Center: 
Berlin
Discipline(s): 
Cultural Studies
Sociology
Course code: 
CU/SO 360
Terms offered: 
Spring
Credits: 
3
Language of instruction: 
German
Description: 

Not only transnational flows of finance and commodities, but also transnational migration causes radical changes of what we used to understand as ’local cultures’ and ’national identities’. This course aims at elaborating the contemporary history of multi-ethnic Berlin, its economic, social, and cultural effects, and the changing mode of constructing ”otherness”.

After a brief history of Berlin’s postwar situation, the course will focus on the different types of German immigration and the peculiar political responses ranging from euphoric projects of multiculturalism to reactionary and xenophobic political mobilization. Finally, the question of ethnic networks and self- organizations, their local politics and transnational connectedness has to be asked.

Method of presentation: 

Lectures, Discussion, Field-Trips

Required work and form of assessment: 

Final grades will be based on a midterm (20%) and a final examination (25%), a term paper (25%), class presentation, and oral participation (30%). Class attendance is required.

content: 

1. Introduction, Course Organization, Literature.
Berlin: Multicultural metropolis or Capital of the Germans?

2. Immigration into a "non-immigration country"

Reading:

  • *Hans Burkhard Richter, Probleme der Zuwanderung am Beispiel Berlins. Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B 46, 1997.
  • *Cem Özdemir, Currywurst und Döner, 1999, S. 115-129.

3. City of Ruins: Fugitives in East and West

Reading:

  • *Wolfgang Benz, Fremde in der Heimat: Flucht- Vertreibung- Integration;
  • *Johannes- Dieter Steinert, Drehscheibe Westdeutschland: Wanderungspolitik im Nachkriegsjahrzehnt, in: Klaus Bade (ed.): Deutsche im Ausland – Fremde in Deutschland.

4. "Guest-workers", Asylum-seekers and "Aussiedler"

Readings:

  • *Klaus Bade, Ausländer, Aussiedler, Asyl, Munich 1994, pp.38-90, pp.91-146

5. Ethnic networks and local politics

Reading: 

  • *Werner Schiffauer, Fremde in der Stadt, Frankfurt/M, 1997, S. 35-49; 128-143.

6. The Turkish community

Reading:

  • Werner Schiffauer, Die Migranten aus Subay. Türken in Deutschland, Stuttgart 1991, pp.196-262.

Midterm

7. Religions and political representations

Reading:

  • *Wilhelm Heitmeyer/Helmut Schröder/Joachim Müller, Desintegration und islamischer Fundamentalismus, in: Aus Politik un Zeitgeschichte, B 7-8, 1997

8. 1989 New Immigration Movements

Reading:

  • *Peter Opitz, Die Migrations- und Flüchtlingsproblematik nach Beendigung des Ost-West Konflikts: Globale und Europäische Dimensionen, in: Manfred Knapp (ed.): Migration
  • *Klaus Bade, Ausländer, Aussiedler, Asyl, pp. 175-206

8. Berlin: the most Eastern city of the West

Reading:

  • *Hartmut Häußermann, Berlin: Lasten der Vergangenheit und Hoffnungen der Zukunft, in: Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B17/97

9. Political Perspectives

Reading:

  • Klaus Bade, Ausländer, Aussiedler, Asyl. pp.207-238.

10. Russians in Berlin

Reading:

  • *Amory Burkhard/Ljudmila Duwidowitsch: Ausländerbeauftragte des Senats (ed.): Das russische Berlin. Berlin 1994
  • *Party machen muß sein. Shell. Jugend 2000. Vol. 2; pp. 93-106.

11. Polish Immigration

12. Jewish culture in Berlin

Reading:

  • *Ausländerbeauftragte des Senats von Berlin (ed.): Von Aizenburg bis Zaidelman. Jüdische Zuwanderer aus Osteuropa in Berlin und die Jüdische Gemeinde heute. Berlin 1995.

13. Multiculturalism, xenophobia and right-wing populism

Reading:

  • *Micha Brumlik/Claus Leggewie, Konturen der Einwanderungsgesellschaft: Nationale Identität, Multikulturalismus und ´Civil Society`.
  • Wolfgang Klauder, Deutschland im Jahre 2030, in: Klaus Bade (ed.): Deutsche im Ausland...

14. The Dark Side of Multiculturalism: Xenophobia and Extreme Right-Winged Populism

Reading:

  • *Claus Leggewie, Stolz, ein Deutscher zu sein...die Angst vor den Fremden, in: Klaus Bade (ed.): Deutsche im Ausland...
  • *Klaus Farin: Skinheads und Subkultur, in Forschungsjournal Neue soziale Bewegungen 1/97

Final Exam

Required readings: 

A reader containing all assigned literature will be available at the beginning of the semester. Texts in the syllabus marked * are mandatory reading.