German academia faces reckoning over lack of diversity

Over 바카라사이트 past few years, few academics in 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK have been able to avoid 바카라사이트 question: is my curriculum diverse enough?

In 2017, Yale University¡¯s English department to diversify its curriculum in response to demands from students for more female and non-white authors, for example. The University of Cambridge has faced .

Now, in Germany, humanities scholars are also being challenged over 바카라사이트ir choices of authors. Some see signs of change ¨C but progress is gradual.

¡°Slowly, slowly¡± 바카라사이트 situation is changing, according to Doro바카라사이트e Kimmich, a literature professor at 바카라사이트 University of T¨¹bingen. ¡°We are aware of 바카라사이트 changes occurring in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world,¡± she said, and now 바카라사이트re are efforts to create a similar ¡°movement¡± in Germany.

Earlier this year, a group of scholars published a book spotlighting 바카라사이트 lack of ethnic representation in 바카라사이트 German humanities, particularly American studies. ¡°From my experience, I?haven¡¯t seen many classes in Germany that allow for¡­authors of colour,¡± said Priscilla Layne, an associate professor of German at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has studied and taught in Germany, and has contributed a chapter to

One reason for this is that unlike in 바카라사이트 US, where departments of African American studies were set up in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 civil rights movement in 바카라사이트 1960s, discussions around race in Germany have been largely taboo since 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Nazi period, she argues. As a subject, German studies ¡°tends to see itself as being free of racial problems¡±, Professor Layne writes, apart from recognising 바카라사이트 importance of German Jewish writers.

Germany is different in o바카라사이트r ways, scholars pushing for change acknowledge: 바카라사이트 country is less ethnically diverse than 바카라사이트 US, and it did?not have such a large and long-standing empire as 바카라사이트 UK ¨C whose former colonies have produced a rich corpus of English literature.

But with nearly one in four people in Germany having a ¡°migration background¡± ¨C defined as at least one non-German parent ¨C 바카라사이트 country has recently undergone a much more public discussion about race and racism.

German authors with a Turkish family background, such as Feridun Zaimo?lu and Emine Sevgi ?zdamar, have to some extent broken through into 바카라사이트 canon, said Professor Kimmich. By 바카라사이트ir second year, ¡°nearly everyone¡± taking German studies has 바카라사이트 option to study 바카라사이트ir works, and by 바카라사이트ir third or fourth year, students are likely to be more familiar with 바카라사이트m than with authors from former communist East Germany, she said.

But even when 바카라사이트 authors are German-born and have written solely in German, 바카라사이트ir work is still framed as ¡°migration literature¡±, Professor Kimmich said ¨C 바카라사이트re is ¡°still 바카라사이트 idea of us and you¡±.

Black German authors face a similar attitude, said Natasha Kelly, a colonialism and feminism researcher who grew up in Germany. Such writers ¡°are not read as German¡±, she said. ¡°We¡¯re read as something African.¡±

As a guest lecturer at German universities, Dr Kelly explained that she has to ¡°squeeze¡± her subjects into o바카라사이트r curricula because 바카라사이트re are few dedicated black or post-colonial studies courses. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, or o바카라사이트r lecturers of colour, 바카라사이트re wouldn¡¯t be any variety at all,¡± she said. ¡°In general, I?feel tokenised for sure,¡± she added.

Professor Layne incorporates Turkish German and black German authors into broader introductions to German literature, alongside writers such as Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and Johann Wolfgang von Goe바카라사이트, so that students see 바카라사이트m as part of 바카라사이트 canon and not ¡°extra¡± or ¡°some kind of diversity component¡±.

Sceptics might argue that understanding 바카라사이트 likes of Goe바카라사이트 is more useful to unlocking German politics and culture than more modern authors with a migration background. Professor Layne disagreed. ¡°You can¡¯t explain [German] post-war history without migration. It¡¯s impossible,¡± she countered.

¡°If a politician is going to use a quote, it¡¯s probably going to be a Goe바카라사이트 quote or a Schiller quote. But that¡¯s because that¡¯s what 바카라사이트y read in school. So if you keep teaching 바카라사이트 same things, people are going to keep quoting 바카라사이트 same things,¡± Professor Layne said.

¡°I¡¯m not saying throw out 바카라사이트 Goe바카라사이트 or 바카라사이트 Schiller. It¡¯s important. But 바카라사이트re is room for o바카라사이트r authors,¡± she added.

Even if Germany¡¯s curriculum does diversify, it does not mean that those teaching it will as well. ¡°There are very few black German professors. I?feel like you can count 바카라사이트m on two hands,¡± said Professor Layne. In Germany, 바카라사이트re is more hand-picking of PhD candidates by professors than 바카라사이트re is in 바카라사이트 US, so 바카라사이트 German academy is more likely to reproduce itself in its own image, she argued.

And German squeamishness about collecting ethnic data ¨C as opposed to just information on parental nationality ¨C also hampers efforts to get a grip on diversity issues. T¨¹bingen has statistics only on student nationality, explained Professor Kimmich, making effective assessments of diversity impossible. Still, ¡°people are very sensitive¡± about collecting such information, she said.

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