GERM/BUS 392 - Layered Berlin: German Culture and the Social Market Economy

Berlin

4 credits

4 weeks in Berlin, Germany

Prof. Paul Youngman and Prof. Drew Hess

This is a four-week course that offers students a true immersion in German language, culture and business. In order to give students a complete understanding of contemporary Germany, we integrate a literary-historical analysis of the country's rich history from 1848 to the present day with an introduction to stakeholder-centric business. Through an exciting mix of literary fiction, historical readings and cases and film screenings, along with corporate and cultural site visits, students will gain an understanding of the interdependence between "big C" Culture and business culture.

The setting for the course will be the city of Berlin.  The German capitol epitomizes many of the political, commercial, and artistic strands of German history that help shape the so-called modern German identity.  Berlin's unique and complex history gives the students a firsthand look at how the past has shaped the culture and commerce of Germany and its neighbors. This course will help students to empathize with the German quest for an understanding of their place in the European community.  One consequence of this introspective pursuit is a uniquely German stakeholder-centric sustainable approach to business.  Understanding how this approach to business fits in the global economy will help students to see the possibilities and limitations of what it means to be German in the twenty-first century.  Using the book Berliner Spaziergänge (Focus, 2009) and various business case studies, students will walk Berlin and visit with business leaders, immersed in the literature, art, architecture, and commerce of Berlin's many layers. 

This course meets the requirements for a German major and minor, as well as a Business elective. Open to students who have completed GERM 262.

Program Fee (paid to W&L): $ 2,000.  Tuition, housing and programming costs.

Estimated other expenses: $2,200 (airfare - $1,200; meals - $750; cell phone and other incidentals - $150)..

For further details, please contact Prof. Paul Youngman, youngmanp@wlu.edu or Prof. Drew Hess, hessa@wlu.edu.