Queen Mary, University of London
German Department Research Seminar
Antje Friedrich (University of Bayreuth, Germany):
'Where do I belong? The Dynamics of Self in Afro-German Life Writing'
Afro-Germans are a minority group made up of people who are German cititzens by birthright, but often fall victim to complicated processes of "Othering". They are almost completely ignored by sociologists and literary critics. This seminar will focus on autobiographical narratives by Afro-German writers, especially Hans J. Massaquoi's Destined to Witness: Growing up Black in Nazi Germany. In all texts, the author's mother is white and German whereas the father comes from the African diaspora.
In the seminar, particular attention will be paid to the balance between the formation of the self and the impact of society on the individual and how these questions of identity-formation are reflected in literary representations. Questions to be addressed include the parents' impact on the children's self-awareness, the influence of the social environment on the creation of a positive self-image and the change of the former during the coming-of-age process.
This seminar will be of interest to German Studies and Comparative Literature students.
Wednesday, 20th March 2013, 3-5 pm
Venue: Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End Campus, ArtsOne Building, room 226
Do join us!
Enquiries:
*****
Dr Katerina Somers
Lecturer in German Linguistics with Medieval German
School of Languages, Linguistics and Film
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road
London E1 4NS
United Kingdom
[log in to unmask]
|