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Humanities (English)

Important information concerning the courses of the School of Humanities

Please note:
The list of courses and lectures below is only intended for students at the School of Humanities. Students from other schools can only register for courses from the University-wide electives.

To start the registration procedure please click on 'Details' behind the course title.

For further questions regarding all the courses offered by the School of Humanities,
please contact the departmental exchange coordinator:

incoming(at)phil.uni-mannheim.de

German philology

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History

'The Nouveau Riche' in the United States: History and Literature (engl.) (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8
Course suitable for:
Bachelor, Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:

Students will acquire knowledge about the historical and literary period of the ‘Gilded Age’. Students will be able to contextually and critically discuss the concept of the ‘nouveaux riche’ in US American culture. Students will gain presentation skills and skills in working with literary, historical, and theoretical texts.

Instructor(s):
Reinhild Kreis , Regina Schober
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EO 157 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
“Old money” versus “new money”: In the decades around 1900, famously declared as the “Gilded Age” by Mark Twain, this distinction separated long-established families from newcomers who had gained their wealth from new industries such as steel and oil. The “Nouveaux riches” with their incredible wealth shook established hierarchies and social orders. Whereas they demanded social recognition, established families looked down on the newly rich as “parvenus” and did everything to prevent them from climbing the social ladder. The conflicts between “old” and “new” money also inspired and were carried out in numerous novels of the time. Apart from historical texts, we will read two exemplary literary works, William Dean Howells’s novel The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885) and Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby (1925). The course combines the perspectives of American Studies and of historiography, as we will bring historical sources into dialog with literary texts. In doing so, we will also reflect on the methodological implications of such an interdisciplinary approach.

Empfohlene Voraussetzungen

This course is open to students of history and of English/American literature. Interest in interdisciplinary work and a willingness to read (long) novels in English are required. Group discussions will be in English.

Link to portal
IDV 403 The American Civil War (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Date(s):
Monday  (weekly) 11.02.2019 - 27.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 003 Seminarraum; L 9, 1-2
Description:
The American Civil War (1861-1865)
No other event in US-American history has been researched so thoroughly as the Civil War. Still, the meaning of the war and its legacy remain controversial as the recent debates on Confederate monuments in the United States illustrate.
This class aims to study the collapse of American democracy during the 1850s and the outbreak of the war following Lincoln’s victory in the Presidential election of 1860. Topics will include the military aspects of the war, but also its impact on American society, economy and culture. In addition, the class will try to show how the controversy about the meaning of the Civil War impacts American society until the present day.

Literature:
Alan Guelzo: Fateful Lightning. A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction, Oxford 2012.
James McPherson: Battle Cry of Freedom. The American Civil War, 1988.
Link to portal

Philosophy

Current Issues in Bioethics (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor, Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
READING MATERIAL
A Companion to Bioethics, Helga Kushe, Peter Singer.
The Oxford Handbook of Bioethics, Bonny Steinbock.
Bioethics, Carla Mooney.
Public Health, Ethics and Equity, Sudhir Anand, Fabienne Peter. Amartya Sen.
Biomedical Ethics, Opposing Viewpoints, Tamara L. Roeleff.
Instructor(s):
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EO 150 AbsolventUM Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
Bioethics is relatively a new discipline that combines ethics to life sciences. The main aim of it is to search for an answer how to live morally in a technologized world and to exercise giving decisions basically on hard issues of life and death.
This course introduces the problems of life sciences through topics such as: Life and Death, Reproduction Systems, Allocation of the Sources, Organ Donations, Autonomous Decision, Experimentation with Humans and Animals. At the beginning of the course short history of bıoethics will be discussed. As Bioethics is an interdisciplinary course related Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Law, Politics and Religion the course will start with a focus on introducing the main streams of ethical views and how Bioethics related to other disciplines. Then it will be given to gather the methods of analyzing the bioethical questions through the aspect that one chooses to defend.  
COURSE OUTCOMES
To identify the issues of bioethics,
To place bioethical questions in different fields,
To deal with the application of normative ethical theories to the problems of bioethics,
To articulate arguments and rational justification in Bioethics.
Link to portal
Ethics of Digitalisation - Emerging Issues in Business and Society (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor, Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Preliminary reading list (this list is subject to changes):
Anderson, R. T. and Tollefsen, C. (2008), Biotech Enhancement and Natural Law, The New Atlantis, No. 20 (Spring 2008), pp. 79-103
Bendel, O. (2017): Sex Robots from the Perspective of Machine Ethics, in: Adrian David Cheok, Kate Devlin, David Levy, Love and Sex with Robots.
Bernal, P. (2016) Data gathering, surveillance and human rights: recasting the debate, Journal of Cyber Policy, 1:2, 243-264,
Bode, I., & Huelss, H. (2018). Autonomous weapons systems and changing norms in international relations. Review of International Studies, 44(3), 393-413.
Herschel R, Miori VM (2017). Ethics & Big Data. Technology in Society. 2017; 49 : 31-36.
Mittelstadt, B. D., Allo, P., Taddeo, M., Wachter, S., & Floridi, L. (2016). The ethics of algorithms: Mapping the debate. Big Data & Society.
Turculeţ, M. (2014). Ethical Issues Concerning Online Social Networks, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 149, 2014, 967-972.
van den Hoven J. (2017) Ethics for the Digital Age: Where Are the Moral Specs?. In: Werthner H., van Harmelen F. (eds) Informatics in the Future. Springer, Cham
Instructor(s):
Rebecca von Oldenburg
Date(s):
Friday  (single date) 03.05.2019 13:45 - 20:30 EO 150 AbsolventUM Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Saturday  (single date) 04.05.2019 10:15 - 17:00 EO 150 AbsolventUM Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Friday  (single date) 10.05.2019 13:45 - 20:30 EO 159 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Saturday  (single date) 11.05.2019 13:45 - 20:30 EO 157 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
Ethics of Digitalisation - Emerging Issues in Business and Society
Ethik der Digitalisierung – neue Fragen für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft

Digitalisation has brought many new but also long-standing ethical questions into the public debate. A well-known issue of autonomous driving, for example, is the thoroughly discussed trolley dilemma. Regarding social media and big data, however, there are new kinds of challenges and also ethical problems. The seminar “Ethics of Digitalisation – Emerging Issues in Business and Society” will discuss a great variety of those topics including but not limited to the following questions: “Is there a ‘balance’ to be found between competing rights of privacy and security–or is the setting up of such a balance misleading?” (Bernal 2016) What kind of moral problems arise with an increased usage of algorithms, for example in recruiting? How does artificial intelligence change the way we work today and in the future? What does it mean to make digital design “value sensitive” and whose’ values are the criterion? How can we integrate robots into our society? How are we supposed to treat them? What kind of risks and opportunities does “big data” bring?
In summary, the course will engage with issues such as surveillance, artificial intelligence, digital enhancement, robots for sex and war, ethics of algorithms, digital immortality, value sensitive design etc. It will not only provide knowledge about relevant issues that concern us all, but it will also enable you to discuss various issues of digitalisation from an ethical point of view.
Administration:
Please bring all texts printed (or on a tablet/laptop) to the seminar. Read them carefully and highlight important arguments or questions. In order to support your reading habit, you will receive weekly reminders and tasks for each article. Participation is a key element of the course and various pedagogical methods are used to foster an in-depth understanding of the texts. There are no presentations that need to be prepared but there will be a lot of group work. Therefore, reading all texts carefully is mandatory for a successful and engaging seminar.
Link to portal

Romance languages

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Media and Communication Studies

MKW 355 Theoretical approaches to political information processing in the digital age (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the registration form that will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.
ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per E-Mail zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.”
Instructor(s):
Frank Schneider
Date(s):
Wednesday  (single date) 13.02.2019 15:30 - 18:45 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Wednesday  (weekly) 20.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
This course deals with theories, models, and empirical investigations at the intersection between political communication research and political psychology. We will tackle questions like, for instance, how humans generally process (political) information, what roles do cognition and emotion play in opinion formation, what makes up the (new) digital information environment, how do personality characteristics guide the way we process political information, how often and under which circumstances are we exposed to political information, how does political information processing influence political behavior, or can we learn from political entertainment? We will scrutinize these questions by reading and discussing the literature relevant to the field. Although our focus will be on individual-level psychological processes, we will also elaborate on the implications for macro-level constructs such as political movements, public opinion and the public sphere, or election campaigns.

Please note that the course will start with a double-session (Wednesday 02/13/2019, 3:30 to 6:45 pm)! Please prepare the basic reading (Hefner, Rinke, & Schneider, 2018) for this session! It is accessible via the University Library. A quiz concerning this reading will contribute to your quiz credit points!

A detailed course syllabus and schedule will be handed out on the first day of class (February 13).
Link to portal

International Cultural Studies

IDV 402: Intercultural Communication (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Registration: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de. Anmeldung: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per E-Mail zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.
Recommended requirement:
Students' English language proficiency is expected to meet B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not meet this criterion, you will not be able to follow this class.
Instructor(s):
Alica Katharina Buck
Date(s):
Monday  (single date) 11.02.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 18.02.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 25.02.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 04.03.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 11.03.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This course is designed to develop the students’ competence in communication across cultures and languages, which is a combination of knowledge, skills, abilities and initiatives of the individual, necessary to establish a sustainable relationship with a person speaking another language in social, cultural and professional spheres. With this course you learn based on the theoretical approach how:

1) to introduce social and cultural norms of speech behavior in the areas of oral and written communication;
2) to show the linguistic and cultural specificity of multilingual and multicultural communication;
3) to form the necessary linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge in the field of communicative competence;
4) to develop the ability to use optimal strategies and tactics of speech behavior in various forms and types of communication;
5) to identify stereotyping and create transcultural team identity;
Link to portal
IDV 402: Cultural Readings of Nature (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Registration: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de Anmeldung: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Recommended requirement:
Students' English language proficiency is expected to meet B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not meet this criterion, you will not be able to follow this class.
Literature:
Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. Virago, 2003. (978-0349004068)
Instructor(s):
Alica Katharina Buck
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Wednesday  (single date) 05.06.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Nature and culture are often seen as opposing concepts: nature as the pristine but wild environment and culture as the civilized sphere of humanity working against nature. Bill McKibben and other environmentalists, however, have ridiculed the socially constructed nature-culture binary and ask for an inclusive approach to the environment that is both nature and culture. But how do we overcome this century old binary? How can we define societies within nature and nature within culture? In how far is nature different from wilderness? And in how far is nature influenced by culture and vice versa? In a world altered by human-induced climate change and an ongoing sustainability crisis, these questions are of the essence and concern us as individuals, as local communities and as a globalized society.
This class sets out to discover some of the theories concerning the nature-culture divide out there. We will be reading these theories against practical examples from literature, arts and film as well as protected physical spaces such as nature reserves and national parks. We will also look at the ongoing discussion on sustainable lifestyles from a cultural studies perspective.
The main goal is to educate ourselves to be part of the environmental discussion as well as ideas of protecting nature against human exploitation, which includes looking at current political agendas across the globe.
Link to portal
IDV 402: Cultural violence: Connections between art and global health (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Registration: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de. Anmeldung: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per E-Mail zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.
Recommended requirement:
Students' English language proficiency is expected to meet B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not meet this criterion, you will not be able to follow this class.
Instructor(s):
Alica Katharina Buck
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 008.1 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
Most of us believe that our health is primarily our own problem: If we eat right, we will not get sick. If we exercise, we will stay healthy. But in reality, societies create, sustain, and destroy a person’s physiological and mental wellbeing, often simultaneously. The underlying power structures that determine health are less apparent than a virus.

