This field work orientated course will examine German culture in past and present "through the lens of sports" (Robert Musil, Austrian writer, 1880-1942). German sports culture(s) will be analyzed in its broader intellectual, societal, and historic-political contexts as well as in comparison to sports cultures in Britain, France and the US. Based on live attendance of sports events (mainly: basketball, indoor handball, cycling races, soccer) and the discussion of English and German academic and literary texts, concepts like "Korper-/Sportkultur" (body/ sports culture), "Leistung" (performance, achievement, accomplishment) and "Verein" (association, club) will be introduced. Theory and practice of fair play, the relation of team and individual, production and deconstruction of sports heroes and heroines, and phenomena of sports patriotism/nationalism will be discussed via historical and present-day examples of sports narrations and images. Usually, the course will be taught in German. If there are no students who can take the course in German it will be taught in English. The Berlin Center's Language Resource Person is available to work with students on writing (mandatory) and reading (optional) assignments - if the course will be taught in German.
3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
This field work orientated course will examine German culture in past and present "through the lens of sports" (Robert Musil, Austrian writer, 1880-1942). German sports culture(s) will be analyzed in its broader intellectual, societal, and historic-political contexts as well as in comparison to sports cultures in Britain, France and the US. Based on live attendance of sports events (mainly: basketball, indoor handball, cycling races, soccer) and the discussion of English and German academic and literary texts, concepts like "Korper-/Sportkultur" (body/ sports culture), "Leistung" (performance, achievement, accomplishment) and "Verein" (association, club) will be introduced. Theory and practice of fair play, the relation of team and individual, production and deconstruction of sports heroes and heroines, and phenomena of sports patriotism/nationalism will be discussed via historical and present-day examples of sports narrations and images. Usually, the course will be taught in German. If there are no students who can take the course in German it will be taught in English. The Berlin Center's Language Resource Person is available to work with students on writing (mandatory) and reading (optional) assignments - if the course will be taught in German.