation and written examination). They will further be required to spend 97 hours writing the written assessments and preparing for the examination.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored via regular preparation tasks for the weekly seminars and by a formal group presentation (formative) to be presented in Semester 1. Feedback on the first written assessment will aid students in preparing for subsequent assessments and will identify any problems at an early stage.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay2,000 words50.00
Poster PresentationPoster and 2000 word commentary50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 22/06/2017

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