We will discuss why it is important to challenge the everyday practices that often seem trivial. What role does art play in these processes?
  1. The first sessions will serve to create a shared toolbox. This will help us to identify cultures of violence and to situate them within their historical, political, and socio-economic context.
  2. Throughout the semester, different forms of group work, discussions, and short discussion prompts will serve to gain an insight into what we consider normal.
This seminar combines insights from political science, public health, and the humanities.
  • the power structures we encounter every day;
  • how the arts challenge cultural boundaries or perpetuate them;
  • and ultimately, how our own health depends on these structures.
Link to portal
IDV 402: Masculinities in the Americas (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Registration: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de. Anmeldung: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per E-Mail zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.
Recommended requirement:
Students' English language proficiency is expected to meet B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not meet this criterion, you will not be able to follow this class.
Instructor(s):
Johannes Fehrle
Date(s):
Friday  (single date) 22.02.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Saturday  (single date) 23.02.2019 10:15 - 16:15 EO 159 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Friday  (single date) 01.03.2019 13:45 - 18:45 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Saturday  (single date) 02.03.2019 10:15 - 16:15 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Maculinities in the Americas
“Well, there are some things a man just can’t run away from.” – John Wayne
[T]here have always been men who were too poor, too queer, too sensitive, too disabled, too compassionate or simply too clever to submit to whatever model of “masculinity” society relied upon to keep its wars fought and its factories staffed. “Traditional masculinity”, like “traditional femininity”, is a form of social control, and seeking to reassert that control is no answer to a generation of young men who are quietly drowning in a world that doesn't seem to want them. – Laurie Penny

Most of us have a pretty clear idea of what masculinity is: masculinity is what men have. While such as statement seems uncontroversial to most, it relies on a circular logic in which men define that (masculinity) by which they are in turn defined. Not only will those who want to find exclu­sively masculine traits – shared by all men but not by others ,e.g. women – find this task impossi­ble, thinkers in the critical study of men and masculinity have moreover long used masculinity only in the plural. Models such as R.W. Connell’s idea of “hegemonic masculinity” differentiates between different masculinities that exist in relation to each other, as well as to femininity, and are constantly redefined.
In this course we will examine expressions of masculinities in different cultures and from hegemonic masculi­nity to ‘queer’ and female masculinities. We will begin by familiarizing our­selves with some of the main ideas and concepts in the critical study of men and mascu­li­ni­ties. We will then proceed to analyze films, novels, plays, short stories and other cultural texts in terms of their representation of gender. While the focus will be on masculinities, gender roles define themselves by opposition; studying one form of masculinity therefore only makes sense when it is read against femininity and other masculinities. Texts studied will cover different periods as well as different national cultures from North and South America.
The goal of the course is thus to question common sense understandings of masculinities and to offer tools that see gender roles as more shifting and in dialogue with society as a whole. The course will also give you an insight into analyzing cultural texts in various media, particularly in terms of its gender depictions. It will furthermore provide insights into narratives from different times and cultures and see which aspects of masculinity change across time and space and which are more resilient.

Requirements: The course is taught as a block seminar. This means that we will meet for three or four double sessions at a time (4.5 or 6 hours). This makes the course much more rewarding, but it also depends heavily on your preparation. I will send you the syllabus ahead of time. It is absolutely essential that you prepare the texts that we discuss that day. Start as early as possible, since you will have to do quite a bit of reading in a short period.
Link to portal
IDV 402: Settler States and Indigenous Presence (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Registration: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de. Anmeldung: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per E-Mail zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de.
Recommended requirement:
Students' English language proficiency is expected to meet B2/C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not meet this criterion, you will not be able to follow this class.
Instructor(s):
René Dietrich
Date(s):
Friday  (single date) 05.04.2019 10:15 - 17:00 EO 150 AbsolventUM Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Friday  (single date) 12.04.2019 10:15 - 17:00 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Friday  (single date) 03.05.2019 10:15 - 17:00 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Friday  (single date) 10.05.2019 10:15 - 17:00 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
This course asks how different nations across the Americas (including the U.S., Canada, and Brazil) as well as Australia and New Zealand can be analyzed as settler colonial nation-states, i.e. states that are founded and continue to be constituted through Indigenous dispossession and non-native colonial settlement. If one views settler colonialism as a form of domination intent on Native elimination as central to the workings of these states, what consequences does that have for a reconsideration of the U.S. American self-image of a “nation of immigrants”, Canada's proudly exhibited multicultural liberalism, or the racial ideal of “mestizaje” in several Latin American countries - and how are current anti-immigration rhetorics and policies in Australia and the U.S. also a form of displaying white settler state nationalism? Conversely, the course also seeks to consider how Indigenous peoples across all of these sites of settler colonialism continue to assert their presence in social, cultural, and political terms, such as through the water protection activism at Standing Rock in resistance to the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016, thus engaging in anti-colonial struggles that give shape to a politics of decolonization and Indigenous futurity.
Link to portal

English Studies

ANG 210 Phonetics Lecture, Course A (Lecture, English)
Lecture type:
Lecture
ECTS:
4.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Philip Griffiths
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EW 145 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
The Phonetics Lecture focuses on the key features of English phonetics and phonology. First, the course will cover speech production and perception (the anatomy and physiology of speech, acoustic as well as auditory phonetics) and introduce key phonological concepts. We will then focus on the patterns of speech sounds found in the English language (vowels and consonants) before moving on to an analysis of phonetic and phonological variation in English around the world. In combination with the Phonetics Übung - a weekly practice session in our language lab – the lecture will help students become more aware of their own pronunciation problems in English while also teaching them to appreciate the phonological diversity of World Englishes. The course offers insights into some of the major problems German native speakers face when they learn English as a second language, thereby making it easier for future teachers to identify and, if necessary, rectify their pupils' pronunciation errors.
Link to portal
ANG 210 Phonetics Lecture, Course B (Lecture, English)
Lecture type:
Lecture
ECTS:
4.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de Students should have B2 or better English language skills.
Literature:
Short readings/texts for the weekly sessions may be made available on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
John Miller Jones
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 145 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Designed specifically for Lehramt and Wipäd students, the Phonetics Lecture focuses on the key features of English phonetics and phonology.
First, the course will cover speech production and perception (the anatomy and physiology of speech, acoustic as well as auditory phonetics) and introduce key phonological concepts. We will then focus on the patterns of speech sounds found in the English language (vowels and consonants) before moving on to an analysis of phonetic and phonological variation in English around the world. In combination with the Phonetics Übung - a weekly practice session in our language lab – the lecture will help students become more aware of their own pronunciation problems in English while also teaching them to appreciate the phonological diversity of World Englishes. The course offers insights into some of the major problems German native speakers face when they learn English as a second language, thereby making it easier for future teachers to identify and, if necessary, rectify their pupils' pronunciation errors.
Link to portal
ANG 301 Introduction to Linguistics (Introductory course, English)
Lecture type:
Introductory course
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
In this course you have a chance to
  • learn about the basics of synchronic linguistics,
  • get to know some descriptive and analytic tools used in linguistics,
  • practice linguistic analyses in the areas of sounds, words, and sentences,
  • find out what is of interest to you in linguistics,
  • learn to work with English textbooks,
  • and learn to accumulate and aggregate information from different sources.
Literature:
Radford, Andrew, Martin Atkinson, David Britain, Harald Clahsen, Andrew Spencer. (2009). Linguistics: an Introduction. (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Textbook, please buy!)
Instructor(s):
Ira Gawlitzek
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 08:30 - 10:00 EW 242 Otto Mann Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This course is designed to introduce beginning students to the central topics and terms in current (English) linguistics. We will discuss the sound system of English, how words are formed and modified in English and how words are combined to form sentences. Or in technical terms: We will cover: phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, major (syntactic) contrasts between English and German and occasionally glimpse at the historical development of English. We will also occasionally look at how these topics are relevant in language acquisition, language storage and processing in the human brain, and language variation over time and in society.
Note that this class will be taught as a flipped classroom, which means that you prepare sessions individually by reading the textbook chapter and watching video clips online BEFORE the sessions. In class your questions will be answered and tasks and problem cases solved. You?ll learn more about this in the first session.
Link to portal
ANG 302 Linguistics: Quantitative Research, Course A (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Rasinger, S. (2013). Quantitative research in linguistics: An Introduction (2nd ed.). London: Continuum.
Instructor(s):
Agnieszka Ewa Krautz
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 154 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Link to portal
ANG 302 Linguistics: Quantitative Research, Course B (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Rasinger, S. (2013). Quantitative research in linguistics: An Introduction (2nd edition). London: Continuum.
Instructor(s):
Agnieszka Ewa Krautz
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 154 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Link to portal
ANG 302 Linguistics: Quantitative Research, Course C (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Rasinger, S. (2013). Quantitative research in linguistics: An Introduction (2nd ed.). London: Continuum.
Instructor(s):
Gunnar Jacob
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EO 157 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:

This seminar provides students with essential knowledge and skills they need to understand and produce quantitative research in linguistics. It consists of several major parts. First, you learn about the basics of the scientific method, research designs, data collection and coding. Second, we turn to analyzing empirical data with descriptive statistics and to statistical hypotheses testing. You will apply your new statistical knowledge in hands-on exercises with the use of statistical software packages. Third, we consider essentials of creating and reporting research. We address key issues such as finding relevant literature, finding research questions, creating items, and working with references. All topics will be illustrated with authentic research (data) from psycho- or sociolinguistics.
Link to portal
ANG 303 Syntax (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:

● You will deepen your understanding of the syntax of English and of theories needed for linguistic description,
● enhance your understanding of principles underlying the grammars of all natural languages,
● practice analytical know-how, critical thinking, argumentation, and your ability of dealing with academic texts, both in comprehension and production,
● acquire methodological expertise in the domain of corpus-based linguistics and with respect to other research strategies (e.g. elicitation of speaker/hearer intuitions),
● practice team work, exercise research and presentation skills by collaborating with fellow students on small empirical projects
Literature:
Syllabus/bibliography will be available at the first class meeting on February 11th !
Instructor(s):
Professor Rosemarie Tracy
Date(s):
Monday  (weekly) 11.02.2019 - 31.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 06.05.2019 18:00 - 20:00 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
In his essay entitled “The awful German language”, Mark Twain (1879) puts forth the amusing claim “My philosophical studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English [...] in 30 hours, French in 30 days, and German in 30 years.” Among the disadvantages he addresses, word order and gender figure prominently.  While we can certainly appreciate his critical stance towards grammatical gender in German (a notorious challenge for second-language learners), one may wonder whether English really has an advantage over other languages in the domain of syntax, thereby also making it potentially more “accessible” for learners. From a linguistic point of view, Mark Twain’s satire offers a low-key and entertaining introduction to more serious questions relating to properties of natural languages and language typology, which we will address in this seminar.
The class focuses on the syntax (and to some extent on the inflectional morphology) of English, and we will discuss forms and functions of canonical word order patterns and the principles governing variations of canonical patterns, including stylistic, social and regional differences. We will first take an inductive approach, comparing word order in a selection of English and German texts in order to identify prominent similarities and contrasts. Subsequently we will look at grammatical analyses and linguistic theories (especially those rooted in Generative Grammar) and their attempts at accounting for English clause structure. We will also discuss cross-linguistic similarities and differences by comparing English with other typologically related and unrelated languages, ideally including languages spoken by members of the class.

