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GERMAN CULTURE SINCE REUNIFICATION.   Term Paper ID:25600 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Demographics, interpersonal communication, crime & violence, sex & nudity.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Demographics, interpersonal communication, crime & violence, sex & nudity. Paper Introduction: Introduction Since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Germany has undergone significant changes throughout its culture. Divided by the Allies after World War II, the country was reunited in the early 1990s bringing the formerly communist East Germany (German Democratic Republic) into the democratic and capitalist West (Federal Republic of Germany). The reunification has not been without problems: unemployment runs high among those from the former East Germany, for example, and there has been an increase in the number of nationalist demonstrations in recent years. In addition, the country has seen a large influx of refugees from other former communist countries, and Germany's once strong economy has faltered somewhat as the nation tries to assimilate these new residents. Germany was also instrumental in bringing about not only the Europea Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Variety, p. Poor and order. Personal confrontations are to be avoided, but there isa strong tendency and social pressure to conform. Divided by the Allies afterWorld War II, the country was reunited in the early 199 s bringing theformerly communist East Germany (German Democratic Republic) into thedemocratic and capitalist West (Federal Republic of Germany). Too big for its boots? All three shows are highly erotic, and "Love Sins" was fined in1996 after a court found that some content violated anti-pornography laws.Typically, these shows (which air on commercial broadcast stations) focuson sexual paraphernalia, sexual gratification tips and in-depth interviewswith international stars of pornography (Meza, 1998b, p. The sense of privacy extends beyond the personalspace issue to include different types of relationships for differentsettings. The Economist, p. Today, public nudity is accepted as a customin Germany which is widespread even by relatively liberal Europeanstandards. Sex in Germany Sex and nudity are far more accepted in everyday Germany than they arein the United States. 13). Kicking the habit. Other former East German states saw much the sameincrease (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had an increase of 8 percent in crimeduring the first half of 1993). G2). 48). WorldPress Review, p. This rate was also less than half the already lowrate in western Germany ("Living," 1994, p. (1998, July). 13). There is a growing trend in Germany toward envy; this is evidenced inpart by the criticism that Stefan Effenberg has encountered by his ownteammates (some of whom have been accused of sabotaging Effenberg's play)after signing a contract for more than $2.8 million. (1998, March). During the first five months of 1993, eastern Germany had fewerthan 5.1 births per 1, people, which was 6 percent fewer than duringthe same period of 1989. 35). Although public displays of nudity were banned during the Nazi years,nudity regained its popularity following World War II in both East and WestGermany, with a particularly popular following in East Germany. Although the nation boasts a life expectancy rate which is consistentwith other developed countries (79 years for women in 1996 and 73 years formen in the same year) ("Background Notes," 1998, p. Meza, E. The decline in fertility has been matched by an increase in mortalityamong nearly every age group except for the very young and the very old.Death rates for women between 25 and 45 rose nearly 2 percent between 1989and 1991; for men of the same age, it increased by nearly 3 percent.Girls aged 1 to 14 saw an increase in mortality of nearly 7 percent.During the period 199 -1991, an East German man between 3 and 44 years was7 percent more likely than his West German counterpart to die ofcardiovascular disease, 156 percent more likely to die of injuries, and 2 percent more likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver. Where Americans engage inconspicuous consumption, Germans often hide their own wealth. This research examines thesocial patterns which have emerged within Germany and considers what paththese patterns might take in the future. 48. Duty, obedience(including within the family) and loyalty are highly valued personaltraits. S2 -S21. However, the fact that thetrend includes the former East Germany has surprised some researchers giventhe input of resources from West Germany. (1994, April 23). Interpersonal Communication By comparison with Americans, Germans tend to take themselvesseriously and emphasize manners, formal communications (such as not usingfirst names in a business setting), and a strong sense of privacy. Germanywas also instrumental in bringing about not only the European Union (atrading bloc of Western European nations), but also lobbied for a singlecurrency within the EU (the euro), which will lead to the abandonment ofits own strong Deutschemark in the process. Nudist colonies began forming in the north of Germany (along thecoast) in the early 19 s as a reaction against the Victorian mores of theday. Conclusion The reunification of Germany has shaped its recent social development,but the German people as a whole have a long history which survived therecent division of East and West. Germany is also home to approximately sevenmillion foreigners. It is difficult for foreigners to become citizens inGermany; even those born in the country cannot obtain German citizenshipeasily. 22). "Peep!" competes with "True Love," hosted by a transvestite and "LoveSins". During the197 s and 198 s, "Top Outsiders," a television show in East Germany, wouldvisit nude beaches and would interview nudists (after both the host andcamera crew also stripped). 