germany: unraveling an enigma by: greg nees. how i spent my time started from the beginning read the...
TRANSCRIPT
Germany:
Unraveling an Enigma
By: Greg Nees
How I Spent My Time
• Started from the beginning
• Read the first 3 chapters completely
• Skipped through the remaining chapters and read some particular topics of interest after that
To The Reader
• The author starts out by saying he will do his best to be unbiased
• Gives a brief description of his life and how he is connected to both the German and American way of life
• Attempts to explain German culture to an American audience (without offending either group!)
To the Reader
• “I was born in Eastern Pennsylvania in 1949 to working-class German and Anglo-Saxon ancestors…this area…influenced me more than I was aware of.”
My Thoughts
• I think it is extremely important to read this section of the book
• We learn how objective (or subjective) the author is
• This will play a role while we read the rest of the book– Can we believe what he says?
Ch. 1 Introduction
• What does it mean to be German?
• The author does not answer the question, but rather gives the reader a wide range of “German” topics to think about– The first real Germanic hero to how
Hollywood needs the Nazis to politics
• Very brief
What does Google think?
Did you know?
• The Legend of Hermann
• Lead Germanic tribes into victory against the Romans in 9 AD
• Story became popular during 1871
• Why?
My Thoughts
• An interesting chapter that gets the reader to start thinking about German culture
• The author often compares American and German culture (like Omaggio says!), but also uses Asian culture as a contrast occasionally throughout the book
Ch. 2 Who are the Germans?
• He is speaking solely about those in Germany
• Mentions that Germans tend to focus more on history than Americans do
• From there gives a mini-history lesson about time periods in German history
• Continually relates the history to modern trends or culture
Something interesting
• BRD was divided into two time periods, before and after 1968
• Nachkriegsgeneration- Generation of ’68
• Their movements resulted in big changes within Germany– Education reform– Childcare changes
Ch. 2 Who are the Germans?
• The author also includes a section called “A Patchwork Community” where he discusses differences within Germany
•Historical reasons for these differences•Heimat trends•North v. South•East v. West•Urban v. Rural
Not just East and West
• North v. South = Protestant v. Catholic
• “The Rheinlanders are thought to talk more and are considered more cheerful and extroverted than the dour, serious, Protestant Swabians,
who are famed for their
thrift and industry.”
• Differences in familiarity
My Thoughts
• This was my favorite section of the book!
• Having a historical background about a country/people/nation is not something people generally have
• Dealt well with the Third Reich
• Explored regional differences
Ch.3 Major German Cultural Themes
• Nees says that “in order to communicate successfully with people from another culture, it is important to understand how they interpret a given situation and what their intentions are.”
Ch. 3 Major German Cultural Themes
• Ordnung muß sein
• Seen in all aspects of life– Rules and regulations– Not chaos!– The class system
Ch. 3 Major German Cultural Themes
• Clarity and Compartmentalization
• Set boundaries for…– Homes and work places– Relationships– Daily activities
My Thoughts
• Autumn’s comment last week made me nervous about this chapter
• Seemed to be very explanatory, providing many small examples
• Could probably be summed up in the word “Order”
Ch. 4 German Communication Patterns
• Du and Sie revisited
• Nice explanation with diagrams comparing many different types of interactions
• Connected back to last chapter’s examples
Self Unconscious
Most PersonalMost
Public
Ch. 5 and 6 Business
• Skipped around here
• 60 pages out of 170!
• German attitude toward business
• Banks
• Staying late to impress the boss backfires
Ch. 7 Creation of a New German Identity
• Ends looking into the future
• Germany’s role in the EU
• Changes for women
• Problems with the current higher education system
• Amerikanisierung
Last Thoughts
• A little more academic in style
• Provides reasons in a serious way for why Germans are they way they are
• More factual than personal. Maybe unbiased?
• Luckily I am interested in German culture…