Sprache: Englisch
Link to portal
ANG 303 Semantics (taught by Dr. Doris Stolberg) (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
•    You will develop a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic study of meaning
•    You will encounter different theoretical approaches to meaning and learn to critically evaluate them
•    You will be encouraged to make connections between Semantics, other areas of Linguistics and other related disciplines
•    You will become familiar with the scope of crosslinguistic variation in meaning
•    You will enhance your presentation and team work skills
•    You will develop your skills in critical thinking in assessing different approaches to meaning
•    You will improve your academic reading and writing skills by writing your term paper
Recommended requirement:
•    Successful completion of the “Introduction to English Linguistics”
•    English C1 competence
Please note that attendance in the first session is absolutely essential.
Literature:
Saeed, John I. 2016. Semantics (Fourth edition). Chichester, West Sussex/Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell
Instructor(s):
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 08:30 - 10:00 405 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
We use language in order to convey meaning to others. As such, meaning is one of the most essential aspects of language. Semantics is the branch of linguistics, which, (along with pragmatics), deals with meaning in language. But what does ‘meaning’ actually mean? Are meanings dictionary definitions, objects in the world or speakers’ intentions?
This course will provide an overview of the field of linguistic Semantics. It will introduce essential concepts for understanding the ways in which meaning can be analysed in linguistics, and acquaint students with major theoretical approaches and current debates in the field. We will investigate what units of language (morphemes, words, sentences) bear meaning and what conceptual tools are used in Semantics to analyse meaning.
Link to portal
ANG 303 Morphology (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
 At the end of the semester you will ...
  • have a thorough conceptual knowledge about English morphology
  • have experience in analyzing complex English words in a linguistically appropriate way
  • know about the interrelation of morphology and other linguistic levels such as phonology, semantics and syntax
  • have gained more experience in working with research literature and using if for your own research
  • have had a chance to improve your presentation skills through group presentations and feedback and
  • your writing skills through writing a term paper.
Literature:
Basic Text - please buy:
Carstairs-McCarthy, A. (2018). An introduction to English morphology: Words and their structure (Second edition). Edinburgh textbooks on the English language. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Supplemented by selected chapters form:
Schmid, H.-J. (2016). English morphology and word-formation: An introduction (3rd, revised and enlarged edition). Grundlagen der Anglistik und Amerikanistik: Band 25. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag.
and other text available on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Ira Gawlitzek
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 08:30 - 10:00 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Of how many words does the sentence Mary'll go to London next week and she is planning to fly to the states next summer consist of? Some may answer 18, some 17, others 15 or 16 and all of these answers could be right.
Starting from the question, what a WORD actually is in this course we will continue to analyze the internal parts of words and investigate the difference between inflection and word formation; and then look at English word formation processes in detail. Discussing for example why we can create the word mice-eater and rat-eater but not *rats-eater and what the internal structure of words like un-help-ful-ness is.
Link to portal
ANG 307 Introduction to Diachronic Linguistics, Course A (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions.
Learning target:
  • Apply basic knowledge of linguistic levels of description to diachronic linguistics
  • Develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of language change
  • Learn to apply appropriate terminology and theories to describe the phenomenon of language change
  • Learn to understand how diachronic texts are constructed linguistically
  • Enhance your skills in critical reflection and academic reading, writing and analyzing
  • Apply basic knowledge of linguistic levels of description to diachronic linguistics
  • Develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of language change
  • Learn to apply appropriate terminology and theories to describe the phenomenon of language change
  • Learn to understand how diachronic texts are constructed linguistically
  • Enhance your skills in critical reflection and academic reading, writing and analyzing
Recommended requirement:
Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions. Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to Linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions.
Literature:
van Gelderen, Elly. 2014. A History of the English Language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Additional reading materials will be made available on the online platform Ilias. van Gelderen, Elly. 2014. A History of the English Language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Additional reading materials will be made available on the online platform Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Mareike Keller
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EO 159 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
It is a universal truth that language is constantly in flux - and the English language is the best example as it has changed enormously in the course of time like almost no other language. Just take, for instance, the first lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come.
 
In Shakespeare's times, these lines looked different:
Our father which art in heauen,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come.
 
Three hundred years before that, even more so:
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name; thi kyngdoom come to.
 
And right at the beginning of English language history, these lines are almost unrecognizable:
ure fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast, ...
Sy þinum weorcum halgad ...Cyme þin rice wide.
 
This course will help understand how the English language could change so drastically and develop into today's shape over the past centuries. It will provide a concise introduction to diachronic linguistics, which will also include an overview of the history of the English language. The course will be primarily concerned with language change on all levels of linguistic survey, and it will put key concepts which are familiar from the “Introduction to Linguistics” into a diachronic perspective. Accordingly, the main focus will be on phonological, morphological, syntactic as well as semantic and lexical change. All phenomena will be illustrated by examples taken from the English language history which spans almost sixteen centuries. It is a universal truth that language is constantly in flux - and the English language is the best example as it has changed enormously in the course of time like almost no other language. Just take, for instance, the first lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come.
 
In Shakespeare's times, these lines looked different:
Our father which art in heauen,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come.
 
Three hundred years before that, even more so:
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name; thi kyngdoom come to.
 
And right at the beginning of English language history, these lines are almost unrecognizable:
ure fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast, ...
Sy þinum weorcum halgad ...Cyme þin rice wide.
 
This course will help understand how the English language could change so drastically and develop into today's shape over the past centuries. It will provide a concise introduction to diachronic linguistics, which will also include an overview of the history of the English language. The course will be primarily concerned with language change on all levels of linguistic survey, and it will put key concepts which are familiar from the “Introduction to Linguistics” into a diachronic perspective. Accordingly, the main focus will be on phonological, morphological, syntactic as well as semantic and lexical change. All phenomena will be illustrated by examples taken from the English language history which spans almost sixteen centuries.
Link to portal
ANG 307 Introduction to Diachronic Linguistics, Course B (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions. Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions.

REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
  • Apply basic knowledge of linguistic levels of description to diachronic linguistics
  • Develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of language change
  • Learn to apply appropriate terminology and theories to describe the phenomenon of language change
  • Learn to understand how diachronic texts are constructed linguistically
  • Enhance your skills in critical reflection and academic reading, writing and analyzing
  • Apply basic knowledge of linguistic levels of description to diachronic linguistics
  • Develop a basic understanding of the dynamics of language change
  • Learn to apply appropriate terminology and theories to describe the phenomenon of language change
  • Learn to understand how diachronic texts are constructed linguistically
  • Enhance your skills in critical reflection and academic reading, writing and analyzing
Recommended requirement:
Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions. Students who want to earn credits in this course should have completed an Introduction to linguistics course and should be able to understand and apply basic linguistic notions.
Literature:
van Gelderen, Elly. 2014. A History of the English Language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Additional reading materials will be made available on the online platform Ilias. van Gelderen, Elly. 2014. A History of the English Language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Additional reading materials will be made available on the online platform Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Tabea Harris
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 C 013 Hörsaal; A 5, 6 Bauteil C
Description:
It is a universal truth that language is constantly in flux - and the English language is the best example as it has changed enormously in the course of time like almost no other language. Just take, for instance, the first lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come.
 
In Shakespeare's times, these lines looked different:
Our father which art in heauen,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come.
 
Three hundred years before that, even more so:
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name; thi kyngdoom come to.
 
And right at the beginning of English language history, these lines are almost unrecognizable:
ure fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast, ...
Sy þinum weorcum halgad ...Cyme þin rice wide.
 
This course will help understand how the English language could change so drastically and develop into today's shape over the past centuries. It will provide a concise introduction to diachronic linguistics, which will also include an overview of the history of the English language. The course will be primarily concerned with language change on all levels of linguistic survey, and it will put key concepts which are familiar from the “Introduction to Linguistics” into a diachronic perspective. Accordingly, the main focus will be on phonological, morphological, syntactic as well as semantic and lexical change. All phenomena will be illustrated by examples taken from the English language history which spans almost sixteen centuries. It is a universal truth that language is constantly in flux - and the English language is the best example as it has changed enormously in the course of time like almost no other language. Just take, for instance, the first lines of the Lord's Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come.
 
In Shakespeare's times, these lines looked different:
Our father which art in heauen,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come.
 
Three hundred years before that, even more so:
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,
halewid be thi name; thi kyngdoom come to.
 
And right at the beginning of English language history, these lines are almost unrecognizable:
ure fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast, ...
Sy þinum weorcum halgad ...Cyme þin rice wide.
 
This course will help understand how the English language could change so drastically and develop into today's shape over the past centuries. It will provide a concise introduction to diachronic linguistics, which will also include an overview of the history of the English language. The course will be primarily concerned with language change on all levels of linguistic survey, and it will put key concepts which are familiar from the “Introduction to Linguistics” into a diachronic perspective. Accordingly, the main focus will be on phonological, morphological, syntactic as well as semantic and lexical change. All phenomena will be illustrated by examples taken from the English language history which spans almost sixteen centuries.
Link to portal
ANG 312 Contemporary British Drama (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
In this seminar students will:
  • review contemporary drama
  • position themselves within the dialogue of literature and politics
  • learn how to structure and lead a discussion about highly controversial topics
  • familiarise themselves with basic concepts and important approaches necessary for the analysis of drama
  • apply relevant terms and concepts dealing with the analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary texts
  • practice close reading
  • practice/apply theoretical concepts to literary texts
  • learn how to read, structure, and evaluate relevant secondary texts
  • learn how to develop a research question/thesis for future term papers and oral exams
Recommended requirement:
Preferably: Introductory Lecture “Introduction to Literature” at the University of Mannheim
Literature:
  • Bennett, Alan. Alleluljah! Faber & faber, 2018.
  • Kennedy, Jemma. Genesis Inc. Nick Hern Books, 2018.
  • Murphy, Joe and Joe Robertson. The Jungle. Faber & faber, 2018.
  • Raine, Nina. Consent. Nick Hern Books, 2018.
Please purchase the editions by the second week of class!
Secondary Literature will be uploaded on ILIAS. Students will be provided with a detailed course plan at the beginning of the semester.
Instructor(s):
Annika Gonnermann
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EO 157 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
Unmatched by any other place in the world, the London West End constitutes the very heart of (British) theatre and drama. Dozens of new plays premiere every season, featuring world class directors and famous Hollywood stars, commenting on a wide range of topics: immigration, Brexit, genetic engineering, ageism, sexual abuse, and the nature of power, to mention only a few. Yet, unlike novels, which need a much longer lead time, plays can react quickly, offering a condensed commentary on contemporary issues within the political, social, and economic discourse within a relatively short period of time. Therefore, they are perfectly suited to analyse the present. Even more, produced within a political climate defined by the #me2-movement, the European migrant crisis and unparalleled scientific progress, these plays promise a compelling night at the theatre – or a fascinating read for the class room.
This seminar will centre around four plays in particular, all of which premiered in the West End last year. These highly up-to-date texts have their finger on the pulse of time and are therefore (entirely) under-researched. Students will therefore have to break new grounds of research and are invited to bring in their own thoughts and ideas.
Link to portal
ANG 312 Gothic Novels (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
 REGISTRATION:
 All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Texts
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein. London: Penguin, 2012.

Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. London, New York: Norton, 2003.

Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Penguin, 2000.

Bram Stoker, Dracula. London: Vintage, 2007.
Instructor(s):
Natalie Ehemann
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 165 FUM Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Gothic fiction, which combines (irrational) notions of disturbances of sanity, crises of identity, and uncontrolled passions and obsessions, has fascinated readers for more than 250 years. Recent sci-fi and horror productions are still informed and influenced by this genre dating back to Romanticism.  
    In this course, we will examine four famous texts of the 19th century that exhibit characteristics of different Gothic subgenres. Starting off with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), we will look at the relationship of science and responsibility as well as pose the question as to what it is that makes us human. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), using the setting as a form of characterisation of its protagonists, leads us to the subgenre of Urban Gothic. Sticking with (late Victorian) London as the Gothic city, we will then move on to Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Finally, we will examine the world’s most famous vampire novel, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), which is preoccupied with questions of the declining Empire as well as sexuality.  
In our investigation of the texts, we will draw on the tools of literary analysis as well as on the discourses of psychology and cultural studies, such as psychoanalysis, identity, and gender. Secondary texts will be provided on Ilias.
Link to portal
ANG 312 Shakespeare's Tragedies (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Texts:
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, René Weis (ed.), Arden Shakespeare (3rd ed.)
William Shakespeare, Othello, E.A.J. Honigmann (ed.), Arden Shakespeare (3rd ed.)
William Shakespeare, King Lear, R.A. Foakes (ed.), Arden Shakespeare (3rd ed.)
William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Sandra Clark & Pamela Mason (ed.), Arden Shakespeare (3rd ed.)
Please make sure to buy these editions.

Secondary Literature: please take a look at the wide range of companions/handbooks published by Cambridge UP and Blackwell, which are available in print and as downloads via the UB.
Instructor(s):
Stefan Glomb
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 A 305 Seminarraum; B 6, 23-25 Bauteil A
Description:
The aim of this seminar is to show that Shakespeare’s tragedies – one early and three ‘great’ or ‘mature’ works – are not dead classics but, despite their remoteness from our own culture, still very much ‘speak’ to us. Thus, a double perspective is required: on the one hand we will consider the historical background and highlight aspects of the plays that would otherwise remain obscure; on the other hand we will focus on the fact that the plays are also open to interpretations establishing links to the present. Close readings of the individual plays will be complemented by discussions of secondary texts representing different approaches to Shakespeare, which will give us an idea of the fascinating complexity and enduring significance of these works. The plays will be discussed in chronological order as listed above.

Language: English
Link to portal
ANG 313 Disability and Divergence in Literature (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Please acquire copies of Frederick Douglass’ memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, and Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad.
Instructor(s):
Juliane Strätz
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 406 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
Constituting the central cultural medium that won over Northern Americans for the cause of abolition, slave narratives were written by African Americans who had escaped the South’s “peculiar institutionˮ and educated the Northern public about the hardship and dehumanization they had endured in bondage. The slave narratives’ form and reception by the public was riddled with ambivalence: written in the first person, the slave narrative allowed former slaves, who had been treated as less-than-human, to assert their subjectivity as individuals; at the same time, slave narratives by default featured a preface by a white editor testifying to the author’s trustworthiness, which implicitly reified racist stereotypes of Blacks as mendacious and pathological. Moreover, the public took selective note of the violent formations slavery entailed: narratives that related sexual exploitation of female slaves at the hands of whites, for instance, were largely ignored in their time.

Roughly a century after the abolition of slavery, neo-slave narratives, that is, fictional accounts of slavery penned by African American authors, started emerging, most notably Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Recent years have witnessed a renaissance of the neo-slave narrative, e.g. Steve McQueen’s film Twelve Years a Slave or Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad. Paying particular attention to each neo-slave narrative’s aesthetic strategies, we will analyze the function these fictional negotiations of slavery assume in their respective historical context. Familiarizing ourselves with concepts such as cultural trauma and cultural memory, we will appraise the fundamental impact slavery has had on the African American community. We will also examine to what extent conditions of Black unfreedom and confinement have persisted, in transmuted form, beyond the abolition of slavery and beyond the passage of the Civil Rights legislation.
  In this course, we will study how literary texts deal with disability and divergence of all kinds – physical, emotional, social, and mental. To do so, we will read texts by disabled as well as non-disabled authors. We will explore how many texts offer stereotypical portrayals of disability which undermine, distort, invalidate, and infantilize the disabled. However, we will also read literary texts that empower the disabled and study how writing can be used to come to a better understanding of one’s embodied experience. This will eventually help us to question constructions of normalcy.
Link to portal
ANG 313 Postmodernist Fiction (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de Incoming students are more than welcome to come to my class.
Literature:
Please acquire copies of Frederick Douglass’ memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, and Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad.

- Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse-Five
- John Irving The World According to Garp
- Thomas Pynchon The Crying of Lot 49

I'm using the editions by Dell (Vonnegut), Random House (Irving), and Vintage (Pynchon) but if you cannot get them or already own a different edition feel free to bring that one.

Secondary literature, additional short stories, etc. will be provided via Ilias

Instructor(s):
Dominik Matthias Steinhilber
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 17:15 - 18:45 406 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
Constituting the central cultural medium that won over Northern Americans for the cause of abolition, slave narratives were written by African Americans who had escaped the South’s “peculiar institutionˮ and educated the Northern public about the hardship and dehumanization they had endured in bondage. The slave narratives’ form and reception by the public was riddled with ambivalence: written in the first person, the slave narrative allowed former slaves, who had been treated as less-than-human, to assert their subjectivity as individuals; at the same time, slave narratives by default featured a preface by a white editor testifying to the author’s trustworthiness, which implicitly reified racist stereotypes of Blacks as mendacious and pathological. Moreover, the public took selective note of the violent formations slavery entailed: narratives that related sexual exploitation of female slaves at the hands of whites, for instance, were largely ignored in their time.

Roughly a century after the abolition of slavery, neo-slave narratives, that is, fictional accounts of slavery penned by African American authors, started emerging, most notably Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Recent years have witnessed a renaissance of the neo-slave narrative, e.g. Steve McQueen’s film Twelve Years a Slave or Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad. Paying particular attention to each neo-slave narrative’s aesthetic strategies, we will analyze the function these fictional negotiations of slavery assume in their respective historical context. Familiarizing ourselves with concepts such as cultural trauma and cultural memory, we will appraise the fundamental impact slavery has had on the African American community. We will also examine to what extent conditions of Black unfreedom and confinement have persisted, in transmuted form, beyond the abolition of slavery and beyond the passage of the Civil Rights legislation.
 

Since postmodernism is a heavily disputed territory, the debate about its classification as e.g. a genre, mode, literary period or style being one of the aspects of a study of postmodernist fiction students will be introduced to in this class, a course description renders itself automatically problematic. Roughly speaking, this course will concern itself with Post-WWII American novels and short stories from the 1960s to 1980s that are characterized by a heightened self-awareness and stylistic experiment.

This class will provide students with a basic introduction to American postmodernist fiction. Reading American postmodernist novels such as Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5, John Irving’s The World According to Garp, and Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot-49 and selected short stories alongside excerpts from philosophical texts and secondary literature, students will become familiarized with concepts such as metafiction, intertextuality, and irony. In order to discern postmodernist fiction’s response against Enlightenment thinking, grand narratives, and modernist stylistics (i.e. what  postmodernism appears to be ‘post’ of) we will also discuss said topics. This will be done in in-class discussions of our required primary and secondary readings, the composition and discussion of short essays (written instead of in-class presentations, which have proven themselves to be inefficient tools of study) and private study.

 

Link to portal
ANG 313 Science Fiction and Posthumanism (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
In this class, students will strengthen their skills in literary interpretation, analysis, and critique

In this class, students will develop skills and strategies for reading academic criticism. 

At the end of the semester, students should be able to reflect critically on the cultural, aesthetic, and historical implications connecting conceptualizations of humanity and (future) technology.
Literature:
Please acquire copies of Frederick Douglass’ memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, and Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad.

William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984)
Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem (2006)
Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story (2010).

Instructor(s):
Stefan Danter
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 A 104 Seminarraum; B 6, 23-25 Bauteil A
Description:
Constituting the central cultural medium that won over Northern Americans for the cause of abolition, slave narratives were written by African Americans who had escaped the South’s “peculiar institutionˮ and educated the Northern public about the hardship and dehumanization they had endured in bondage. The slave narratives’ form and reception by the public was riddled with ambivalence: written in the first person, the slave narrative allowed former slaves, who had been treated as less-than-human, to assert their subjectivity as individuals; at the same time, slave narratives by default featured a preface by a white editor testifying to the author’s trustworthiness, which implicitly reified racist stereotypes of Blacks as mendacious and pathological. Moreover, the public took selective note of the violent formations slavery entailed: narratives that related sexual exploitation of female slaves at the hands of whites, for instance, were largely ignored in their time.

Roughly a century after the abolition of slavery, neo-slave narratives, that is, fictional accounts of slavery penned by African American authors, started emerging, most notably Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Recent years have witnessed a renaissance of the neo-slave narrative, e.g. Steve McQueen’s film Twelve Years a Slave or Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad. Paying particular attention to each neo-slave narrative’s aesthetic strategies, we will analyze the function these fictional negotiations of slavery assume in their respective historical context. Familiarizing ourselves with concepts such as cultural trauma and cultural memory, we will appraise the fundamental impact slavery has had on the African American community. We will also examine to what extent conditions of Black unfreedom and confinement have persisted, in transmuted form, beyond the abolition of slavery and beyond the passage of the Civil Rights legislation.
 

This seminar aims at exploring the connection between science fiction and theories of (critical) posthumanism. While science fiction as a genre has fascinated readers and scholars alike for years, developments in the so-called “hard” sciences have led to substantial advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence, computer technology, robotics, bio-modification, or gene technology. As a result, the gap between speculative science fiction and real life scientific facts (sometimes expressed in the compound word “science faction”) is rapidly diminishing, spawning questions about the interconnectedness of humans and their technologies. This connects the genre to ideas debated by critical posthumanism, which questions traditional humanist ideas of autonomy and sees the role of technology, objects, animals, or other non-human agents as integral to negotiations of human subjectivity, agency, and embodiment. The seminar will provide an overview by reading both a classical work of science fiction literature, William Gibson’s Neuromancer (1984) as well as more recent examples with Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem (2006) and Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story (2010).

Link to portal
ANG 313 Poetry and Music (Seminar (Intermediate Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Intermediate Level)
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
Over the course of the semester, students...:
  • ...will be introduced to key theoretical concepts such as Intermediality.
  • ...will learn to apply these to a wide array of lyrical texts from different periods, movements, and subgenres.
  • ...will learn both how to access lyrical texts via secondary literature and how to present their own ideas.
  • ...will receive instructions on how to formulate research questions for their term papers.
Literature:
Please acquire copies of Frederick Douglass’ memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, and Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad. Primary and secondary literature will be supplied via Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Stefan Benz
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 163 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Constituting the central cultural medium that won over Northern Americans for the cause of abolition, slave narratives were written by African Americans who had escaped the South’s “peculiar institutionˮ and educated the Northern public about the hardship and dehumanization they had endured in bondage. The slave narratives’ form and reception by the public was riddled with ambivalence: written in the first person, the slave narrative allowed former slaves, who had been treated as less-than-human, to assert their subjectivity as individuals; at the same time, slave narratives by default featured a preface by a white editor testifying to the author’s trustworthiness, which implicitly reified racist stereotypes of Blacks as mendacious and pathological. Moreover, the public took selective note of the violent formations slavery entailed: narratives that related sexual exploitation of female slaves at the hands of whites, for instance, were largely ignored in their time.

Roughly a century after the abolition of slavery, neo-slave narratives, that is, fictional accounts of slavery penned by African American authors, started emerging, most notably Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Recent years have witnessed a renaissance of the neo-slave narrative, e.g. Steve McQueen’s film Twelve Years a Slave or Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad. Paying particular attention to each neo-slave narrative’s aesthetic strategies, we will analyze the function these fictional negotiations of slavery assume in their respective historical context. Familiarizing ourselves with concepts such as cultural trauma and cultural memory, we will appraise the fundamental impact slavery has had on the African American community. We will also examine to what extent conditions of Black unfreedom and confinement have persisted, in transmuted form, beyond the abolition of slavery and beyond the passage of the Civil Rights legislation.
  “Bob Dylan is a legend. But he does not deserve a literary prize for his music. This is because songwriting and poetry are entirely different arts, though they share passing similarities — meter, rhythm, rhyme, and the like.” (Bijan Stephen, Oct 13, 2016 on Vice News)
Many responses to Bob Dylan’s 2016 reception of the Nobel Prize in Literature were quick to denounce the committee’s decision to award the prize to someone who was not occupied with creating texts that fall into the traditional literary genres of prose, drama, or poetry. By acknowledging only “passing” – that is to say insignificant – similarities between literature and songwriting, many followed Stephen’s attempt to enforce the idea of the two art forms as “entirely different,” and by extension the idea that there are clear-cut boundaries between genres. While songwriting and literature are indeed two forms of art production that are not the same, they do share many key features. In fact, poetry, the oldest genre of literary creation, was originally ‘written’ in verse and rhyme not to be read but to be sung (often accompanied by a guitar-like instrument). Likewise, one cannot dismiss the fact that song lyrics are in most cases a form of written text, which by definition qualifies them as a literary art form.

This seminar affords students the opportunity to investigate the close proximity between both poetry and song lyrics as well as poetry and music. Studying the works of selected American poets and song writers, we will gain a better perspective on how music and the musicality of language have shaped many works of poetic writing up until today in manifold ways, be it Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” the Jazz poetry of Langston Hughes and Jack Kerouac, the Projective Verse of Michael McClure, the fugue structure of Philip Whalen's poems, the Rap lyrics of the Notorious B.I.G., or the singing of the queer body in Ezra Furman’s work.
Link to portal
ANG 404 Language Contact (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
The students will:

1. Review terms and concepts from the introduction to (diachronic) linguistics

2. Acquire basic knowledge of core concepts, theories and methods used in the field of language contact
3. Enhance their skills in analysing historical data

4. Enhance their skills in discussion and evaluation of key concepts and theories in a group of peers

5. Assess differences and similarities in a variety of contact situations (relating to English)

6. Document and present an individual project in oral and written form
Recommended requirement:
Introduction to Linguistics, Introduction to diachronic Linguistics
Literature:
will be available on ilias
Instructor(s):
Professor Carola Trips
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 406 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
In 1990, James Nicoll, an alleged Usenet personality, wrote the following about the English language:

“The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.” (Nicoll, James (1990-05-15). “The King’s English”. rec.arts.sf-lovers)

As this is obviously a bold statement, it needs further investigation. In this seminar we will pursue the question of how much English has actually been affected by languages like, for example, Norse, Latin and French. What is important in this context is to know the political, cultural and sociolinguistic circumstances as well as at which levels of language (lexicon, phonology, morphology, morphosyntax, syntax, semantics, information structure) English was and has been affected. We will explore a number of well known contact situations (with Scandinavian in Old English times, with Anglo-Norman in Middle English times, with Latin and Greek in Early Modern English times) which provide interesting insights into this topic and which explain why Present-Day English is as we know it today. We will further broaden our perspective and take a look at other types of contact-induced change like the birth of new languages in the context of colonisation.
Link to portal
ANG 404 Language and Marketing I (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
As a result of this course students will:
  • Have acquired basic knowledge in central areas of psycholinguistics and marketing communication
  • Be able to recognize relations between semantic and processing structures in language and its effects on consumer behavior
  • Be able apply this new knowledge analytically and constructively to solve authentic problems in market research and advertising
  • Have improved their skills in reading and comprehending research articles, giving informative and concise presentations, working in teams effectively
  • Have acquired the basic knowledge and skills to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret an empirical (experimental) study
  • Have prepared a research proposal that builds on previous research and describes a feasible project
  • Have practiced to conduct an empirical or experimental study in a team
  •  Have learned how to document and present their research findings on a scientific poster
Literature:
A reading list (textbooks and empirical research papers) will be made available at the beginning of the course.
Instructor(s):
Dieter Thoma
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Monday  (single date) 13.05.2019 17:15 - 18:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Marketing communication and research heavily rely on language. Advertisers use language to convince consumers to buy a certain product. Market researchers ask consumers what they think about a product or what kind of product consumers think they need. Obviously, the success of such marketing efforts depends on linguistic and psycholinguistic processes.
Recently, the application of psycholinguistic theory to marketing communication has become a topic of great prominence in the field of consumer behavior. The use of certain linguistic structures aims at increasing activating and cognitive psychological processes, or at measuring such non-linguistic psychological variables as attention, attitude and memory. In this course, we build up psycholinguistic background knowledge and simultaneously analyze how this knowledge has been applied to the marketing context. Selected topics are:
  • Theoretical foundations of the interfaces between language, cognition and consumer behavior
  • How principles of sound symbolism and human word recognition can inform brand name construction
  • How needs, expectations and ethics determine the potentials and limits of subliminal advertising
  • How linguistic framing manipulates consumer decision making
  • How exploiting semantic relations provides structure for consumer learning
  • How flouting the Maximes of Conversation gains attention and raises awareness in behavioral change marketing
  • How conceptual metaphors in marketing communications realize heuristic and decorative functions
  • How bilingual language processing affects cognitive and emotional consumer reactions
  • How narrative structure in commercials affects memory and emotions

The course uses a practical approach and continuously shows how theory and research evidence are relevant to analyze and criticize authentic examples from marketing practice. Moreover, we work on three extensive case studies that allow students to integrate and productively apply the course content. The cases involve developing a brand name for a pharmaceutical product, building an awareness campaign for a non-profit organization and creating a story for a crowd-sourcing campaign of a start-up company. The cases simulate agency pitches where students work in small teams (agencies), present and competitively peer-vote to select the best campaign.

A central part of the course is that student teams conduct their own research project building on previous research discussed in class.
Link to portal
ANG 404 Digital Media in Language Acquisition (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
At the end of the semester ...
  • you know some digital learning tools and the basics of creating learning tutorial videos and can use them for your own teaching.
  • you have a thorough understanding of selected areas of English grammar.
  • you have didactically prepared these areas of grammar for 5th graders.
  • you have developed digital learning tools for the pupils and a learning tutorial video on the grammatical background.  
  • you have evaluated the efficiency of these tools.
  • you have a chance to improve your presentation skills through short group presentations.
Literature:
... will be avialable on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Ira Gawlitzek
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Friday  (single date) 01.03.2019 14:00 - 18:00 EO 154 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Saturday  (single date) 23.03.2019 09:00 - 17:00 O 226/28 Seminarraum; Schloss Ostflügel
Description:
Digitalization is the journey to using digital resources and media more. Education is supposed to digitalize. Often this is simply equated with every pupil should have their own tablet. However, this view is shortsighted. Our society is changing fundamentally due to digital developments. At the same time many teachers complain about lagging behind the general development because of outdated technical equipment and pseudo-digitalization (= there is excellent hardware available but no one is able to use it appropriately). German teachers in particular are among the first to develop a critical view towards new media (Biermann in Tagesspielgel online 12.4.2018). About one third of the pupils are click-competent but not digitally competent (ICILS study 2017). However, the Bildungsplan 2016 mentions media competence prominently as a key competence to be developed.
So what role could and should digitalization play at school? We will take a step into the direction of answering this question by trying out digital media and evaluating the effects. In this course you will develop your own digital learning material on English grammar for 5th graders.
A first step is to develop a thorough understanding of the grammatical phenomena to be taught and practised. Then the grammar has to be didactically reduced and prepared. The developed material will actually be put into usage via a cooperation with a Gymnasium. Finally, we are going to evaluate the material via pre- and posttesting. Finally, participants of the course will reflect on possible improvements of the material in their class portfolio.
Link to portal
ANG 404 Language and Cognitive Processes (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
We will rely on a number of chapters and research articles, from various sources, all of which will be made available on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Agnieszka Ewa Krautz
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 003 Seminarraum; L 9, 1-2
Link to portal
ANG 409 Types of Language Acquisition: Similarities and Differences (Lecture, English)
Lecture type:
Lecture
ECTS:
4.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Professor Rosemarie Tracy
Date(s):
Monday  (weekly) 11.02.2019 - 31.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 145 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Link to portal
ANG 414 The 'Nouveaux Riches' in America: History and Literature (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
Students will acquire knowledge about the historical and literary period of the 'Gilded Age'. Students will be able to contextually and critically discuss the concept of the 'nouveaux riches' in US American culture. Students will gain presentation skills and skills in working with literary, historical, and theoretical texts.
Recommended requirement:
This course is open to students of history and of English/American literature. Interest in interdisciplinary work and a willingness to read (long) novels in English are required. Group discussions will be in English.
Literature:
Please buy William Dean Howells's novel The Rise of Silas Lapham (Norton Critical Edition) and Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Penguin) before the start of the semester. You may buy copies of these novels at Bücher Bender, Campus Store (Hauptmensa). All other texts will be made available on Ilias or can be accessed in the library.
Instructor(s):
Regina Schober
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15
Description:
“Old money” versus “new money”: In the decades around 1900, famously declared as the “Gilded Age” by Mark Twain, this distinction separated long-established families from newcomers who had gained their wealth from new industries such as steel and oil. The “Nouveaux riches” with their incredible wealth shook established hierarchies and social orders. Whereas they demanded social recognition, established families looked down on the newly rich as “parvenus” and did everything to prevent them from climbing the social ladder. The conflicts between “old” and “new” money also inspired and were carried out in numerous novels of the time. Apart from historical texts, we will read two exemplary literary works, William Dean Howells's novel The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885) and Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925).
The course combines the perspectives of American Studies and of historiography, as we will bring historical sources into dialog with literary texts. In doing so, we will also reflect on the methodological implications of such an interdisciplinary approach.
Link to portal
ANG 414 20th Century African American Novels (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
Students will acquire a deeper understanding of the central topics of African American literature, such as race, diaspora identities, class and gender.
Students will be familiarized with distinctly black modernist and postmodernist discourses and their relevant cultural, social, and historical contexts, such as the Civil Rights movement and the Black Power movement.
Students will deepen their knowledge of the history of African American literature and of black American literature's re-appropriation of genres like the slave narratives, the Bildungsroman, and the political novel.
Students will acquire a deeper understanding of 20th century  African American literature's indebtedness to and reworking of specific cultural traditions, such as oral story telling, music, and hoodoo.
Students will be familiarized with the writings of African American theorists, such as W.E.B. Du Bois and James Baldwin.
Students will gain a deeper understanding of distinctly black cultural forms of self-expression, such as the Blues.
Students will be enabled to discuss 20th century African American literature within relevant theoretical frameworks.
Literature:
Claude McKay. Banjo.
Richard Wright. Native Son.
Ralph Ellison. The Invisible Man.
Toni Morrison. Song of Solomon.
Instructor(s):
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EW 163 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Having emerged in the mid-nineteenth century with the William Wells Brown's novel Clotel, African American Literature has established itself since the Harlem Renaissance as a distinct means of cultural and aesthetic self-expression thas has significantly shaped the literary landscape of the 20th century. This course will focus on seminal African American writers and their contributions to modernism, to the political novel, and to postmodernism.
Link to portal
ANG 414 The Novels of Virginia Woolf (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Please purchase the following four novels by Virginia Woolf, which we will discuss in chronological order:
* The Voyage Out (1915)
* Mrs. Dalloway (1925)
* To the Lighthouse (1927)
* Between the Acts (1941)
Further texts will be made available on Ilias by the start of term.
Instructor(s):
Professor Caroline Lusin
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 EO 242 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
“On or about December, 1910, human character changed”, Virginia Woolf notes in her essay “Mr Bennett and Mrs Brown” (1924). Of course, humanity does not change as suddenly as that, but by the early 20th century, path-breaking innovations in technology, science, philosophy, and psychology as well as the devastating experience of World War I had no doubt profoundly changed the ways in which people saw themselves and their world. Previous conceptions of identity, time, history, and reality had become radically destabilised and transformed. This transformation posed a considerable challenge to artists, who struggled to find new aesthetic forms that facilitated expressing this new perception of the world.
     In this course, we will trace the development of a radically new, modernist aesthetics exploring some of the major essays and novels of Virginia Woolf. Alongside James Joyce, Woolf arguably represents the most important figure in British modernism, certainly one of the most eventful, diverse, and fascinating periods in British literary history.
Link to portal
ANG 414 Arab and Muslim American Literature (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Please acquire copies of Laila Halaby's novel Once in a Promised Land (preferably the paperback edition by Beacon Press) and Mohsin Hamid's novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist (preferably the paperback edition by Penguin Press). These editions are on offer at Bücher Bender near the Mensa.
Instructor(s):
Katharina Marie Motyl
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EO 159 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
In this seminar, we will address contemporary literary texts penned by authors of Arab and / or Muslim background at a time when Arabs and / or Muslims have been viewed with suspicion in the wake of 9/11 and the inception of the ‘War on Terror,’ and narratives about the cultural incompatibility of the West and Islam (Samuel Huntington’s ‘clash of civilization’ thesis) hold considerable purchase in Western societies. We will analyze the political and historical contexts in which the literary texts are embedded and which they address, paying particular attention to these writers’ engagements with hegemonic articulations of Arab / Muslim masculinities and femininities, and with patriarchal structures in parts of the Arab / Muslim world. We will also critically engage with the legacy of ‘colonial feminism,’ that is, the ways that Western empires have historically justified their presence in ‘'the Orient’ with the rhetoric of women’s rights.

Besides the novels Once in a Promised Land by Laila Halaby and The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, the primary texts we will read include short stories and poetry. This will hone students’ skills of approaching diverse literary genres and of engaging in the literary critical method of close reading. Students will also familiarize themselves with approaches from Postcolonial Studies, Diaspora Studies, and Critical Gender Studies, enhancing their ability to comprehend and apply academic texts in the process. Students will also practice their debate skills by acting as discussant or respondent in select sessions.
Link to portal
ANG 414 Novels of 2018 (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Texts:
Please purchase any edition of the following novels:
* Jonathan Coe, Middle England (2018)
* Guy Gunaratne, In Our Mad and Furious City (2018)
* Anna Burns, Milkman (2018)
* Sarah Moss, Ghost Wall (2018)
Instructor(s):
Professor Caroline Lusin
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Centring on some of the most recently published novels, this seminar aims to explore what is going on in British and Irish literature right now. What perspective do British and Irish novels published in the year 2018 provide on our day and age? What topics and current issues do they address, and to what purpose? What literary techniques do they employ to set in scene these issues? And what, last but not least, are the benefits of literature in particular as a medium for cultural self-reflection and social criticism?
Though published in the same year, the four novels we will discuss in this class focus on very different aspects of contemporary life; yet, they share a range of overarching concerns such as the nature of community, the relationship of ‘self’ and ‘other’, and the dynamics of individual and collective identities. Jonathan Coe’s Middle England (2018) may well be the first novel to systematically explore the social tensions and political developments that led up to the great rift of Brexit; Guy Gunaratne’s In Our Mad and Furious City (2018) follows the trajectory of three young men in a multi-ethnic London suburb in the tradition of Black British literature; Anna Burns’ Booker Prize winning Milkman (2018) tells the story of a young woman in the political turmoil of the infamous Northern Ireland conflict in 1990s’ Belfast; and finally, Sarah Moss’ short novel Ghost Wall (2018), which a critic hailed as “a burnished gem of a book, brief and brilliant” (Sarah Crown, The Guardian), will take us on an expedition to rural Northumberland, where a group of characters try to emulate the life of ancient Britons in the late 20th century.
Link to portal
ANG 414 Victorian Masculinities (Seminar (Advanced Level), English)
Lecture type:
Seminar (Advanced Level)
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
You, as a participant of this seminar, will
  1. deepen your knowledge of Victorian literature, on the one hand, and gender studies, on the other;
  2. get to know and discuss seminal Victorian concepts of ‘masculinity’;
  3. do close readings of exemplary British fiction and non-fiction of the Victorian period;
  4. make use of and refine your skills in the contextually oriented analysis, interpretation, and discussion of literature; as well as
  5. work with material from a seminal period in British literary and cultural history and gain in-depth insight into this very period: Victorianism.
Literature:
To be announced in class.
Instructor(s):
Professor Christine Schwanecke
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 406 Seminarraum; B 6, 30-32 Bauteil E-F
Description:
German songwriter Herbert Grönemeier is famous for asking, “Wann ist ein Mann ein Mann?” This seminar ponders this question, too. It continues asking, what is a 'man' in the first place? What is 'gender' and how is it constructed? Which kinds of 'masculinity' were there in England in a former historical period? And how were males presented and discussed in Victorian culture?

We will deal with these and related questions in this class, looking at a variety of texts from both fiction and non-fiction.
Link to portal
ANG 416 American Literature and Culture (Lecture, English)
Lecture type:
Lecture
ECTS:
4.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
Students will become acquainted with and read exemplary texts of the major literary and cultural periods of US American history. Students will be able to name specific features of these periods and analyze exemplary works of literature with reference to the respective cultural context.
Literature:

Please buy: Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, 1970. You can obtain this novel at Bücher Bender, Campus bookshop.

All other reading material will be made available on ILIAS or can be accessed in the library.

Instructor(s):
Regina Schober
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EW 151 Elfriede Höhn Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This introductory lecture course will present a survey of the history of American literature and culture from its beginnings to the present. While contextual information will be provided, the main emphasis will be on the interpretation of individual works (novels, poems, films, other texts). We will discuss literature and culture of American Puritanism, the Enlightenment, Transcendentalism and Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, Postmodernism, and Contemporary Literature and Culture.
Link to portal
ANG 416 A Survey of British Literature and Culture (Lecture, English)
Lecture type:
Lecture
ECTS:
4.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Professor Caroline Lusin
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EW 242 Otto Mann Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Literature, in some sense, is like history: You need to know the past in order to fully understand and appreciate the present. And to some extent, literature is like an animal species: It changes and evolves in response to its circumstances. Historical events, such as the invention of the printing press or the French Revolution, had a profound impact on the history of literature, too. If you study literature, it is therefore essential to gain at least a rough overview of the history of literature as well as the key cultural and historical events that took place in each literary period. This is why taking this class is strongly recommended to all students of British literature even if it is not a mandatory part of your syllabus.
    This lecture will take you on a journey through the history of British literature from the Renaissance to the present, thus covering the time from the late 15th to the early 21st century. It will introduce you to the most important periods in the history of British literature as well as to central works of canonical authors. The course will combine lectures with interactive tasks. In each class we will trace the history of the period in question and identify its distinguishing features by reading excerpts from a specific text.
Link to portal
ANG 421 Exploring Canada - An Interactive Experience (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Philip Griffiths
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 17:15 - 18:45 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Taught in collaboration with two Canadian universities – Guelph and Waterloo –, this course will explore a wide range of core topics that define the Canadian experience, ranging from concepts of Canadian multi-culturalism and ethnicity to representations of Canadian landscapes and environments.
 
We will not approach these topics in a traditional teacher-centred/classroom-centred way; instead, Mannheim students will be paired off with Canadian students from Guelph and Waterloo and will then explore a chosen topic (selected in the first week of class) together. Using a number of tools at your disposal – chat rooms, skype, twitter, blogs etc – you will exchange ideas online and lay the groundwork for a presentation on your chosen topic in the second half of term. In your interactive sessions, your Canadian peers will answer questions you have devised to shed light on your chosen topic; in turn, you will answer questions about German culture and society devised by your Canadian counterparts (all of which are German studies students). In this way, you will not only gain unique insights into what it means to be Canadian but also improve your English language skills and help second-language learners of German gain a sense of what it means to grow up and live in Germany.
 
