Bridges between cultures - Can foreign language radio programmes enhance integration? (eBook)

Master's Thesis from the year 2004 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: B, University of Bath (European studies and Modern Languages), course: MA in European Studies, language: English, abstract: [...] This essay will discuss whether foreign language broadcasts are enhancing integration or slowing it down. While the guest workers' programmes were necessary to help foreigners who did not speak any German, foreign media today might create ghettos and decrease the need to learn German - a basic asset for integration. Part A of the essay will closely analyse the theoretical research that has been done on society as a whole. Systems theory will give an explanation for the way societies work (chapter 1). As a next step, the building and existence of identity will be looked at. After the difference between personal and collective identities has been pointed out in chapter 2.1, national identity as a certain form of collective identity and especially its creation will be analysed further (2.2). The last section of the theoretical part will explain the process of integration (3.1), take a closer look at two main models of integration (3.2) and then deal with the role the media can play in integration processes (3.3). In part B, the essay will conduct a case study on the integration of former guest workers in Germany and the impact foreign language radio broadcasting had on it. After giving a short history of labour immigration in the Federal Republic of Germany (4.1), the changing policy of the German governments towards foreigners in the country will be adumbrated(4.2). The current situation of foreigners in Germany will give a hint to the answer of the question whether integration has been completed or not (chapter 5). Chapter 6 of the essay deals with the function foreign language radio programmes had in the past and have nowadays (6.1) and gives examples for two different kinds of immigrant radio in Berlin (6.2). The conclusion at the end of the essay will answer the question whether a media market with a choice of broadcasts in immigrant mother tongues can enhance their integration or whether it is obstructing it.