Course 2024-2025

Sprache und Gesellschaft: Sprache, Literatur und Diktatur [LALLB304]

  • 5 credits
  • 15h+30h
  • 1st quarter
Language of instruction: German / Deutsch

Learning outcomes

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the origins, rise and fall of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), a vanished state that continues to influence the course of German history. Drawing on a variety of written and audio-visual sources, students will gain a detailed understanding of the organisation of the literary landscape under the dictatorship of the SED (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands/Parti socialiste unifié d'Allemagne) and the influence that the state had not only on the use of literary language but also on the general use of language. In order to sharpen the students' critical thinking and to broaden their horizons, the interaction between language, literature and dictatorship is examined from an international perspective.

Objectives

By drawing on the analyses of specialists from various scientific disciplines (historiography, macrosociology, sociology of literature, sociology of language, etc.), the course aims to create a holistic picture of East German society and to contribute to the multidisciplinary reflection of students. As students will be expected to actively shape the content of the course in collaboration with the teachers, they will acquire a range of cross-curricular skills (e.g. the ability to synthesise material from different sources and disciplines; mastery of written and oral presentation skills, ...). As students have to prepare a detailed analysis of a novel about life in the GDR (and this with a predetermined topic as a guideline), they are encouraged to think critically and work independently. At the level of language skills acquisition, the practical activities linked to the courses aim to help students reach the level of a B2 user (in some cases C1) according to the CEFR criteria.

Content

The course is presented as a triptych. The first part of the course deals with the history of the GDR. In the second part, the literary and cultural landscape is discussed. The third section focuses on the relationship between language and dictatorship. The table of contents below provides a more detailed overview (in German). Table of contents 1. Die DDR: Geschichte eines untergegangenen Staates 1.1. Das sozialistische Experiment (1949-1971) 1.2. Aufschwung, Krise und Zerfall der DDR (1971-1989) 1.3. Deutschland um 1990 2. Literatur und Kultur in der DDR 2.1. Leseland DDR - eine Übersicht 2.2. Literatur und Kultur im Schatten der Staatssicherheit 2.3. Literatur über die DDR 3. DDR-Sprache und Sprache in der DDR 3.1. Deutsch in Ost und West 3.2. Sprache unter staatlicher Indoktrination 3.3. Sprache und Diktatur in einer internationalen Perspektive


Teaching methods

The course and the exercises mainly involve the reading, analysis and discussion of material from different sources and disciplines. A great deal of attention is paid to interaction between teachers and students. This interaction is taken into account in the evaluation.

Evaluations

The points will be distributed as follows:

1. Active student participation: 25% of the mark;

2. Oral exam: 25% of the mark (individual analysis of a book/novel/... = compulsory reading)

3. Oral examination: 50% of the mark (history , literature and culture ; lrelation between anguage and dictatorship)

Details of the assessment can be found in a document on WebCampus. Students will also find a detailed timetable for the whole semester.

Recommended readings

The course website contains PowerPoints, scientific texts and other materials that should allow students to navigate the course without difficulty. The title of the book that students must read as compulsory reading is announced at the latest at the beginning of the semester (this title may change from year to year).

Language of instruction

German / Deutsch

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté de philosophie et lettres
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Undergraduate Degree