46. With one of the highest percapita income rates in the world (at $25, in 1996), Germany is largely amiddle class society, although there are pockets of extreme wealth.Germany has a strong social welfare system which offers national healthcare and unemployment compensation ("Background Notes," 1998, p. The Economist, p. Washington, DC: U.S.Department of State. Inaddition, the country has seen a large influx of refugees from other formercommunist countries, and Germany's once strong economy has falteredsomewhat as the nation tries to assimilate these new residents. In addition to the nude beaches, parks and lakes also haveareas where nudity is commonplace during the summer months, and "everyday"Germans participate in this type of leisure activity (Meza, 1998a, p. Introduction Since the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Germany has undergonesignificant changes throughout its culture. (1998, June 8). References Background Notes: Germany. Living, and dying. Bare essentials. The successof some immigrants has led to violence against immigrants in general whoare accused of "stealing" jobs from ethnic Germans. Where Americans value competition and individualism, Germans typicallyfavor cooperation. S2 ). Violent gangs have becomeincreasingly common in Germany and disputes between rival gangs nowregularly erupt in violence ("Kicking," 1995, p. The government has adopted harsher penalties for some crimes, but anational debate continues over whether more stringent penalties are inorder or whether the country needs to address the root causes of crime.Foreigners who violate the law may well find themselves simply deported totheir country of origin. News & World Report, p. (1998, June 8). (1995, April 24). 54. Germany continues to have one of thestrongest economies in Europe, and its push for a unified European Union,with a single currency, indicates the level to which Germany is willing togo in order to bring not only Germany, but all of Western Europe, toward amore stable environment. 2). (1996, November 9). Firebombingsare particularly popular as weapons against foreign-owned businesses, andTurks are often singled out for this type of violence (Marks, 1995, p. (1994). Nonverbal communication includes direct eye contact when making apoint, and, while hand gestures may be used, physical touching is not inmost social settings. New Statesman &Society, pp. 13). Germany has adopted a particularly strong stanceagainst black market cigarettes, a market which has been developed byformer "guest workers" from Eastern Europe and Asia (primarily Vietnam).Many of these workers sought asylum under once-liberal German asylum laws,but others found themselves without legal work beginning in 1993 when theasylum laws were made more stringent. LikeAmericans, Germans tend to value personal space (which is consideredslightly greater than Americans') and doors are generally kept closed in abusiness setting to maintain boundaries and to minimize interruptions. Education is compulsory for children through the tenth grade,and literacy in Germany is a high 99 percent. The birth rate in East Germanyin 1992 was 55 percent lower than in 1989 and it showed signs of continueddecline. Mistress of the dark. A German's lot is still an exclusiveone. Thereunification has not been without problems: unemployment runs high amongthose from the former East Germany, for example, and there has been anincrease in the number of nationalist demonstrations in recent years. Springate, C. Crime and Violence in Germany Crime increased significantly in the country as a whole afterreunification. Lincolnwood, IL:Passport Books. One of the most popular late-night television showsis called "Peep!" and is hosted by Verona Feldbusch, a former beauty queen. In thefirst six months of 1993, for example, crime increased by 4 percent in thestate of Brandenburg (located in the former East Germany) and the solvedrate was only 29 percent, well below the average of 42 percent for thenation as a whole. As reunification brought increased unemployment for East Germans,violence against even "native born" foreigners has increased. Demographics Germany is located in the heart of Western Europe, but occupies only11 percent of the land mass in the European Union (France accounts fornearly 17 percent). The German national character remains intactafter reunification, but some strife exists between Germans and foreignerswithin Germany. 35. G23. Since reunification 199 , the crime rate has been moving upwhile the number of solved cases has been moving down steadily. Meza, E. Variety, p. Marks, J. 54). Ingeneral, Germans have a distrust for foreigners and strangers, althoughthose who have traveled abroad or those who have business dealings withforeigners are more open than their less traveled colleagues (Kenna & Lacy,1994, p. 46). Violence against foreigners has been particularly prevalent sincereunification. (1995, August 5). 54). Christianity is by far the dominant religiousinfluence in Germany, with Protestants slightly outnumbering RomanCatholics. G23). G2. While Americans tend to be direct in their communications, Germanscan be even more direct, which can lead to an interpretation by Americansthat they are insensitive (Kenna & Lacy, 1994, p. Since crime was considered nearlynonexistent under the communist regime, and since the standards of livinghave fallen significantly in the eastern part of the country, this increasein crime has been met with growing apprehension in the east (Springate,1994, p. 1), there have beensome disturbing trends in the birth and death rates since reunification.Taken as a whole, former communist countries have seen their birth ratesfall and their death rates increase; this trend has been particularlynoticeable among teenagers and young adults. Ziesemer, B. Given that mortalityrates for most groups of adults had improved under communism, these figuresindicate that the reunification brought with it problems which werecertainly not anticipated ("Living," 1994, p. Most of Germany's 81 million residents are ethnic Germans, althoughthere is a Danish minority located in the north and a Slavic minority(Sorbs) located in the east. Kenna, P., & Lacy, S. Business dealings are kept strictly professional with a tendencyto avoid conversations about personal relationships or family life.Personal relationships typically do not develop in a business setting(Kenna & Lacy, 1994, p. This "winner-loser"attitude has had a telling effect on the country as a whole, which seeks tobuild a Germany where both east and west have high standards of living, andon individuals who are sometimes unwilling to participate in consumerism oneven a moderate level (Ziesemer, 1998, p. 22-23. Germany's population, however, is the largest amongthe EU participants, accounting for 22 percent of the combined total;France and Britain each account for 16 percent ("Too Big," 1996, p. Despite some liberal leanings (such as the nation'sattitudes toward sex and nudity), the country must solve its increase incrime and the economic disparity between East and West. Business Germany. (1994, September 23). U.S. How envy saps German prosperity. There is a commonfeeling throughout the workplace in Germany that if someone is earningmore, then someone else is earning less. The Economist, pp. The widespread acceptance of explicit sexual content on broadcasttelevision may stem from the casual attitude toward public nudity inGermany. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.