Social Patterns in Germany
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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 European Union (a trading bloc of Western European nations), but also lobbied for a single currency within the EU (the euro), which will lead to the abandonment of its own strong Deutschemark in the process. This research examines the social patterns which have emerged within Germany and considers what path these patterns might take in the future.Germany is located in the heart of Western Europe, but occupies only 11 percent of the land mass in the European Union (France accounts for nearly 17 percent). Germany's population, however, is the largest among the EU participants, accounting for 22 percent of the combined total; Fra
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oreigners are more open than their less traveled colleagues (Kenna & Lacy, 1994, p. 13).
Nonverbal communication includes direct eye contact when making a point, and, while hand gestures may be used, physical touching is not in most social settings. The sense of privacy extends beyond the personal space issue to include different types of relationships for different settings. Business dealings are kept strictly professional with a tendency to avoid conversations about personal relationships or family life. Personal relationships typically do not develop in a business setting (Kenna & Lacy, 1994, p. 13).
Where Americans value competition and individualism, Germans typically favor cooperation. Personal confrontations are to be avoided, but there is a strong tendency and social pressure to conform. Duty, obedience (including within the family) and loyalty are highly valued personal traits. While Americans tend to be direct in their communications, Germans can be even more direct, which can lead to an interpretation by Americans that they are insensitive (Kenna & Lacy, 1994, p.ß13).
There is a growing trend in Germany toward envy; this is evidenced in part by the criticism that Stefan Effenberg has encountered by his own team
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Approximate Word count = 1926
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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