Course Outlines

PHOTO CREDIT: K. Sark, Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg, 2016

Women in German Literature and Culture - by Susan Ingram (York University)

This course explores how women have been represented in the culture of German-speaking Europe, their
roles and identities, and the formation of gender-specific national and intercultural models. We apply
various theoretical and critical approaches, ranging from feminist theory to social and literary history, in
order to establish the historical and cultural conditions under which these texts were produced and to
discuss the particular pressures and concerns to which they represent a response.

Gender and Media - by Katrina Sark (Unversity of Victoria)

This course is an interdisciplinary, multimedia course for undergraduate and graduate students. It covers the cultural history of feminism and gender discourses in Germany, the current gender debates and legislative changes inspired by the recent media campaigns (#aufschrei and #ausnahmslos), and allows students to engage with German feminist literature and film case studies.

Women Writers - by Helga Thorson (Unversity of Victoria)

The main focus of this course is to provide an overview of the “second wave” of German feminism, which started in the late sixties/early seventies. We will analyze works from East and West Germany, including novels, films, and short stories. Students will also discuss more current writings by women in German-speaking countries and will compare works written in the 1970s and 1980s with those written in the 1990s and today.

Women in German Literature and Culture - by Diana Spokiene (York Unversity)

This course will explore the rich cultural history of women writers, filmmakers and artists
from German-speaking Europe, their roles and identities, and the formation of genderspecific
national and intercultural models in literary works and other forms of cultural
representation. We will apply various theoretical and critical approaches, ranging from
feminist theory, feminist or other literary criticism and social and literary history, in order
to establish the historical, sociological and cultural conditions under which these texts
were produced and to discuss the particular pressures and concerns to which they
represent a response.