Welcome to
German 2040,
Twentieth Century Berlin

Education Building Room 40

Spring 2011

Daniel Nolan

Telephone: [On the printed syllabus]
Office: 166 Kirby Plaza
Office hours: 9 - 10 AM Montags und 2 - 3 PM Donnerstags und nach Verabredung
[Email Address on the printed syllabus]

We meet:
MTWF 3 PM - 3:50 PM

 

Course Description:

The goal of this course is to offer you a comprehensive introduction to contemporary issues in European culture. The course assumes no previous experience, so even if you have little knowledge about contemporary Europe you should feel comfortable from the very beginning. The course moves at a rapid pace, beginning with four brief units on (1) European society, the (2) European economy, (3) the prospect of a supranational European constitution, and (4) immigration and minorities. We then move on to consider specific countries, beginning with Germany and Russia, as presented by the two instructors of the course.

The first four units and the specific country reports on Germany and Russia serve as examples for your own research projects. From the beginning you are expected to develop an in-depth understanding of one self-selected country in Europe. In the last weeks of the course you will have the opportunity to present your report in class.

Towards the conclusion of the semester you will be asked to compose a final paper on one of the topics discussed in the course. Finally at the end of the course you take the stage and represent your nation in a Summit Conference on a topic to be determined during the semester. The Summit Conference is held during the exam period scheduled for this course.