Department: German ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
28 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 28.
1.
Anderson, Kerry F.
Defining Destinations: Tourism's Relation to East German Identity Before and After Reunification.
Degree: MA, German, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between tourism…
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▼ The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between tourism and regional identity in eastern Germany before and after reunification. This study examined how certain sites of tourism in eastern Germany have been promoted in order to create specific, idealized identities. The first chapter discussed theories of tourism and tourism’s role in the construction and reflection of identity. The subsequent chapters applied this general background information to the specific context of eastern Germany. This study outlined the practice of tourism in the GDR and analyzed pre- and post-unification travel guidebooks written in both English and German to show how this region’s identity has been represented and misrepresented in tourism-specific informative texts. The study then continued in the form of three smaller case studies. These case studies examined historical information and promotional campaigns regarding three relatively different sites of tourism in eastern Germany: Saxon Switzerland, Leipzig, and Ferropolis. Saxon Switzerland is a national park; Leipzig was the second-largest city in the GDR and has experienced multiple makeovers since reunification; and Ferropolis is an open-air museum and event venue first established after reunification on the grounds of a former brown-coal mine. My research revealed that tourist imagery, organizations, and promotional strategies in the GDR attempted to create an idealized adherence to the values of socialism and an idealized belief in the GDR. Several idealizations of identity have been noted in sites of tourism since reunification: idealization of achievements before the socialist era; idealization of the future; and idealization of certain aspects of transformations presently taking place in eastern Germany. This study focused on the portrayal and promotion of specific tourist destinations and can serve as a springboard for further research into tourist responses.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: European history
Keywords: GDR; eastern Germany; tourism; identity; Saxon Switzerland; Leipzig; Ferropolis
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2.
AufderHeide, Erin.
Representations of German-Speaking Exiles and Immigrants in Argentina.
Degree: MA, German, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Examined herein is a wide spectrum of literary representations pertaining to German-speaking…
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▼ Examined herein is a wide spectrum of literary representations pertaining to German-speaking immigrants and exiles in Argentina by examining these works through immigration and exilic theory. The theoretical framework of immigration and exile is applied to German-speaking exiles and immigrants associated with Argentina: the Volga Germans, the Jewish Germans and the National-Socialist Germans. The German-language literature by Stefan Zweig, Paul Zech, and gerontologists Andreas Kruse and Eric Schmitt, pertaining to Jewish Germans Herr A. and Frau M, depict distinct mentalities concerning the arrival to and habitation in Argentina. The Spanish-language literature by José Alfredo Schwarcz, Alberto Gerchunoff, Carlos Grünberg, and Samuel Eichelbaum form representations specific to the Jewish-immigration experience in Argentina. Representations by both Jews of German origin and non-German origin allow for an examination of the concerns unique to the Jewish immigrant, and consequently, a look at the paradoxical role of both religious national heritages in the formation of individual identity. The distinct, examined literary works concerning these various immigrants and exiles form a powerful medium in which to represent their extraordinary experiences.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Language, Modern
Keywords: Immigrants; Exiles; German; Argentine
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3.
Baker, Kenneth Rex III.
Lights, Camera, Creating Heroes in Action: Claus von Stauffenberg and the July 20th Conspirators in German and American Filmic Representations of the July 20th Plot.
Degree: MA, German, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► Nearly 65 years have passed since filmic representations of the July 20th…
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▼ Nearly 65 years have passed since filmic representations of the July 20th Plot began to be produced in West Germany in order to assist in the rehabilitation process of post-World War II German identity. This paper focuses on a close reading of German and American filmic representations of the July 20th Plot since 1955, within the context of the event's historiography, in order to present a new perspective from which to understand their different cultural Rezeptionsgeschichte. Additionally, special emphasis is placed on the figure of Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg as he is the main protagonist in each of the films analyzed: Es geschah am 20. Juli (1955), Der 20. Juli (1955), Stauffenberg (2004), and Valkyrie (2008). The process of establishing a positive (West) German identity independent of Hitler's Nazi legacy took place not only within the political arena, but also in popular culture productions, such as film. An integral aspect of creating this new identity lay in heroizing the July 20th conspirators, which is the main focus of each of these films, in order to help establish an honorable tradition based on German resistance to Hitler's rule. These films are, therefore, important documents from which to understand the construction of German identity over the last half century as relates to efforts of Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung, coming to terms with the legacy of the Nazi past. This is especially true as the films reflect the progression of historiographical trends over the last half century, during which portrayals of the July 20th conspirators have become more critical. Finally, this paper ends with an analysis of the 2008 American film Valkyrie, in which the notion of German identity based on the heroization of the July 20th conspirators as depicted by a non-German production is explored.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Subjects: European history; German literature; History; Mass media; Motion Pictures; Social research
Keywords: es geschah am 20. juli; der 20. juli; stauffenberg; valkyrie; operation walkuere; walkuere; german resistance; bryan singer; tom cruise; sebastian koch; wolfgang preiss; falk harnack; g.w. pabst; july 20th plot; conspiracy
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4.
Beegle, Melissa.
Rafael Seligmann and the German-Jewish Negative Symbiosis in Post-Shoah Germany: Breaking the Silence.
Degree: MA, German, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► The Shoah has forever bound Germans and Jews. Of Germany’s contemporary German-language…
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▼ The Shoah has forever bound Germans and Jews. Of Germany’s contemporary German-language Jewish writers, Rafael Seligmann (1947 - ) is one of the most controversial and first writers to depict daily life in post-Shoah Germany for Jewish and non-Jewish Germans. This paper examines the constructs of German-Jewish negative symbiosis discourse in three of Seligmann’s novels: Rubensteins Versteigerung (1989), Die jiddische Mamme (1990) and Der Musterjude (1997). The protagonists in Seligmann’s works exhibit characteristics supporting Dan Diner’s German-Jewish negative symbiosis (1986), Katja Behren’s “rift” (2002) and Todd Herzog’s (2000) conclusion that a positive German-Jewish hybrid identity is not possible. This paper posits that a German-Jewish negative symbiosis – German-Jewish hybrid identity continuum is the most accurate description of Seligmann’s protagonists. This continuum recognizes that people come to terms with identity issues at varying speeds, as we see in Seligmann’s characters and their levels of acceptance of the German part of themselves.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Keywords: Rafael Seligmann; German-Jewish Negative Symbiosis; German-Jewish Identity; Shoah; Holocaust
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5.
Cable, Timothy J.
Luther and the Reformation of Public Discourse.
Degree: MA, German, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis traces the link between Martin Luther and the Enlightenment by…
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▼ This thesis traces the link between Martin Luther and the Enlightenment by examining Luther's thought in the context of advances in communication technology. In response to traditional Luther studies, which have tended to be freighted with theological presuppositions and traditional modes of interpretation, I base my study on a close-reading of Luther's "Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen" ("On the Freedom of a Christian") and use my reading of this text to argue that the advent of printing caused humans to change the way they see themselves, in that communication via print seems to call for a distinction between public role and private individual. To examine the political implications of this new concept of human identity, I compare "Freiheit eines Christenmenschen" to Immanuel Kant's "Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklaerung?" ("An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?") and argue that the roots of the Enlightenment reach back as far as Luther. Finally, using Heinrich von Kleist's novella "Michael Kohlhaas" as a parable of what both Luther and the Enlightenment wrought, I examine the broader consequences of Luther's concept of public discourse and its relationship to Enlightenment thought.
Advisors/Committee Members: Landgraf, Edgar.
Subjects: German literature
Keywords: Public Discourse; Reformation; Enlightenment; Martin Luther; Immanuel Kant; Heinrich von Kleist; Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen; Was ist Aufklaerung; Michael Kohlhaas
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6.
Ellis, Erin Jean.
The “German” and “Nazi” In Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, Capra’s The Nazis Strike and Hitchcock’s Lifeboat.
Degree: MA, German, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► The purpose of this study was to examine the portrayal of the…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to examine the portrayal of the World War Two “Nazi” figure and the World War Two “German” figure as portrayed in Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, Capra’s The Nazis Strike, and Hitchcock’s Lifeboat. Research of each figure’s portrayal in media through the late nineteenth and early twentieth century revealed that “Germans” possess strength, are portrayed as the non-enemy, are focused, and are able to solve problems. In contrast the “Nazi” is barbaric, militaristic, villainous, the enemy, and uses vile brutality to fulfill the mission of the war.By examining the three films I determined that although each film is of a different genre and year, each director similarly portrays the “German” characteristics and “Nazi” characteristics through different aspects of propaganda including the polarization of the enemy, a call for action and the American victory. In addition to the portrayal of the “German” and “Nazi” figures through propaganda techniques, I illustrated how each director uses interactions of other figures with these characters to show the differences between the “German” and “Nazi.” Finally I offered suggestions for additional research on images of the enemy that would further extend the concepts analyzed in this thesis.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Motion Pictures
Keywords: characteristics; German; Nazi; characteristics; propaganda; polarization of the enemy; call for action; Chaplin; The Great Dictator; Capra; The Nazis Strike; Hitchcock; Lifeboat; World War Two
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7.
Enríquez Arana, Eddy M.
THE DYNAMICS OF SALSIOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY GERMANY: RECONSTRUCTING GERMAN CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH SALSA MUSIC AND DANCE.
Degree: MA, German, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis explores the significance of the consumption of salsa music and…
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▼ This thesis explores the significance of the consumption of salsa music and dance in the Federal Republic of Germany and its impact on the construction and reconstruction of German and Latin American cultural identity. The discipline of cultural studies has much to learn from the Latin American presence in and their contributions to the establishment of the salsa institution in the Federal Republic. The thesis further discusses the level of German involvement in the creation of a transnational music and dance culture traditionally associated with the Spanish-speaking world exclusively.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina E.
Keywords: German Studies, Hispanic Studies, Cultural Studies, Multiculturalims, Essentialism, Hybridity, Salsa Music and Dance, German, Spanish
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8.
Greiner, Marion Ulrike.
The Effective Use of Games in the German as a Foreign Language (GFL) Classroom.
Degree: MA, German, 2010, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis considers the reasons why language learning games are a powerful…
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▼ This thesis considers the reasons why language learning games are a powerful and effective language teaching tool. It defines the term “language learning game” and examines its typical characteristics. The thesis also discusses the different types of language learning games. Language learning games are commonly understood to have motivational and enjoyable aspects. Despite cognitive and neurological evidence the instructional effectiveness of language learning games is still questioned by critics. This thesis strongly states that necessary research is missing to convince critics of games' instructional value. Individual subchapters consider the implications of using language learning games in terms of the teacher's role, the student's role, productive error correction and cost-effectiveness. The thesis also discusses practical issues of how to make language learning games actually work in class. These include in-class organization, useful language for playing and organizing games, forms of classroom interaction and classroom setting. In addition to a presentation of decisive factors for the suitability of games, potential problems in the classroom are also discussed. In this thesis the author also presents a collection of accuracy-focused and fluency-focused language learning games that allow teachers to help students develop communicative competence in the foreign language.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Education
Keywords: games; foreign languages; learning
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9.
Hyder, Evelyn Ann.
Women in the Holocaust: the Memoirs of Ruth Kluger, Cordelia Edvardson, and Judith Magyar Isaacson.
Degree: MA, German, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► In what ways does an individual choose to express her memories in…
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▼ In what ways does an individual choose to express her memories in writing - particularly when the memories reveal such a cataclysmic and traumatic event as the Holocaust? Furthermore, what do memoirs tell us about the author?During the 1980s and the 1990s, three women authors in particular undertook the task to capture in written words their childhood memories of the Holocaust: Gebranntes Kind sucht das Feuer by Cordelia Edvardson (1984), Seed of Sarah by Judith Magyar Isaacson (1990), and weiter leben by Ruth Kluger (1992). At first glance, these memoirs may appear to be very similar: three female authors who endured Auschwitz at young ages, writing down their memories at a much later date. However, despite the number of shared characteristics between the authors' stories, the narratives reveal some central issues, which are nevertheless strikingly different. In this thesis I intend to emphasize not only the commonalities between these three authors' memoirs, but also the distinct and significant differences. I will examine these recounted memories closely to distinguish the contrasting underlying messages, intents, sentiments, and stylistic devices that make the three authors' autobiographies and their expressions of memory different and unique.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Subjects: Womens studies
Keywords: Kluger; Edvardson; Isaacson; Holocaust; memoirs; gender; women; narratives
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10.
Johnson, Courtney E.
From Essentialism to Hybridity: Fatih Akin’s Gegen die Wand as Portrayal of Second-Generation Turks in Germany.
Degree: MA, German, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► Who are the Turks living on German soil? This question is central…
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▼ Who are the Turks living on German soil? This question is central to many contemporary discussions being waged in the German media. In a country with approximately 2 million residents of Turkish descent, the time has come for this question to finally be addressed and answered. While journalists and politicians grapple with this topic, one director has made significant contributions to the discussion through one film: Gegen die Wand. This thesis explores the struggles that second generation Turks in Germany face when it comes to identity. It will look into the history of the minority Turkish population in Germany, and the struggles that the current generation must face. By incorporating the hybridity theory of Homi K. Bhabha the discussion will be widened to include new ways of approaching the question of identity. The thesis will then focus on Gegen die Wand and show the ways in which this film opens up new opportunities for discussing this very topical issue of second generation minorities in Germany.
Advisors/Committee Members: Foell, Kristie.
Keywords: Hybridity; Gegen die Wand; Fatih Akin; Homi K. Bhabha; German film; Second-Generation Turks in Germany
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11.
Jones, Margaret H.
The Principle of “Langsamkeit” in Peter Handke’s In Einer Dunklen Nacht Ging Ich Aus Meinem Stillen Haus.
Degree: MA, German, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis aims to explore the “difficult” nature of Peter Handke’s prose…
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▼ This thesis aims to explore the “difficult” nature of Peter Handke’s prose with special attention to the author’s principle of “Langsamkeit.” Operating according to this principle, the author aims to slow down the reading process and resist the reader’s tendency to “devour” the text: a practice which often frustrates readers. Related to this aim is Handke’s effort to resist the “burden of history” (i.e. the politically charged literary atmosphere of Post-World War II Austria and Germany) by creating a self-referential text in which the author’s Engagement lies almost exclusively in his ability to reflect on language and discourse. Related to Handke’s principle of “Langsamkeit” is a more “classical” concern for form and composition. Handke pursues an aesthetic agenda inspired by authors like Goethe and Stifter and largely based on his study of various painters—especially Paul Cézanne. However, his aesthetics can also be classified as typically postmodern in that he attempts to undermine the temporality of the narrative. In Handke’s novels, static motifs are often foregrounded so that description serves as more than a simple background to plot. In this thesis, an interpretation of In einer dunklen Nacht ging ich aus meinem stillen Haus (1997) reveals the „untranslatable“ elements of the text—the descriptive events which cannot be grasped according to causal relationships between narrative units. The goal is to demonstrate how visual and spatial motifs in Handke’s prose undermine the traditional causality of the narrative structure.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey C.
Keywords: Peter Handke; Postmodernism; Spatial form; Spatiality; In einer dunklen Nacht ging ich aus meinem stillen Haus; Austrian literature
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12.
Kampitsch, Laura.
Kontroverse Themen Deutscher Geschichte Im Daf-unterricht. Unterrichtsvorschläge: Nationalsozialismus und Gespaltenes Deutschland.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis deals with controversial topics and periods of German history and…
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▼ This thesis deals with controversial topics and periods of German history and how these historically and culturally important events, for example, the period of National Socialism in Germany and German division, can be implemented in German language and culture courses. The theoretical site of foreign language instruction is discussed in the first part, for example, the advantages and disadvantages of different instruction methods. In the first part, desired learning outcomes will also be discussed. How the controversial topics of National Socialism and German division can be taught through the use of literary texts, films, guided internet research and historical documents will be the topic of the second part of this thesis. Recommendations and sample exercises will also be included in this section. The sample exercises are specifically designed for third year or advanced literature, culture and conversation classes, and are based on the principles of intercultural and communicative foreign language instruction. The aim of this thesis is to develop teaching strategies that engage the students and to develop teaching material to accompany the lessons that provide the students with a multifaceted picture of Germany´s history and presence and encourages them to critically analyze these historical. Because of the traditional nature of foreign language instruction which focuses on grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening exercises, this thesis should also work to motivate instructors of German as a foreign language, to integrate historically and culturally controversial events of German history into German language classrooms.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Teaching
Keywords: DaF-Unterricht; Nationalsozialismus; Gespaltenes Deutschland; DDR; BRD; Deutsch als Fremdsprache; Geschichte
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13.
Lederbauer, Claudia Margarethe.
Die Unsichtbarkeit der UebersetzerInnen in Literaturrezensionen U.S.-amerikanischer Tageszeitungen.
Degree: MA, German, 2008, Bowling Green State University
► Lawrence Venuti argues that translation continues to be an invisible practice. It…
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▼ Lawrence Venuti argues that translation continues to be an invisible practice. It is rarely acknowledged and almost never figures in discussions of translations. He claims that when the target language is contemporary English, transparent discourse sustains the grossly unequal cultural exchanges between the hegemonic English-language nations, particularly the United States, and other countries. The valorization of transparency, however, conceals the manifold conditions under which a translation is produced and read. The thesis addresses this issue, focusing first on theoretical aspects, followed by an analysis of the results obtained in quantitative and qualitative research. The thesis explores, more specifically, the question of how translators and translation are represented in literary reviews in three U.S. daily newspapers, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times over one month in the autumn of 2007.The theoretical framework is based on a "sociology of translation" drawing on Venuti's concept of the invisibility of translators, with specific focus on "foreignizing" and "domesticating" translation strategies. The theoretical part furthermore looks at Pierre Bourdieu's cultural sociology, and Daniel Simeoni's concept of the translator's "habitus". The methodological model involves the quantitative and qualitative analysis of literary reviews with reference to the theoretical framework. The methodological model is also meant to stimulate further research in this field. The two major conclusions derived from the study sustain Lawrence Venuti's concept of the invisibility of translators and Daniel Simeoni's concept of the translator's "habitus". First, a text is judged successful by reviewers when it reads fluently and gives the appearance of being the original. Second, this implies that translators employ domesticating translating strategies and therefore contribute greatly to their own invisibility.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey C.
Subjects: German literature
Keywords: translation studies; invisibility; translators
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14.
McMackin, Daniel Edwin.
AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF ULRICH VON TÜRHEIM'S CONTINUATION OF GOTTFRIED VON STRASSBURG'S TRISTAN.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
Geoffrey C. Howes, Adviser. This document discusses the methods of translating and provides a translation for the medieval German work Tristan by Ulrich von Türheim.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Germanic Literature
Keywords: Tristan; Tristan und Isolde; Tristan and Isolde; Ulrich von Türheim; Ulrich von Turheim; Ulrich; Middle High German; Gottfried von Strassburg; Gottfried
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15.
O'Connell, Patrick.
German Foreign Policy and National Identity Since 1945.
Degree: MA, German, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► As the most populous country and largest economy in Europe, Germany has…
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▼ As the most populous country and largest economy in Europe, Germany has always played a central role in post-World War II European and international politics. Legacies of World War II, the Third Reich and especially the Holocaust heavily influenced Germany's foreign policy during the second half of the twentieth century. The identity of Germany's foreign policy for much of the last decades has been characterized by multilateralism (EU, NATO, UN and other international organizations), diplomacy and civic power strategies within European, transatlantic and global institutional frameworks. However, geostrategic transformations in the last 15-20 years such as the end of the Cold War, new challenges such as international terrorism, and the shift from the second to the third postwar generation in Germany's political elite have resulted in a markedly new dynamic in German foreign and security policies that could lead to a “normalization” of these policies in the future. Germany has increasingly assumed leadership in international multilateral efforts and is solidifying itself as a major international political player. This project analyzes how German foreign policy has evolved since 1945, how this has impacted Germany's position in the international system, and what this means for future policies. The thesis focused on the cyclical interdependence of German foreign policy and national identity, and how they are impacted by international system changes. I applied three levels of analysis: individual/group, state, and systemic to better understand the cyclical relationship of identity and policy making. At the individual level I showed how German cultural and political elements are fused together in order to formulate policy. The state level highlighted Germany's bilateral relationships and its focus on mutually beneficial relations. Analysis at the systemic level highlighted Germany's continued commitment to multilateral and diplomatic solutions to world problems. Each of the three chapters focuses on a major international system change that has had an impact on German politics and self-perception: post World War II Europe, the post Cold War world and German unification, and the twenty-first century and its new challenges, with a focus on the NATO Afghanistan mission.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fritsch, Stefan.
Keywords: Germany; German Foreign Policy; German Politics; German National Identity; National Identity; Afghanistan
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16.
Portnoy, Katherine Anne.
“Grüss Gott!”: A Study of Austrian Identity Through Language.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► As Austria shares both a language and a border with Germany, a…
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▼ As Austria shares both a language and a border with Germany, a distinct relationship has developed between the two countries. Germany, with a population of over eighty million, is often viewed as the more dominant nation of the pair, resulting in foreigners tending to group Austria with their northern neighbor. Because Austria is often associated with Germany, Austrians have endeavored to forge a separate identity for themselves, particularly through language. It can be said that Austrian Standard German, as well as Austrian dialects, have provided Austrians with the opportunity to contrast themselves against speakers of German Standard German, resulting in the formation of a unique Austrian sense of linguistic identity. This thesis explores how and why Austrians identify with the language they speak, examining how the various comparisons with Germany, as well as the influx of German Standard German into different aspects of Austrian life, provide a foil against which Austrians can contrast themselves and their language. The paper examines this topic through the analysis of the linguistic situation in Austria, Austrian reactions to perceptions of Austrian Standard German abroad, and the portrayal of Austrian Standard German and Austrian dialect in the country’s media. Through the analysis of such topics, it is concluded that while the frequent contrasts against speakers of German Standard German significantly strengthen an Austrian sense of identity, this identity cannot fully reach its potential until Austrians are better educated about the norms and characteristics of their language.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Language; Linguistics
Keywords: Austria; German; Austrian Standard German; German Standard German; dialect; identity; language; linguistics; Austropop
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17.
Quasarano, Julie.
Does What You Already Know Really Matter? The Role of Prior Language Knowledge in Third Language Acquisition.
Degree: MA, German, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► The purpose of this thesis is both to explore research and to…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis is both to explore research and to present findings related to if and how language learners make connections across multiple languages. In contemplating this, two questions arose: How do people learn a third language differently than a second? Is there just reason for not drawing on connections across more than one language or should teachers, in fact, be more intentional in making connections across languages? The analysis of these questions begins with an exploration of current research on second and third language acquisition theory in the first two chapters. To ensure that further research conducted into this area would be as rich as possible, multiple tools of both quantitative and qualitative nature were used in an empirical study as well as experimental classroom applications. Findings of the empirical research conducted with multi-language learners to learn about their acquisition experiences are presented. This study includes an experiment to test if the use of intentional teaching methodology that draws on the knowledge of all other previously acquired languages positively impacts third language acquisition. The focus of this experiment was the language constellation English-Spanish-German. In order to test the positive impact of previously acquired languages in third-language acquisition two different communicative lesson plans were designed for an introductory German language course (one standard; one with the addition of new methodologies). An evaluation followed shortly after the implementation of these contrasting lesson plans. Finally, recommendations are proposed based on the current research, the empirical research gathered for this study and the experiment results.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Subjects: Language
Keywords: third language acquisition, second language acquisition, transfer, linguistic awareness, German, English, Spanish, foriegn language, teaching methodology
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18.
Reiter, April Ann.
PRINTING PRESS AND BROADSHEET IMAGERY: REPRODUCIBILITY AND PERCEPTION DURING THE EARLY GERMAN EVANGELICAL REFORMATION (1517-1530).
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► The invention of the printing press and movable type has been established…
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▼ The invention of the printing press and movable type has been established by sociological, art historical, and media studies scholarship as a pivotal turning point in media consumption and production across Europe, but especially in Germany in the decades following 1517. The press opened up new possibilities for dissemination of texts such as books, pamphlets, and single-leaf broadsheets. Images, either woodcut or engraved, often accompanied these texts. Recent scholarship has undertaken the task of proving the effectiveness of such texts in spreading the Reformation message, but most analyses have bypassed highlighting the wider shift in media consumption with regard to images. This study attempts to chart this broader shift in how the common folk, the target audience of the evangelical Reformation message, interacted with images. The ease of production, affordability and consequent wide dissemination of broadsheets shifted the location of viewing of sacred images. Images thus far seen only by the aristocracy or within liturgical settings were now brought into the street, the tavern, or private homes. This led to a separation from the original ritual, whereby the previous understanding of images as containing the holy made present began to be questioned, most notably visible in moments of iconoclasm. Reproducibility thereby effectuated a breakdown in understanding images as unifying signifier (image) and signified (original, unique thing the image represents). In addition, broadsheet images of this time evoked an analogous effect to Mikhail Bakhtin’s conception of the carnivalesque, where mockery, laughter, and desacralization open up room for the observer to interact and take part in the discourse of the image. Finally, relying upon the fundamental argument of Robert W. Scribner’s work "For the Sake of Simple Folk" that broadsheet images were recycled from orthodox and popular origins, it will be seen how recycled images of the peasant remade him as empowered, thereby figuring the observer as an active participant in the evangelical movement. This broader shift in the interaction with images follows the wider trajectory effectuated by the printing press on media consumption in the West of a move away from aura and orthodoxy toward rebelliousness and questioning.
Advisors/Committee Members: Landgraf, Edgar.
Subjects: Germanic Literature; Mass Communications; Mass Media
Keywords: woodcut images; broadsheet images; Reformation; reproducibility; printing press; Gutenberg; Robert W. Scribner; Marshall McLuhan; devotional images
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19.
Schmoll, Heidi Christine.
AMERICAN STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS IN GERMANY AND AUSTRIA: A COMPARISON OF OBJECTIVES AND PERCEIVED LEARNING OUTCOMES.
Degree: MA, German, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► Participation in study-abroad programs has become more and more prevalent in the…
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▼ Participation in study-abroad programs has become more and more prevalent in the last fifty years. This increase has created a greater need for research on the effects of study abroad. The objective of this study was to determine participant-perceived learning outcomes of study-abroad programs in Germany or Austria. These outcomes were centered on the social and cultural domain, language acquisition, and career influences. I also analyzed the objectives of the study-abroad programs to determine whether those aims were met. Seven established university programs with similar designs were used for this research. A total of 203 study-abroad alumni completed a carefully designed, online survey instrument. Survey questions asked participants to gauge the impact of the study-abroad experience on their language learning, cultural awareness, and career paths. Program literature from each university was analyzed, and interviews with program administration were conducted to designate the objectives of the programs. Results of the study showed that alumni reported increases in all three learning outcome domains. This perception, however, was strongest within the realm of personal and cultural development. While subjects recognized a degree of language acquisition, a feeling of missed language-learning opportunities emerged. Interestingly, participants did not indicate that gaining job marketability was a main goal for going abroad, and they, consequently, perceived a lower level of job marketability. The three main objectives of the university programs were language acquisition, personal development, and academic immersion. Over 80% of alumni felt a significant increase in their personal development, while 80.3% perceived a great deal of academic immersion, and 72% a significant increase in language acquisition. This study was a first step in objectively verifying the learning outcomes of study abroad. Recommendations for practice and improvement of programs were included as well as suggestions for further research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Keywords: study abroad; study-abroad learning outcomes; Germany; Austria; study-abroad objectives; perceived learning outcomes; American study-abroad programs; effects of study abroad
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20.
Sinner, Megan.
FEMINISM IN THE FILMS OF NEW GERMAN COMEDY.
Degree: MA, German, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► The purpose of this thesis was to investigate if the feminist films…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis was to investigate if the feminist films of the New German Comedy were truly feminist films in the way that their counterparts of the 1970s and 1980s were. Through my research I have concluded that the films made in present day Germany are feminist films of today and much different from the films that were made during the height of the women’s feminist movement. Sherry Hormann’s films do not reflect the political situation, but are based more on the family. Katja von Garnier’s films do have both a political as well as personal subject matter which was prevalent with feminist films of the past. The films of the New German Comedy do, indeed, reflect not only the times in which they were made, but they also are made for the twentieth and twenty-first century woman.
Advisors/Committee Members: Foell, Kristie.
Subjects: Urban and Regional Planning
Keywords: feminism; post-feminism; comedy; New German Cinema; New German Comedy; Katja von Garnier; Sherry Hormann; feminist/women's movement
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21.
Smith, Allison.
EXHAUSTING WORK: THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN’S EMANCIPATION AND AUTONOMY IN THE LITERATURE OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC.
Degree: MA, German, 2007, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis is an analysis of portrayals of women’s emancipation and autonomy…
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▼ This thesis is an analysis of portrayals of women’s emancipation and autonomy in the literature of the Weimar Republic. I begin by describing the political, social, and economic changes taking place in Germany during the early years of Weimar. Germany’s first democracy Affected every aspect of life, particularly for women, who were granted such rights as the right to vote and equal pay for equal work. These rapid advancements combined with a strong economy and an increasing interest in popular culture, such as movies and sports, made possible the media creation of the New Woman. I discuss first what made this woman “new” and then the reasons why she was never a reality for most German women. I then turn my attention to one of Weimar’s most famous playwrights, Ernst Toller. I analyze two of his major works—the Expressionist drama Masse Mensch and his later drama Hoppla, wir leben!—in terms of their portrayal of gender, both of traditional masculinity and femininity and of newer attitudes brought out in the period of the Neue Sachlichkeit. I also discuss the transition from Expressionism to the Neue Sachlichkeit in a more general sense. Next I look at another successful writer of the period, Irmgard Keun. Keun seized on the image of the New Woman and used it as the backdrop for her first two novels, Gilgi—eine von uns and Das kunstseidene Mädchen. While very different characters, Gilgi and Doris (from Das kunstseidene Mädchen) both embody to some extent the idea of the New Woman. Keun shows us, however, that this new image of women as emancipated and independent was not necessarily an authentic one. I conclude with a discussion of the possibilities and realities of women’s emancipation and autonomy, both in these works and in general.
Advisors/Committee Members: Rippey, Theodore.
Keywords: Weimar Republic; Ernst Toller; Irmgard Keun; women
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22.
Smith, Sara E.
The Problem of Language: Reflections of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Tractatus in the Prose of Ingeborg Bachmann.
Degree: MA, German, 2006, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis focuses on examining the influence of Wittgenstein’s language theory, as…
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▼ This thesis focuses on examining the influence of Wittgenstein’s language theory, as presented in his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, upon Bachmann’s prose. It will present an examination of her essays and her shorter prose, concentrating mainly on four stories found in the collection Das dreißgste Jahr, since they illustrate the parallels between Wittgenstein’s philosophy and Bachmann’s prose well and have received less attention than her novels. The chapters focus respectively on their understanding of “das Mystische” as that which cannot be truly spoken about, the problem of language in regard to the communication of “das Mystische,” and Bachmann’s concept of Utopia, as influenced by Wittgenstein and Robert Musil, in which she depicts Utopia as the arrival of a new language, as well as the process of attaining it. The thesis concludes with an analysis of “Ein Wildermuth,” in which all of these aspects are significantly present.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey C.
Subjects: Literature, Germanic
Keywords: Ingeborg Bachmann; Ludwig Wittgenstein; Das Mystische; The Problem of Language; Das dreissigste Jahr; Undine Geht; Alles; Ein Wildermuth; Utopia; Utopie; mystical
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23.
Stanek, Jennifer Marie.
Demystifying the Notion, “the West is better”: A German Oral History Project.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► I began my project in 2004 as an oral history project, involving…
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▼ I began my project in 2004 as an oral history project, involving four German women, with the purpose of finding out what motivated them either to flee East Germany before the construction of the Berlin Wall or stay. Five years later I wished to revive my project and interview all four women again, but with another purpose in mind. What had started out as a desire to understand my own family's past turned into a desire to gain a better idea of the complexity of the notion, “the West is better,” and, therefore, an even better understanding of what moved a people across dangerous borders. In this thesis I examine what the idea, “the West is better,” meant to real individuals, who chose a life in the West either before the construction of the Wall on August 13, 1961 or in the 1980s before the fall of the Wall. I examine how this notion applied to their experiences specifically, the GDR-refugees' contribution to the creation and perpetuation of this idea, and how this concept has affected the German people since 1949. The notion, “the West is better,” assumed much mythical character during the existence of the GDR, which it largely has not shed. This is apparent in the manner, in which it is still often expressed: as an idea whose origins can be found in nature, not in history, and one that often goes unexplained. Using Roland Barthes' ideas on myth, I was able to spot mythical elements of the belief, “the West is better.” My interviewees' narratives challenge many commonly perceived associations with this notion. A primary thread throughout this thesis is a discussion of the complexity of myth as well as the complexity of oral history.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Subjects: Foreign Language; Germanic Literature; Modern History
Keywords: Germany; GDR; FRG; Berlin Wall; myth; Roland Barthes; refugee; oral history; identity; Cold War; reunification
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24.
Strains, Jessica Margaret Marie.
Aquí v Allá, Hier v Dort: The Role of Spanglish and Kanak Sprak in Identity formation.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► This study investigates the ways in which Turkish-Germans and Hispanic-Americans have historically…
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▼ This study investigates the ways in which Turkish-Germans and Hispanic-Americans have historically represented themselves in literature, and the influence these literary representations have on the identity formation of members who are categorized with these ethnic groups. The evolution of minority literature, which increasingly rejects the concept of a “pure” or “natural” identity in favor of a created hybrid identity, point to the transformation of the conceptualization of identity and culture in both minority and mainstream society. This study examines the development of Turkish-German and Hispanic-American literature in reverse chronological order, beginning with contemporary literary stylings of authors such as Feridun Zaimoglu and Gloria Anzaldúa. The study then analyzes earlier literary representations of Turkish-German and Hispanic-American authors which demonstrate an understanding of identity as an ideally “natural” or “pure” concept. The works of Zafer Şenocak, Sadi Ücüncü, Alev Tekinay, and Aysel Ozakin, Pedro Pietri, and Rudolfo Gonzales, among others, are analyzed with a specific focus on represented perceptions of identity and culture. Based on this study, I conclude that the ability of literature to present and analyze complex identity formations without relying on stereotypes or simplistic paradigms necessitates the analysis of immigrant literature to identify common patterns in identity formation among various immigrant groups. An important component of the creation and acceptance of a modern concept of identity has been the creation of hybrid languages. Language is a key component of identity and the language use of individuals is a public expression of identification with specific cultural or linguistic groups. The relationship among language, literature, and politics identifies the potential of language to both reflect upon and create social change.
Advisors/Committee Members: Landgraf, Edgar.
Subjects: Germanic Literature; Hispanic American Studies; Literature; Minority and Ethnic Groups
Keywords: Kanak Sprak; Spanglish; ethnolect; identity; xenolect
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25.
Strehlow, Kimberly Anni.
(Re)casting the Self in Memory Narratives: Monika Maron’s Stille Zeile sechs, Animal triste and Pawels Briefe.