Please note: Since we will be discussing the key features of the course in our first session, it is vital you come to our first lesson!
Link to portal
ANG 421 London Excursion (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Philip Griffiths
Date(s):
Tuesday  (block date) 23.04.2019 - 27.04.2019 08:30 - 18:30
Link to portal
ANG 421 British Politics (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
In this course, you will learn how Britain's system of government has developed over many years. You will get to know the institutions that form a part of this system and how they function today. You will gain an insight into the various policies of britain's post-(second-world) war governments and learn how divided all political camps are today after the recent “Brexit” referendum.
Instructor(s):
Ian Bailey
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 154 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This course is divided into three sections: the development of the British system of government, the British system of government today, and contemporary British poilitics.
The first section deals with British history with particular emphasis on events relating to the development of the system of government.
The second section looks into the role of Britain's political institutions as they are today. The functions of both houses of parliament are examined, as are the roles played by institutions such as the monarch, government and cabinet. Electoral procedure is also analysed.
The third section looks into the political parties of the UK and their manifestoes. The policies of various post-war governments are examined and important political issues of the day are discussed. Particular emphasis will be given to current developments after the recent referendum on the UK's future outside the EU.
Link to portal
ANG 421 Ireland (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
In this course, you will gain basic knowledge of Irish history. You will understand how Ireland became part of the United Kingdom and then how the South broke away to become independent. You will understand why there has always been a conflict of interest among the inhabitants in the island's northern province. You will also gain basic knowledge in areas of Irish culture such as music, literature and sport.
Instructor(s):
Ian Bailey
Date(s):
Friday  (weekly) 15.02.2019 - 31.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 154 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This course is an introduction to Ireland and is divided into two parts. The first part looks at the history of Ireland concentrating on the background to the Troubles. The second part deals with Irish culture and society today. Participants are expected to chose subjects for this part; which they will present to the class. The history of Ireland is presented in a reader, which will be distributed at the beginning of the term.
Link to portal
ANG 421 British History for Beginners (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Philip Griffiths
Date(s):
Friday  (weekly) 15.02.2019 - 31.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30
Description:
The nature of Britishness and of British history in general is far easier to proclaim than to define. Nevertheless, this course will attempt to charter the chequered history of the Isles, paying close attention to the socio-political currents that shaped present-day Britain. This gargantuan task may sound daunting at first, but the course is designed specifically to offer and overview rather than an in-depth analysis of historical contexts. Since prior knowledge of historical events is not a prerequisite, history illiterates are more than welcome to join the course!
Link to portal
ANG 422 Chicago (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de This course requires an English level of at least B2/C1 as all written exercises, presentations and course materials are in English.
Learning target:
  • to attain a basic knowledge of the city from its origins up until today including a spatial and visual orientation
  • to use approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze media coverage of Chicago regarding protests, crime and celebrities (videos on YouTube, TV shows, etc.)
  • to use approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze examples from US entertainment media and news coverage to understand how this city is presented and presents itself
  • to apply this historical information and different approaches to current events / situations affecting the US today (such as the extremely high murder rate, the vast gap between rich and poor, the entanglements between politics and social unrest)
  • to develop an understanding about what is particularly American about the city and
  • to ascertain its strengths, weaknesses and possible future outcomes
  •  
Recommended requirement:
This course requires an English level of at least B2/C1 as all written exercises, presentations and course materials are in English.
Literature:
a syllabus will be provided on ILIAS
Instructor(s):
Susan Montoya
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EO 159 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof Ost
Description:
Chicago, Illinois has often been called America’s second city as it is seen culturally as one step behind NYC. However, this status has allowed this Midwestern metropolis the freedom to break away from sophisticated conventions and expectations and has allowed new forms of art, music and performance to emerge and flourish. (Second City Comedy Club, Chicago Blues, Chicago House Music, Drill Hip Hop, Alternative, etc.) In addition, Chicago’s rich cultural heritage rests upon the shoulders of the groups of immigrants / migrants that came seeking opportunity in this industrial and financial center (Mexicans, African-Americans, Polish, Irish, Germans, Italians, etc.) making it one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the USA. Most recently, an emerging Boys Town is making Chicago a major cultural center for the LGBTIQ community.
Unfortunately, Chicago is also scarred by a history of violence, gang wars, crime and poverty (Al Capone, Chiraq, Daley’s Machine) and its famous neighborhoods also belie segregation and socio-economic divisions.
This class will explore the rich cultural diversity and distinction that makes Chicago what it is today. This could include food, art, architecture, music, literature, sports, history and politics.
Link to portal
ANG 422 The Culture of US Corporations (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
  • to attain a basic historical knowledge of the US American corporations
  • to use approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze particular businesses by looking at mission statements, employee relations, CEOs, etc.
  • to use approaches from cultural and media studies to analyze examples from US entertainment media and news coverage
  • to apply this historical information and different approaches to current events / situations affecting the US today (such as current trade controversies, recessions, ‘too big to fail’ ideas)
  • to develop an understanding about what is particularly American about US corporations and
  • to ascertain the strengths, weaknesses and possible future outcomes of a specific sector or firm
Recommended requirement:
This course requires an English level of at least B2/C1 as all written exercises, presentations and course materials are in English.
Literature:
a syllabus will be provided on ILIAS
Instructor(s):
Susan Montoya
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
From dishwasher to millionaire - this is one of the most pervasive myths in US culture. The idea that you can start from nothing and through pure ingenuity, luck, skill or just being at the right place at the right time, you can build an empire is exemplified in many biographies of US entrepreneurs. However, this is just one aspect of how mighty corporations have formed US culture. The rise and fall of these giants has had drastic demographic effects. How a corporation is run can provide space for more economic or social equality and business practices have kept entire groups of people from advancing.

This course will look at the historical development of US American businesses from famous entrepreneurs such as the Rockefellers and the Carnegies, to innovators such as Bell, Ford and Disney all the way to today’s movers and shakers such as Musk, Gates and Zuckerberg. We will also explore the social implications of corporate law and how this effects relations of power by applying various theories and criticism from cultural studies. Through considering US corporations as cultural entities, we can compare and analyze the effects that these businesses have had on shaping the country.
Link to portal
ANG 422 From the Gay 90s to the Roaring 20s (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
3.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de Participation in this seminar requires English language skills at the B2 or C1 level.
Learning target:
Students will gain an overview of the significant aspects of this historical period.
Students will refine their skills in discussion and making presentations.
Literature:
Readings for the course will be made available on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
John Miller Jones
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 21.03.2019 10:15 - 11:45 509 Seminarraum; L 9, 7
Thursday  (weekly) 28.03.2019 - 23.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 163 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
The 1890s up to the beginning of World War I was period that witnessed fundamental changes in  the American nation including its ethnic makeup, domestic race relations and status as a world colonial power. Based on a selection of various readings, this seminar will trace some of these themes.
Link to portal
ANG 425 The Vietnam War in Film and Text (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de B2 or C1 level English skills are necessary for successful participation in this course.
Learning target:
Students will gain knowledge of the significance of the Vietnam War in American history and of the rudiments of film analysis.
Students will hone their skills in discussion and making presentations.
Literature:
Texts will be made available on the Ilias site for the course.
Students will be required to screen a number of films over the course of the semester on their own time. Among other places, most of these films are available on DVD in the library in A3.
Instructor(s):
John Miller Jones
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
This seminar focuses on the cultural artifacts of one of the most traumatic episodes in American history, the Vietnam War, films such as The Deerhunter or Fall Metal Jacket in particular. After a historical introduction to the period and a survey of the basics of film studies, the seminar will focus on the analysis of the cultural significance of selected films (and a few texts) related to the Vietnam War.
Link to portal
ANG 425 Other Worlds? Science Fiction and Fantasy in Film (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
6.0
Course suitable for:
Bachelor
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Philip Griffiths
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 163 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Fantasy and Science Fiction are typically ridiculed as escapist dreams produced for teenagers. Indeed, they are often seen as the ”lowbrow, popular, pulp, childish and lightweight poor relation of more highbrow, grownup and serious forms based on the realist (mimetic) arts.” (Jacqueline Furby and Claire Hines) In recent years, however, with the upsurge of interest in the fantasy film, a number of academic studies that deal with a wide range of issues rooted in the fantasy and science fiction genres have documented a shift in academic perception. In keeping with this shift, this course will offer an in-depth look at both genres, supplying theoretical and contextual approaches with the help of which the complex imagery of the science fiction and fantasy film can be decoded. We will then use these insights to analyse popular science fiction and fantasy films (Star Wars, The Matrix, the Harry Potter films, The Lord of the Rings trilogy), treating them not as entities devoid of social commentary (hence the title of the course, Other Worlds?) but as products of dominant values, beliefs and fears and thus as cultural products deeply rooted in our world.
Link to portal
ANG 601 Language and Marketing II (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
As a result of this course students will:
  • Have acquired basic knowledge in central areas of psycholinguistics and marketing communication
  • Be able to recognize relations between semantic and processing structures in language and its effects on consumer behavior
  • Be able apply this new knowledge analytically and constructively to solve authentic problems in market research and advertising
  • Have improved their skills in reading and comprehending research articles, giving informative and concise presentations, working in teams effectively
  • Have acquired the basic knowledge and skills to design, conduct, analyze, and interpret an empirical (experimental) study
  • Have prepared a research proposal that builds on previous research and describes a feasible project
  • Have practiced to conduct an empirical or experimental study in a team
  • Have learned how to document and present their research findings on a scientific poster
Literature:
A reading list (textbooks and empirical research papers) will be made available at the beginning of the course.
Instructor(s):
Dieter Thoma
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 08:30 - 10:00 EW 159 Seminarraum Landesbank; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Marketing communication and research heavily rely on language. Advertisers use language to convince consumers to buy a certain product. Market researchers ask consumers what they think about a product or what kind of product consumers think they need. Obviously, the success of such marketing efforts depends on linguistic and psycholinguistic processes.
Recently, the application of psycholinguistic theory to marketing communication has become a topic of great prominence in the field of consumer behavior. The use of certain linguistic structures aims at increasing activating and cognitive psychological processes, or at measuring such non-linguistic psychological variables as attention, attitude and memory. In this course, we build up psycholinguistic background knowledge and simultaneously analyze how this knowledge has been applied to the marketing context. Selected topics are:
  • Theoretical foundations of the interfaces between language, cognition and consumer behavior
  • How principles of sound symbolism and human word recognition can inform brand name construction
  • How needs, expectations and ethics determine the potentials and limits of subliminal advertising
  • How linguistic framing manipulates consumer decision making
  • How exploiting semantic relations provides structure for consumer learning
  • How flouting the Maximes of Conversation gains attention and raises awareness in behavioral change marketing
  • How conceptual metaphors in marketing communications realize heuristic and decorative functions
  • How bilingual language processing affects cognitive and emotional consumer reactions
  • How narrative structure in commercials affects memory and emotions

The course uses a practical approach and continuously shows how theory and research evidence are relevant to analyze and criticize authentic examples from marketing practice. Moreover, we work on three extensive case studies that allow students to integrate and productively apply the course content. The cases involve developing a brand name for a pharmaceutical product, building an awareness campaign for a non-profit organization and creating a story for a crowd-sourcing campaign of a start-up company. The cases simulate agency pitches where students work in small teams (agencies), present and competitively peer-vote to select the best campaign.

