Germany Today 2402 Spring 2006

Call Number 65775 Mo, Tu, Th @ 12.00-12.50 Humanities 490.

Instructor: Michael Mullins

E-mail: mmullins@d.umn.edu

Internet: http://www.d.umn.edu/~mmullins

Office: Humanities 453 Tel & Voice Mail: 726-6155

Office Hours: Tu. and Thur. 9:00-9:50 H453 and by appointment

COURSE MATERIALS

Textbook: Stuart Parks, "Understanding Contemporary Germany," 1st edition, copyright 1997

Reader for: Turk Guest Workers/Arts and Intellectuals (On-Reserve).

Electronic Reserve @ UMD Library

Various websites

Films: instructor provided to view alone or in groups for extra credit; these films will deal with the content of our course and the student(s) will be asked to post summaries for extra credit on WebCT

GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course meets the requirements of the LEIP Cat 8 for international perspectives.The course analyzes contemporary issues and their relationships to individuals and/or social institutions in economic, political, educational or religious systems. It will be taught in English, the readings will be in English. We will see 3 films in this course all offered in evenings at UMD. These films will be in other languages but with English subtitles. The course will not necessarily follow a linear, chronological structure but will be organized around five themes. These themes are the following:

Divided Germany: 1945

Facing the Future: The New Germany, new Europe and the New World Order

Search for identity past and present

Guest worker problematic

Intellectual climate since unification

SPECIFIC COURSE GOALS

Working format:

This course will be an intensive small-group working experience. I expect German Studies majors and minors to be enrolled but also majors from other fields who are looking for an internationalizing of their degree program. Some German majors/ minors might be required to do some of the work in German(such as written essays). I do not view this course as being lecture format, rather one in which students will read the main text, view films, go to internet sites doing research and bring many of their own perspectives about Germany to the three times weekly course meetings. Attendance is a must since we will be doing pair work, small group work and plenum work. Our departmental attendance policy is as follows:

You may have 5 absences for any reason, I really don't care why you must miss. Anymore than that and it will be IMPOSSIBLE for you to earn an A. More than 8 absences and you cannot earn a B. More than 10 absences and you cannot earn a C.

Grade Calculation:

To get to WebCT I am sending you via the hyper-link in the above table to the authentication X.500. From there you must click on the "Toolkit" tab in WebCT, scroll down to WebCT Vista and look for the link to German 2402 discussion in the discussion section. If the link isn't visible, than click on WebCT Vista.

Access:

The Foreign Languages and Literatures Department is committed to making its courses available to all students who are adequately prepared and willing to participate. If there is any reason why you may have trouble meeting any of the expectations as they are outlined above, please contact me right away, and we will attempt to work out an accomodation.

With suggestions aqnd any questions about the class, your performance, make-up work etc., see, call or email your friendly instructor immediately. I basically have an "open door" policy re: my office.

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS: