Program Information.
Myth making can create surprising communities and stretch dialogue across the borders. This program, deeply grounded in the interdisciplinary liberal arts, a hallmark of the UW Honors Program, Education, and American Studies at Humboldt and Jena Universities, provides students with an in-depth comparative look at cultural tokenism and investigates the narratives of identity and its dynamic reformulation. Identity construction as related to identity politics of nation-states and cultural and social groups is a central theme specifically looking at American and German territories.
This course will be located at University of Washington, Humboldt University, and Jena University (ten weeks at UW, spring quarter, 3 weeks in Berlin and approximately 1 week at Jena University)
Students will engage in foundational research during spring quarter’s preparatory seminar, learning about the history of U.S. border relations and the migration patterns of these countries compared with the migration patterns of Germany. Students will also be introduced to social science, humanities and arts research as well as educational methods as related to the program themes. Students will make connections with faculty from Humboldt and Jena during spring quarter and will continue these connections once in Germany.
Starting off in Seattle during the require two-credit Honors seminar, students will utilize technology and learning portfolios to investigate the topics of:
Teaching will be a collaborative effort between UW faculty and staff, Jena University faculty, and Humboldt faculty and staff. The agenda in both Berlin and Jena include field trips and on-site explorations as well as a workshop series with German students.
Berlin & Jena, GermanyThe Honors Program has a unique collaboration with Humboldt University’s American Studies department and students are able to take advantage of this relationship between the programs to deepen their networks and research. Humboldt is located on the famous boulevard Unter den Linden “under the linden trees” in the district of Mitte. Jena is a university town dating back to 1182. The town is in the former east and is situated among hills and near the river Saale. Jena is approximately 2.5 hours by train from Berlin.
Program CreditStudents will receive 15 credits of Honors core credits - 13 summer credits and 2 spring credits.
Participating graduate students will coordinate the allocation of credits with their advisers.
Alternative credit may be available to students not currently enrolled in the Honors Program. Alternative credit options must be arranged in advance with your departmental adviser.
Re-enacting Identities Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S) and EDC&I 496 - 5 credits
This course investigates individual, cultural, and national identity formation, what determines identity labels and who defines social capital. We will use a comparative interdisciplinary model to learn about topics including:
Western cultures in East Germany Honors 213 - 3 credits
The study course at Jena university brings together German history with the study of cultural myths of the Western: the focus of study will be the proliferation of North American Western culture in the two Germanys, from its adaptation by 19th century Dresden writer Karl May to the Powwow vogue and Indian camps in the former GDR as an expression of freedom and individualism in a socialist regime. Jena as a place for studying this topic offers a plethora of opportunities for expert interviews, visits to museums and expertise by the staff of the American Studies department, who have been researching about representations of the Canadian and the American West as a symbolic space since 2011. The Jena part therefore groups topics from Canadian and American studies in a curriculum that fosters meetings with German academics and students.
Independent Study/Research Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S)/EDC&I 496 - 5 credits
The 3-4 student research groups will divide into topics under the larger theme of the program. Through collaboration within research groups and instructors, specific individual project focus will emerge. Each group member will have an opportunity to focus within the group topic with individual research questions emerging over the course of the quarter.
Student groups will regularly report on preliminary research and will work together, collaboratively, both in Seattle, Berlin and Jena. Students will use their Honors Portfolios for reflection and posting of research in progress and final research presentations.
Preparatory Seminar Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S)/EDC&I 496 - 2 credits
This seminar will be comprised of classroom instruction and discussion, reading and writing assignments, and guest speakers who will provide both cultural and language instruction as preparation for in-country learning. In addition, students will receive basic travel orientation prior to departure. During spring quarter, students will choose research groups (approximately 3-4 students per group), decide on the focus of their projects, and create a proposal, which they will then use as a guide during their time in Germany.
*Courtesy of the Interdisciplinary Honors Berlin website*
This course will be located at University of Washington, Humboldt University, and Jena University (ten weeks at UW, spring quarter, 3 weeks in Berlin and approximately 1 week at Jena University)
Students will engage in foundational research during spring quarter’s preparatory seminar, learning about the history of U.S. border relations and the migration patterns of these countries compared with the migration patterns of Germany. Students will also be introduced to social science, humanities and arts research as well as educational methods as related to the program themes. Students will make connections with faculty from Humboldt and Jena during spring quarter and will continue these connections once in Germany.
Starting off in Seattle during the require two-credit Honors seminar, students will utilize technology and learning portfolios to investigate the topics of:
- Literature of Migration (literature of identity) Asylum policies (Dublin 2 and 3 laws)
- Urban Identity and Border Identity
- Identity and natural world (distance of the natural world to urban world and reconsidering what makes us human)
- Migration and Education
Teaching will be a collaborative effort between UW faculty and staff, Jena University faculty, and Humboldt faculty and staff. The agenda in both Berlin and Jena include field trips and on-site explorations as well as a workshop series with German students.
Berlin & Jena, GermanyThe Honors Program has a unique collaboration with Humboldt University’s American Studies department and students are able to take advantage of this relationship between the programs to deepen their networks and research. Humboldt is located on the famous boulevard Unter den Linden “under the linden trees” in the district of Mitte. Jena is a university town dating back to 1182. The town is in the former east and is situated among hills and near the river Saale. Jena is approximately 2.5 hours by train from Berlin.
Program CreditStudents will receive 15 credits of Honors core credits - 13 summer credits and 2 spring credits.
Participating graduate students will coordinate the allocation of credits with their advisers.
Alternative credit may be available to students not currently enrolled in the Honors Program. Alternative credit options must be arranged in advance with your departmental adviser.
Re-enacting Identities Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S) and EDC&I 496 - 5 credits
This course investigates individual, cultural, and national identity formation, what determines identity labels and who defines social capital. We will use a comparative interdisciplinary model to learn about topics including:
- Identity and Environment;
- Identity Migration and Education;
- Borders and Frontiers (Canada/Mexico/US border; German east and west border; Arctic border and territory issues and its global ramifications related to national and individual identity formation; border patrol policy at the US/Mexico cross-roads, for example);
- Refugee/migration movements in US and Germany related to identity politics and the view of the “refugee and “immigrant” as cultural tokens and foils (individual, family, and nation-state);
- Investigation of identity reformulation/myth making of refugees and migrants (including a parallel study of east German, and U.S./Mexican identities).
Western cultures in East Germany Honors 213 - 3 credits
The study course at Jena university brings together German history with the study of cultural myths of the Western: the focus of study will be the proliferation of North American Western culture in the two Germanys, from its adaptation by 19th century Dresden writer Karl May to the Powwow vogue and Indian camps in the former GDR as an expression of freedom and individualism in a socialist regime. Jena as a place for studying this topic offers a plethora of opportunities for expert interviews, visits to museums and expertise by the staff of the American Studies department, who have been researching about representations of the Canadian and the American West as a symbolic space since 2011. The Jena part therefore groups topics from Canadian and American studies in a curriculum that fosters meetings with German academics and students.
Independent Study/Research Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S)/EDC&I 496 - 5 credits
The 3-4 student research groups will divide into topics under the larger theme of the program. Through collaboration within research groups and instructors, specific individual project focus will emerge. Each group member will have an opportunity to focus within the group topic with individual research questions emerging over the course of the quarter.
Student groups will regularly report on preliminary research and will work together, collaboratively, both in Seattle, Berlin and Jena. Students will use their Honors Portfolios for reflection and posting of research in progress and final research presentations.
Preparatory Seminar Honors 384 (VLPA/I&S)/EDC&I 496 - 2 credits
This seminar will be comprised of classroom instruction and discussion, reading and writing assignments, and guest speakers who will provide both cultural and language instruction as preparation for in-country learning. In addition, students will receive basic travel orientation prior to departure. During spring quarter, students will choose research groups (approximately 3-4 students per group), decide on the focus of their projects, and create a proposal, which they will then use as a guide during their time in Germany.
*Courtesy of the Interdisciplinary Honors Berlin website*