Culture Shock! Germany Awesome PP Presentation by Alan Itkin

Table of Contents First Impressions German History German Characteristics The German Landscape Fitting Into Germany Settling In Experiencing German Society Food and Entertaining Enjoying Germany Doing Business in Germany D.I.Y. Germany

Extras Culture Quiz Do’s and Don’t’s Appendix Resource Guide Further Reading Map Index

Introduction The story of the three blind men and the elephant. “No one can fully experience and describe all of it, not even someone who had spent his or her whole life here” (6). “I’ve tried to incorporate all of these perspectives into the overall view presented here, even when they were in some cases wildly contradictory” (7). “But then, German society itself is wildly contradictory in so many ways” (7). “I admit that even after you’ve travelled through this whole book, you still won’t know every inch of the elephant, but at least you’ll have a good idea of what kind of beast this elephant is, and how you might begin to deal with it” (7).

Tone & Style Informal Conversational Anecdotal Avuncular Straightforward

Chapter 1: First Impressions A quote from “one world-weary American visitor”: “I was pretty much used to the fact that in today’s world, every place looks like every place else. But Germany looks more like every place else than any place else” (12). Dispelling myths, Lederhosen, etc. “I can count on the fingers of one hand all foreign residents of Germany who came here and then fell in love with the country or its people (as opposed to some of its people). But they did fall into a sense of satisfaction” (15).

Chapter 3: German Characteristics Skipping Chapter 2: History. “History plays a role in the development of all nations but in Germany it casts a particularly long and heavy areas” (39). What are Germans like? “Germans are not risk takers and they insist on having things reasonably under control-- and what the Germans see as reasonable, others might well consider irrational” (40). Other headings under “Values” in this chapter: Neither Borrowers nor Lenders, Home and Hearth, Concern for the Environment, Compartmentalisation, Keep it Where it Belongs, The Importance of Planning, Frankness to a Fault, Arrogance, There’s Always Room for Gloom, etc.

Other Chapters Chapter 4: The German Landscape Exploring regional differences in geography and culture. Chapter 5: Fitting into Germany Immigration, ethnic communities, multiculturalism, xenophobia. Practical advice for integrating into German culture: Aufenthaltserlaubnis, etc.

Other Chapters Chapter 6: Settling In Practical advice for living in Germany: housing, banking, shopping, health, transportation, etc. Chapter 7: Experiencing German Society Advice for acclimating oneself to German culture: humor, public vs. private, etc.

Other Chapter Chapter 8: Food and Entertaining Gross! Chapter 9: Enjoying Germany Leisure time activities: Holidays, the Kneipen culture, Strassenfeste, the media, the arts.

Other Chapters Chapter 10: Learning the Language Chapter 11: Doing Business in Germany Chapter 12: D.I.Y Germany Miscellaneous cultural info: names to drop in conversation, etc.

Conclusion Culture Shock! Germany is a decent, practical, friendly guide, that does not pretend to be definitive, but approaches German culture from the perspective of a non-native (Richard Lord), with plenty of anecdotes and advice gleaned from the experiences of other outsiders who acclimated themselves to German culture.