IRE214 Culture, Society and Politics in the German-speaking Countries

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2018
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Maya Higgins, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Wed 14:00–15:40 exP21
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 0/50
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 31 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives (in Czech)
This interdisciplinary course provides students with an extensive introduction to the three largest German-speaking societies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. During the semester, we will review and discuss specific social, political, and cultural events occurring in the last century that highly affected the different German-speaking countries. Contemporary political developments will also be discussed and evaluated against the background of historical processes. Among the various topics included in the course are: European politics and world wars; the German split and reunification; social diversity and contemporary minority culture. Students will become familiar with histories, politics and cultural diversity in the German-speaking countries. Students will gain ninsights into ideas, trends and discourses that have shaped the contemporary German, Austrian and Swiss societies. Gaining relevant knowledge would enable students to discuss similarities and differences as well as analyze current events in a larger spectrum (the future of the EU, rise of the political right, etc.).
Syllabus (in Czech)
  • Topics: 1) Introduction 2) Germany (Introduction to Germany, German Culture and Religion, History and the history of thought/ideas, German Politics I, German Politics II: Minorities) 3) Austria (Introduction to Austria, History and the history of ideas, Culture and Religion, Austrian Politics) 4) Switzerland (Introduction to Switzerland, History and the history of ideas, Culture and Religion, Swiss Politics)
Assessment methods (in Czech)
Grades Grades will be based on the final exam (75%), attendance (10%) and in-class participation: (15%). To get a good participation evaluation, it is not necessary to make many comments; Rare but thoughtful comments suffice. Reading the mandatory items for each lecture is important, so is attendance- a maximum of 2-missed class is tolerated. Missing further classes would result in a reduction of your grade. Exam At the end of the semester, a home exam will be sent out. Students will have 48h to answer the exam’s question and submit it via email. Late submissions (up to 2h) will result in a lower grade but are accepted. Additional delay in submission is not acceptable. The exam will be further discussed in the final session of the course. General Notes This course is offered in English with all readings and discussions in this language. Don't worry if English is not your native language- minor linguistic errors will not affect the assessment of your work. Even though this is a lecture and not a seminar your active participation in class is expected and particularly valued.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2018, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2018/IRE214