Degree: MA, German, 2009, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis explores the memory discourse particular to Monika Maron’s Stille Zeile…
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▼ This thesis explores the memory discourse particular to Monika Maron’s Stille Zeile sechs (1991), Animal triste (1996) and Pawels Briefe (1999). The thesis reveals that for Maron, memory work is not an investigation of authenticity but a process that combines documents of memory and constructed memories in order to provide a comprehensive memory text that allows an individual to re-cast the self. Maron’s three texts reveal a progression in the discussion about how memories might be translated into a narrative. This thesis examines the use of form and content of autobiographical writing in all three novels, all of which assist in forming a new self. In the first chapter on Stille Zeile sechs this is discussed with reference to the purpose and effect of memoir writing in the GDR in the 1980s. In the second chapter Animal triste is presented as a text that emerges out of the need to narrate a new biography in light of traumatic memories. In the third chapter I analyze how in Pawels Briefe the process of remembering is articulated through Maron’s untraditional format of autobiographical writing with emphasis on the use of photographs and letters.
Advisors/Committee Members: Guenther, Christina.
Subjects: German literature
Keywords: Monika Maron; Stille Zeile sechs; Pawels Briefe; Animal triste; memory; GDR
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26.
Tallman, Brittany Ann.
The Question of Turkish Integration in the Context of German Identity Conceptions.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► The purpose of this thesis is to examine the current state of…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis is to examine the current state of Turkish integration in Germany and to examine the reasons behind the apparent lack of Turkish integration in comparison with other immigrant groups such as, Aussiedler, or Volksdeutsche, and immigrants from other European Union countries. I will first examine how the Gastarbeiter program and the effects of the policies of the German government concerning the Turkish workers and immigrants in general can still be seen today. The second part of the thesis examines the concept of German identity and how German's view themselves has impacted integration. The case of the Aussiedler, and how their treatment by the German government affected the Turkish community, will also be examined in this context. The final portion of the thesis discusses the controversial themes of the German Leitkultur and the theory of the Kulturkreis, which makes the claim that Turkish and German culture are too incompatible with each other to create an atmosphere conducive to successful integration.
Advisors/Committee Members: Howes, Geoffrey.
Subjects: Germanic Literature
Keywords: Turkish; German; Integration; Immigration; Germany
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27.
Weatherman, Andrea Dawn.
Prophecy Fulfilled? Walter Benjamin's Vision and Steve Reich's Process.
Degree: MA, German, 2011, Bowling Green State University
► This study examines Steve Reich's reflections on his early works in the…
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▼ This study examines Steve Reich's reflections on his early works in the context of Walter Benjamin's thesis in “The Work of Art in the Age of its Technical Reproducibility.” While Reich's thoughts as expressed in interviews and selected writings show a similar attitude to Benjamin's toward changes in human perception, Benjamin's notion of auratic demise in the age of technical reproducibility is challenged by Reich's understanding of the role of technology in music and the effects of gradual musical processes. Reich's assertions regarding the aesthetic autonomy of his compositional process are reminiscent of Romantic ideals of art, particularly those embodied by the “poeticized” as defined by Benjamin in “Two Poems by Friedrich Hölderlin.” However, the means by which Reich claims to have reintroduced artistic autonomy are those that Benjamin attributes to aura's deterioration, such as impersonality and gradual presentation of the artistic subject. This study determines that, while Reich uses mechanical process to accommodate the change in human perception as Benjamin anticipates, aura is not eliminated as proposed in “The Work of Art in the Age of its Technical Reproducibility.” Although the “here and now” of the original is destroyed, aura survives through the authority and transcendent nature of musical process, and singularity is achieved by the unique reception of individual audience members with each hearing. Reich's work may not politicize aesthetics as Benjamin predicts, but through the authority of autonomous musical process and the decentralization of interpretation, the fascist aestheticization of politics may still be averted in the age of technical reproducibility.
Advisors/Committee Members: Landgraf, Edgar.
Subjects: Germanic Literature
Keywords: Steve Reich; Walter Benjamin; music; Minimalism; aura; fascism; technology; phasing; reproducibility; mechanical reproduction; technical reproduction; aesthetics; politicization; aestheticization; politics; art; musicology; perceptibility
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28.
White, Jordan P.
Return to Eden: An Examination of Personal Salvation in Martin Luther's Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen.
Degree: MA, German, 2012, Bowling Green State University
► This thesis explores Martin Luther’s early thinking regarding soteriology. The main document…
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▼ This thesis explores Martin Luther’s early thinking regarding soteriology. The main document examined is Luther’s 1520 treatise Von der Freiheit eines Christenmenschen (VFC) in which, I argue, Luther makes the case for individual salvation as opposed to the standard communal salvation construct of Rome. To demonstrate the differences between VFC’s personal salvation model and Rome’s communal salvation model I explore the history of communal salvation through the development of Purgatory and show that Luther rejected and replaced this construct in 1520. Furthermore, I argue that the real break between the Protestant movement and the Roman Catholic Church is theological not institutional and is therefore most properly located in November of 1520 with the publication of VFC along with an accompanying forward to Pope Leo X. Finally this thesis shows how Luther’s major ideas, i.e. the movement away from scholastic theology, Luther’s concept of good works, his definition of justification, and the individual salvation model, were employed and discussed in the 20th century and how they are being employed and discussed in the 21st century. Special emphasis is given to the Wright/Piper debate on the meaning of justification and its examination of the Luther tradition.
Advisors/Committee Members: Foell, Kristie.
Subjects: Theology
Keywords: Martin Luther; N.T. Wright; John Piper; Richard Bauckham; Justification; Scholasticism; Soteriology; Salvation; Theology; Imputation; Theosis; Purgatory; Eden
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