GERST 4100 - The Seminar

(ALC-AS, LA-AS) Satisfies Option 1.

Fall. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: any German course at the 3200-3499-level or equivalent. Taught in German. The Seminar is a requirement of the German Studies major, but is open to all students who have met the prerequisites. The course has a research component, including poster presentations of all final projects, and is taught each fall by a faculty member in the Department of German Studies on a topic of their expertise.

A. Schwarz.

Fall 2022 Topic: Humor in German Culture. What is German Humor? Can we ascribe specific qualities to German wit? This seminar will examine forms of humor in various genres such as literature, TV shows, cartoons, podcasts, theatrical performances, stand up comedies, and satires. Topics to be discussed: humor as political critique; humor as a transgressive or/and liberating medium; humor as an expression of religious, sexual and political freedom. Final seminar project: students will create cartoons, satires, and/or posters/podcasts, videos.