A central part of the course is that student teams conduct their own research project building on previous research discussed in class.
Link to portal
ANG 601 Linguistic Typology (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
The students will:
1. Review terms and concepts from the introduction to linguistics
2. Acquire basic knowledge of core concepts, theories and methods used in linguistic typology
3. Improve their skills in discussion and evaluation of key concepts and theories in a group of peers
4. Assess differences and similarities between English and other languages of the world
5. Document and present an individual project in oral and written form
Recommended requirement:
Introduction to Linguistics
Literature:
Course book: Moravcsik, Edith A. (2013). Introducing Language Typology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Students are required to bring their own copy of the textbook (book, photocopies, digital copy, …). Additional reading material will be provided by the course instructor.
Instructor(s):
Mareike Keller
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 13:45 - 15:15 EW 169 Seminarraum C.A.Reichling; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
If we want to gain a deeper understanding of human language, it is useful to analyze linguistic phenomena across very different languages in order to identify general linguistic properties and mechanisms. This is what linguistic typology is about: Typologists study and classify languages all over the world according to structural characteristics. In this course we will analyze structural properties of English from a cross-linguistic perspective to see how similar, or how different, English is compared to other languages in the world. The goals of this course is to make students familiar with the core concepts of typology while at the same time shedding light on the structure of English from a different angle. Topics to be discussed will include basic fields of linguistics like phonology, morphology, syntax and the lexicon. In addition, we will also have a brief look at typology from a diachronic perspective.
Link to portal
ANG 601 Second-language learners and complex words (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
  • Week 1: The grammar of words – What exactly is morphology?
  • Week 2: How can we study the processing of complex words? An introduction to morphological processing research (Rastle et al., 2000; Marslen-Wilson, 2007)
  • Week 3: A little morpho-orthographic butcher in our heads? The idea of morphological decomposition (Rastle et al., 2004)
  • Week 4: Morphological processing worldwide: Hebrew, Turkish, and Japanese (Frost et al., 1997; Uygun & Gürel, 2016; Nakano et al., 2016)
  • Week 5: Morphological processing in native speakers vs. L2 learners – Fundamental differences? (Neubauer & Clahsen, 2009; Clahsen & Neubauer, 2010)
  • Week 6: walked vs. went: The L2 processing of regular vs. irregular forms (Feldman et al., 2010; Jacob et al., 2013)
  • Week 7: Native speakers vs. L2 learners: No differences after all? (Diependaele et al., 2011)
  • Week 8: Hidden differences? The role of orthography in morphological processing (Heyer & Clahsen, 2015)
  • Week 9: Different types of morphology - derivation vs. inflection (Silva & Clahsen, 2008; Kırkıcı & Clahsen, 2013)
  • Week 10: L2 morphological processing and the brain (de Grauwe et al., 2014; Jacob, 2015)
  • Week 11: L2 speakers and the production of complex words (Festman & Clahsen, 2016)
  • Week 12: Morphological processing in heritage-language learners (Gor & Cook, 2010; Jacob, Şafak, Demir, & Kırkıcı, 2018)
  • Week 13: Are we any wiser now? – L2 morphological processing and the classroom
Instructor(s):
Gunnar Jacob
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 15:30 - 17:00 509 Seminarraum; L 9, 7
Description:
Taught by Dr. Gunnar Jacob: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/prim/staff/jacob.html

Second-language (L2) learners often struggle with morphologically complex words. Even for English, which has often been described as a morphologically relatively ‘poor’ language, the third-person-singular present tense –s in a complex verb form such as (he) makes often causes problems for L2 learners. For more sophisticated morphological phenomena in other languages, such as plural formation in German, even highly proficient L2 learners often experience considerable difficulties.

But what exactly is it that makes morphology so difficult for L2 learners? Unfortunately, mistakes are unable to talk to us, so we cannot just ask a morphological error how it came about. Instead, it is necessary to come up with sophisticated experimental techniques to study the processing and production of complex words in the mind and brain.

The recognition or production of a complex word is an extremely fast and largely automatic process. The study of morphological processing thus requires the use of fairly sophisticated experimental techniques, which are able to tap into these extremely fast processes. In the seminar, you get a basic introduction to such psycholinguistic experiments. We subsequently look at a number of recent studies in the field, and discuss why researchers have sometimes come to very different conclusions about how L2 learners deal with complex words. At the end of the seminar, we get back to classroom situations, and discuss to what extent knowledge about how L2 learners process complex words can be useful to improve language teaching.
Link to portal
ANG 602 Climate Change Fiction (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
Students will read theoretical approaches to climate change and discuss the cultural relevance of the climate change debate. They will learn how literature serves as a cultural tool for organizing information about the risk of global warming into meaningful stories.
Literature:
Barbara Kingsolver, Flight Behavior (2012);
Kim Stanley Robinson, Forty Signs of Rain (2004);
Steven Amsterdam, Things We Didn't See Coming (2009).
Theoretical texts will be provided on Ilias.
Instructor(s):
Date(s):
Thursday  (weekly) 14.02.2019 - 30.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 167 Seminarraum Dr.Hajo Treutler; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
Since the 1990s a new genre has been emerging in Anglophone literature called climate change fiction. These texts (novel and films mostly) imaginatively create a world in which anthropogenic climate change has radically altered the social, political, and cultural environment as we know it today. Often written in the dystopian mode, they depict the consequences of climate collapse as a catastrophe. Other novels (or films) which are not set in the future reflect the present anticipation of catastrophe still hoping to show a way out of the impending disaster. Contrary to scientific research which is uncertain about the exact development of anthropogenically induced climate change and often inaccessible to the common reader who cannot fully grasp the complexity and immensity of changes on a global and apparently distant phenomenon. Narrative genres are thus, as Ursula Heise argues, “cultural tools for organizing information about risks into intelligible and meaningful stories.”

In this seminar we will read several climate change novels and possibly view at least one film (for example The Day After Tomorrow) and interpret them with the help of social risk theories by Ulrich Beck, Anthony Giddens and others. We will define the new nature of risk in a time of large-scale ecological changes in which, as Beck writes, “the very idea of controllability, certainty or security collapses.” We will especially deal with the question how narrative contributes to the climate change debate and discuss its cultural function.
Link to portal
ANG 602 Digital Romanticism (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
7.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Learning target:
•    Get an overview of the era commonly considered American Romanticism, both in relation to its European predecessors and its legacy on American society and culture
•    Gain insight into some of the key texts, movements, and schools associated with American Romanticism
•    Consider relations between literary, cultural, political, and philosophical tendencies, events, and topics in this era
•    Identify defining motifs for Romantic writers and compare Romantic attitudes towards individualism, nature, social reform, democracy, and freedom in a variety of different texts/genres
•    Critically reflect upon the status of American Romanticism as a literary/cultural era in view of its multiple traditions of writing and ideological implications
•    Develop oral and written skills in literary analysis, taking into account relevant theory and secondary literature
•    Explore digital humanities approaches and compare them to traditional modes of textual analysis
Literature:
Please buy the following texts:
•    Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845, Norton Critical Edition)
•    Hermann Melville, Moby Dick (1851, Norton Critical Edition)
You can buy these works at Bücher Bender, Campus Store.

All other texts will be made available on ILIAS or can be accessed in the library.
Instructor(s):
Regina Schober
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 10:15 - 11:45 EW 161 Seminarraum; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:

In this seminar, we will explore the literature and culture of American Romanticism (1812 to 1865). Sometimes also referred to as The American Renaissance, this period in American history has been considered the cultural awakening of America, marked by a striving for cultural independence and self-definition. Among the key motifs for Romantic writers and thinkers were individualism, communalism, social reform, and artistic experiment. At the same time, American Transcendentalism exerted a strong influence on Romanticist writing, envisioning not only cultural but also spiritual renewal. At a time of rapid expansion and industrial progress, America also pushed the limits of its literary frontier, shaping American experience by negotiating notions of freedom, democracy, and national identity. In this seminar we will combine traditional reading practices and digital methods to access and discuss key texts of American Romanticism by authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Frederick Douglass, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allan Poe. Selected works of secondary literature will complement our readings to stimulate class discussion.

Link to portal
ANG 602 Signs of the Times (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
8.0
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Literature:
Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
Zadie Smith, White Teeth
David Mitchell, Ghostwritten
Tom McCarthy, Satin Island
Instructor(s):
Stefan Glomb
Date(s):
Tuesday  (weekly) 12.02.2019 - 28.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 EW 167 Seminarraum Dr.Hajo Treutler; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Description:
The phrase “signs of the times”, refers to “indicator[s] providing information on the present state of affairs; (now usually) an indication of the nature of a particular period” (OED). This is a fitting title for a seminar focusing on novels which highlight phenomena, problems and opportunities that are relevant to the time and culture(s) we are living in. Even though they deal with individual characters, these novels are also marked by a kind of cultural stocktaking in that they address some of the themes which are at the forefront of today’s discussions about the present and the future: the repercussions of science in Never Let Me Go (2005), multiculturalism in White Teeth (2000), globalization in Ghostwritten (1999) and the difficulty of making sense of our present cultural situation in Satin Island (2015). This takes different shapes and involves different subgenres: dystopia, society panorama, fictional autobiography or a loose patchwork of almost independent chapters, and the overall approach is either predominantly comic, as in White Teeth or more grim, as in Never Let Me Go, Ghostwritten and Satin Island. We will discuss the texts in order given above.


Language: English
Link to portal
ANG 621 Area Studies: Economy, Business, Society (Seminar, English)
Lecture type:
Seminar
ECTS:
Course suitable for:
Master
Language of instruction:
English
Hours per week:
2
Registration procedure:
REGISTRATION: All incoming exchange students at the School of Humanities need to register for their courses via the Registration Form which will be emailed to them before the start of the semester. For further information please contact: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de ANMELDUNG: Alle Austauschstudierenden der Philosophischen Fakultät müssen sich über ein Anmeldeformular für ihre Kurse anmelden, das ihnen vor Beginn des Semesters per Email zugeschickt wird. Für weitere Informationen wenden Sie sich bitte an: incoming@phil.uni-mannheim.de
Instructor(s):
Antje Clasen
Date(s):
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.02.2019 - 29.05.2019 08:30 - 10:00 EW 154 Hörsaal; Schloss Ehrenhof West
Wednesday  (weekly) 13.03.2019 - 29.05.2019 12:00 - 13:30 O 145 Heinrich Vetter Hörsaal; Schloss Ostflügel
Link to portal

Contact School of Humanities

Florian Dorner, M.A.

Florian Dorner, M.A.

International Affairs
University of Mannheim
School of Humanities
Kaiserring 14-16 – Room 501
68161 Mannheim
Phone: +49 621 181-2579
Fax: +49 621 181-2168
E-mail: incoming(at)phil.uni-mannheim.de
Consultation hour(s):
Tue and Wed 10–12 noon
Semester break: Tue 10–12 noon (no registration)
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