German Contributions to World Literature (322-0-1)
Topic
German Cultural Criticism (and Beyond)
Instructors
Erica Suzanne Weitzman
847/467-1849
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Rm 3333
Office Hours: Tues, 3:30-5:30 PM and by appointment
Meeting Info
Kresge 3364 Slavic Seminar Rm: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
German Cultural Criticism (and Beyond)
German society has a particular relationship to the critique of culture. Ever since the philosopher Immanuel Kant described enlightenment as a person's "emergence from their self-imposed immaturity," writers and thinkers in German have engaged in a perpetual analysis of the values, practices, and cultural products of their time, with the aim of understanding, evaluating, and, at times, even changing or revolutionizing the culture in which they lived. This class looks at the history of cultural critique through a reading of major texts in German cultural criticism from the late eighteenth century to today, as well as selected texts outside the German critical tradition but indebted to it. We will both examine the history and development of this tradition - from critiques of religious dogma and satires of romantic poetry to mass-media analyses and critiques of contemporary pop culture - and analyze individual case studies for what they have to say about the art and culture of their day, as well as, importantly, how they say it. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on aspects of their own culture and create a work of original cultural critique based on class models.
Learning Objectives
- Students will gain knowledge of the history of cultural critique in the German language and beyond, including the social, political, and intellectual-historical context of this history and its legacy in the cultural attitudes and cultural works of the present day.
- Students will be able to analyze primary texts in relation to background political and social phenomena and developments in literature, art, and culture, and be able to place the ideas that these texts express in their larger historical, social, and cultural context.
- Students will develop skills for analyzing works of commentary and cultural critique, paying attention both the contents of the respective works and their various styles, tones, and argumentative strategies.
- Students will gain practice in applying these skills to their own moment and develop their own techniques of cultural critique to treat contemporary cultural phenomena.
- Through written assignments focusing on close reading and textual analysis, supplemented by creative assignments, students will gain greater facility in self-expression and develop a more sophisticated understanding of the protocols and nuances of expository writing.
Teaching Method
Seminar
Evaluation Method
Attendance
Class participation
Presentations
Writing assignments
Class Materials (Required)
All course materials will be made available through Canvas
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area