SYLLABUS
Memory – Trauma – Victim Culture
GERM 370
Spring 2012 M, W 4:30pm - 5:55pm
Professor: Dr. Pauline Ebert
Office: Johnson 401
E-Mail: pebert@oxy.edu
Office Hours: MWF 12:30 - 1:30
Class Location: Johnson 205
Course site: http://german370memory.blogspot.com/
This course is concerned with the cultural politics of memory and trauma after the catastrophic events of the Holocaust and World War II. We will start with basic questions, such as: Whose memories are sought, believed, and commemorated in the public sphere? What are the differences between individual and collective memory? What problems do traumatic events present for those attempting to represent them? Is trauma a useful cultural concept? We will then identify the recent fascination, especially in European and American culture, with the phenomenon of trauma, suffering and victimhood and focus on the impact of American-Jewish identity as well as on the collective memory of Germans after 1945.
Course Goals:
- to understand the nature of individual and collective memory.
- to understand the concept of trauma.
- to familiarize students with texts that discuss questions regarding Holocaust victimhood and American-Jewish identity.
- to familiarize students with scholarship that discusses contemporary German collective memory discourse.
- to provide a challenging forum in which to develop skills at reading, thinking, analyzing, writing, presenting and discussing.
Format
We will use a combination of readings, discussion, films and assignments to approach the topic. Be sure to do the readings specified below before class meetings so that you can participate.
Required Texts
Anonyma. A Woman in Berlin.
Bernhard Schlink. The Reader.
Binjamin Wilkomirski. Fragments.
Anne Rothe. Popular Trauma Culture.
Optional:
W.G. Sebald. On the Natural History of Destruction.
reading assignments are to be read before class meetings. Please print and
Course Site
Please visit: http://german370memory.blogspot.com/
The German 370 course site will be used to give you access to the newest version of the syllabus, class schedule and homework, course readings, and much more.
Please visit regularly! It is your responsibility to check the course site for this class regularly for homework & readings, and information related to the class.
Participation and Attendance
Attendance and active participation in class discussions are required. You are expected to come to class having read the assignments closely and having done your homework carefully.
If you must miss a session, please inform me. Absences are excused when due to illness, personal or family emergency, or activities or religious holidays recognized by Occidental College
Please turn off all cell phones and pagers for the duration of the class period.
Presentation and Discussion Leadership
You (together with a partner) will be expected to lead the class discussion for one class. The idea behind making each student lead a class discussion is to force you to focus on a topic and come to class prepared to lead a discussion on that particular topic. You and your partner will be the expert on the reading for this day. You should be able to explain/present the key issues for this class and to initiate a discussion about the key issues raised in the assigned readings.
The presentation/discussion leadership will be assessed by how well each student presents, shares leadership with his/her partner, facilitates discussion, builds on the ideas and comments of other students and organizes group discussion.
How you lead the discussion is up to you. In the past students have generated and disseminated, in advance, a list of questions for the articles for that class. Students have also chosen to present the articles through debate. Leaders in past classes have found relevant newspaper articles or videos to generate discussion of theories or findings presented in the assigned articles, and/or divided the class in half for debates. Please feel free to add any additional material (readings, examples, videos, etc.) that you feel would be helpful in understanding the subject.
You should anticipate leading for about 70 minutes. Leaders are required to share with the instructor their plan for presentation before their assigned day! Sharing can be done via a conversation with the instructor (office hours or appointment), or via email.
Dates for Presentation/Discussion Leadership: January 30, February 1, February 8, February 22, February 29, March 5.
Students will choose a partner and which discussion days they will lead and sign-up for them on the first day of class.
Students not presenting are expected to prepare and participate actively in every class discussion. You will receive a participation grade for every class that is lead by students. Participation as a non-leader will be assessed by how actively the student engages in the group discussion, offers own ideas and relevant comments, and builds on the ideas and comments of other students.
Homework / Discussion Questions
Student will be responsible for providing two discussion questions pertaining to the readings/homework for each class. Discussion questions are thoughts, clarifications, or questions you may have regarding a particular reading, an idea presented in a reading, or the readings as a whole, that help to promote dialogue during the class (i.e., it gives us stuff to talk about).
You must submit your questions to me via e-mail one hour before class. Questions received on time, and show thought, effort, and an understanding of the readings will receive full credit. Please be prepared to share your questions with the rest of the class.
Midterm
The midterm will cover material from the lectures, readings, presentations, class discussions, and films throughout this semester.
Midterm: March 19, 2012.
Final Paper
Due dates for the final paper:
- Proposal: March 28 (or earlier), hard copy only! Copy and paste the form into a word document, fill out the form, print it out and hand it in:
You must submit this form for approval in order for your work to be graded!
- April 30: you will need to give a 5-10 minute presentation on your paper.
- Final Paper: 10-12 pages, in class on May 2. Hard copy only! All papers must be typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins and Times/ Times New Roman 12 point font. They must also be spell-checked.
Instructions for final paper:
- Choose a topic that is of special interest to you. Second, decide if you need to include primary sources (e.g. a movie, a novel, a photograph, a document, etc.). Third, choose at least three secondary sources (scholarly books or articles) that help you develop and support your thesis.
- You must organize your paper on the basis of a thesis you will develop. Your introductory paragraph should do two things: introduce your reader to your topic and present your thesis. It is important that you distinguish between your topic – what you will write about – and what you will argue and attempt to prove, which is your thesis.
A good thesis is:
· 1) Argumentative: it makes a case, it tries to prove something.
· 2) Controversial: it means that it has to be possible for an intelligent person to disagree with your thesis. If everyone agrees with your thesis on first sight, your thesis is too obvious.
· 3) Well supported: That’s the key to the rest of the paper.
- Final Paper Resources: Your research will probably focus on secondary resources, that is, on works of scholars who have done research on particular topics, but also on primary sources in the form of movies, novels, photographs, documents, etc.
Please do not use Wikipedia or other online encyclopedias.
- Be sure to provide footnotes or endnotes whenever you quote from a primary or secondary source, and to include a bibliography/works cited list at the end of your paper.
Grading
Course grades will be determined as follows:
Participation (includes regular attendance and participation grades for class discussions) | 20% |
Presentation and Discussion Leadership | 20% |
Homework (includes discussion questions) | 20% |
Midterm | 20% |
Final Paper + Mini-Presentation | 20% |
Grades: The following percentage scale will determine the letter grade students earn for the course:
A | 100 – 93 |
A- | 92 – 90 |
B+ | 87 – 89 |
B | 86 – 83 |
B- | 82 – 80 |
C+ | 79 – 77 |
C | 76 – 73 |
C- | 72 – 70 |
D+ | 69 – 67 |
D | 66 – 63 |
D- | 62 – 60 |
F | 59 – 0 |
Withdrawal Policy
Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the withdrawal policy
and with the drop/add dates on the academic calendar
Academic Integrity
Occidental College assumes that students and faculty accept and respect the principle of academic honesty. The policies for cheating, plagiarism, and academic misconduct are outlined in the Academic Ethics section of the Student Handbook:
Special Needs
It is the policy of Occidental College to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and wish to request accommodations to complete your course requirements, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss your request. For information on documentation requirements, contact the Center for Academic Excellence (x2849).
