Undergraduate Course: German Colonialism: History, Memory, Controversy (ELCG08014)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course examines the history and legacy of German colonialism using literary texts, historical sources and coverage of public debates from the late 19th century to the present day. The course prepares students for Honours-level study by familiarising them with the use of critical theory and training them to carry out research into public discourse. |
| Course description |
In order to consider the ongoing impact of colonialism on German society, this course draws on excerpts of literary texts, songs and mass media including advertising, games and film from the late 19th and early 20th century. Using these artefacts, we will consider the historical relationship between imperialism and white nationalism in Europe, and reflect on the legacy of earlier colonial ideology and practice on phenomena such as National Socialism, immigration policy, representation and contemporary white supremacy.
The course's range of primary and theoretical texts will provide a wealth of examples upon which you will draw to develop a toolbox of critical frameworks through which to understand German colonialism both as a historical event and an enduring presence. Weekly reading and other tasks will reinforce what you have learned and provide opportunities to ask questions.
There is one individual and two group assignments in this course. In the first half of the course, you will join groups of 4-5 students, who will work together to produce research reports on three topics of your own choosing. In the second half of the course, your ALG will build on one of these reports to produce an informational resource suitable for non-expert audiences. You will be collectively responsible for assembling relevant materials - which may include interviews, pictures, primary historical documents or information from social media - and judging how best to present it to your audience in an engaging way. In previous years, these resources have been booklets, posters and podcasts.
At the end of the course, you will have the chance to demonstrate your knowledge and skills as an individual by writing a close analysis of one of the primary texts studied during the course. In the past, students have also been allowed to choose their own text (subject to my approval).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | Students MUST also take:
German 2 Language (ELCG08008)
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| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Students should have German language skills at CEFR level B1 or above; entry to this course above introductory level may be subject to a language test on arrival and is at the discretion of the course organiser. Visiting Students should also take as a co-requisite German 2 Language (ELCG08008). |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Summarise and explain key issues related to German colonialism and European overseas imperialism, National Socialism, anti-imperialist protest, public space and commemoration.
- Offer a confident and well-supported analysis of historical and cultural dimensions of German imperialism on the basis of primary sources.
- Analyse literary texts using critical theory and present this analysis in a high-quality academic essay using appropriate style, register and structure.
- Present key information and independent research in formats appropriate for a non-expert, non-academic audience.
- Independently plan and execute a group research project in accordance with a specific brief, reflecting critically on its effectiveness.
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Reading List
Essential:
Christian Kracht's Imperium (2012)
Ihre Heimat ist Unser Alptraum (2019)
Various excerpts from other literary texts; online sources taken from newspapers, advertising, museums, protest movements.
Recommended:
Akala Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire (2018)
Monika Albrecht, 'Post-Colonialism and Migration in Germany's Colonial Past', German Life and Letters, July 2012, Vol.65(3), pp.363-377.
David Ciarlo, 'Mass- Marketing the Empire: Colonial Fantasies and Advertising Visions', in Bradley Naranch, Geoff Eley (eds.) German Colonialism in a Global Age, Duke University Press, 2014.
Dirk Göttsche, Remembering Africa: The Rediscovery of Colonialism in Contemporary German Literature, London, Camden House, 2013.
Birthe Kundrus, 'Colonialism, Imperialism, National Socialism: How Imperial Was the Third Reich?' in Bradley Naranch, Geoff Eley (eds.) German Colonialism in a Global Age, Duke University Press, 2014.
Dörte Lerp, 'Farmers to the Frontier: Settler Colonialism in the East Prussian Provinces and German Southwest Africa', The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 01 November 2013, Vol.41(4), p.567-583
Liesbeth Minnaard, 'Transnational Contact-Narratives: Dutch Postcoloniality from a Turkish-German Viewpoint' in Elleke Boehmer (Ed.) The Post-Colonial Low Countries: Literature, Colonialism and Multi-Culturalism, Lexington Books, 2012.
Robert L. Nelson 'The Baltics as Colonial Playground: Germany in the East 1914-18', Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2011, pp. 9-19
Michael Perraudin (Ed.), German Colonialism and National Identity, London, Routledge, 2010.
Edward Said, Orientalism (1978), London, Penguin, 2003.
Britta Schilling, 'Imperial Heirlooms: The Private Memory of Colonialism in Germany', The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, Volume 41, 2013 - Issue 4: German Colonialism, pp. 663-682.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
During this course, students will further develop graduate attributes and personal and professional skills in the following areas:
Research and enquiry: analytical thinking; social criticism; knowledge integration and application; understanding critical theory; handling complexity and ambiguity; discourse analysis; critical close reading of literary texts; independent research skills including evaluating sources.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: self-awareness and reflection; independent learning and development; creative and inventive thinking; engagement with contemporary debates beyond academia.
Personal effectiveness: planning, organising and time management; team working; project management; assertiveness and confidence; flexibility.
Communication: interpersonal skills; verbal and written communication; translation; presentation of information to non-expert audience; IT skills including designing printed material and engaging with social media; editing and proofreading skills; peer feedback.
Feedback: Students will receive feedback on their group project and on their essay plans in advance of their submission.
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| Keywords | colonialism,memory,race,ideology,literature,history,public discourse,media,commemoration,museums |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jennifer Watson
Tel: (0131 6)50 8980
Email: jenny.watson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Hope Hamilton
Tel: (0131 6)50 4167
Email: hope.hamilton@ed.ac.uk |
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