National Pride ... Was ist Das?

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The initial Bellamy salute (right hand extended forward, not 

pictured) might remind many readers of another (in)famous 

way to salute one's flag -- a difference that  likely sits at the 

root cause for US and German perspectives on nationalism.

Frankfurt am Main -- In August 1892, Baptist minister Francis Bellamy pinned this short passage in preparation for the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas. Quickly reciting this passage to most US citizens will almost instantaneously result in a group recital, hands placed over the heart and eyes darting around the room for the nearest American flag.

Over the last 100+ years, the Pledge of Allegiance has become a staple of the American classroom and likewise, a staple of how many Americans treat and respond to their flag. Becker et al (2012) reviewed several studies demonstrating that for Americans, exposure to the US tends to prime feelings of intense nationalism - some of these suggesting military authority and others related to egalitarianism and humanitarianism, or as etched on the Statue of Liberty (a poem by Emma Lazarus):

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door

While Americans are often blasted for being a bit ... err ... tacky with how they display their national pride, the simple fact is that most of them do, and displaying your national pride - to an American - is considered a perfectly acceptable thing to do (especially before our sporting events).

Shifting our attention to Germany, and the perspective is quite different. In November 2009, rock start Pete Doherty faced possible prosecution in Germany for singing the verbotten first verses of "Deutschlandlied" (the German national anthem) during a live performance in Munich [UK perspective via Guardian] [German perspective via Der Spiegel]; notably, the first and second verses are no longer used given their Nazi connotations and reinterpretations. That is, while Americans take great pride in memorizing and reciting Bellamy's classic verse, Germans largely avoid reciting Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben's piece - a national pride/drinking song he pinned almost 80 years before the rise (and 100 years before the fall) of Hitler's Third Reich. As best worded by blogger Rory MacLean:

"No German put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem. No school flew the flag when Jan was a boy. ‘How did we [Germans] learn not to wave the flag?’ asked Jan, a world traveler who is nearing his 50th birthday. ‘We simply did not do it.’"

When exposed the the German flag, more patriotic Germans 

were more likely to express prejudices towards out-groups 

(non-Germans) after exposure to the German national flag. 

In fact, Becker et al. (2012) looking at the impact of national flag exposure - US and German - on a population of German adults aged 18 to 45+ actually found that exposure to the German flag elicited far more negative than positive feelings. First, their work found that when Germans were asked to list the thoughts coming to mind after seeing the rot-schwartz-gelb, those thoughts tended to be rather neutral (almost 20% of the thoughts listed were references to sports, specifically "football (soccer)"). The next most-prominent category? Nazis. Nearly 12 percent of German respondents, when viewing an image of their country's modern flag, listed "Nazi" or "Hitler" or "Third Reich" as the most prominent thought in their mind. The authors write (p. 5): "These results indicate that the German flag does not imply such positive egalitarian associations for Germans as the US flag indicates for Americans." 

Our own class discussions (from the media psychology and influence course, at least) might also give some support for these findings. From Moral Foundations Theory, we might be able to understand intercultural differences as a function of their primary view on morality. For example, Bowman et al. (2012) found that Germans tended to place far more emphasis on concerns related to harm and fairness (considered more individualizing, or liberal, facets of morality) while Americans emphasized aspects of authority, loyalty, and purity (considered more binding, or conservative, facets of morality). The article explains that these cultural differences make sense when one considers differences in the political systems of each country - such as the increased importance on social welfare in the German economic and political system.

How Aldi Nord sees the typishe Amerikaner grillen. Photo

courtesy of one of our German SPICE students. 

Consider these elements this coming Thursday, when we gather at Zitadelle Petersberg to celebrate the 4th of July - an American holiday stepped in our culture to celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of (grilled and malted) happiness. For the past several years, SPICE has hosted a American-style BBQ with students decked out in all manner of Red, White and Blue. For many of our German colleagues, the sheer variety of clothing that is either made from, of, or in the style of the Stars and Stripes is staggering.

As you enjoy burgers and brats (with ketchup!), you might consider asking your German classmates - or any German friends you've made so far - about their views on "being German" and "advertising their 'Germanity' to the world". Some discussion points for your Monday blog (and feel free to work in notions of Face Negotiation Theory and Communication Accommodation Theory into these discussions):

• What sort of thoughts and values do the Germans that you know associate with the German flag? How do they feel about the US flag? 
• How do your German friends feel when their peers others proudly demonstrate strong patriotism? What sort of thoughts and feelings do they have when Americans do the same? 
• What about you - how does the American flag make you feel? What about the German flag? How do you feel about Germans showing their national pride? How do you feel about Americans showing their national pride? 

More reading:

Becker, J. C., Enders-Comberg, A., Wagner, U., Christ, O., & Butz, D. A. (2012). Beware of national symbols: How flags can threaten intergroup relations. Social Psychology, 43(1), 3-6. doi: 10.1027/1864-9355/a0000073. [unformatted version] 

Bowman, N.D., Dogruel, L, & Joeckel, S. (2012). A question of morality? Moral salience and nationality on media preferences. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 37(4), 345-369. doi: 10.1515/commun-2012-0020. [published version]

Bruges Selfie Scavenger Hunt

Erfurt, DE -- Here’s the gist. Bruges is a small but beautiful city, and despite its charm it can be challenging to find its coolest spots. So we (Dr. Jaime Banks, and myself) have designed a scavenger hunt to encourage you to explore the city’s nooks and crannies. Some are more obvious than others, but they’re all cool little bits of Bruges.

Here’s how it works. The person who finds the most items from this list wins something super awesome (rare, special, delicious), and in the case of a tie Nick and Jaime will decide the winner based on creativity -- she's not joining us this year, but I'll consult with her via social media and we'll make a decision together. For a find to ‘count’ you must take a selfie with the item you find. By 9am on Wednesday, you’ll post your batch of pictures to the SPICE Facebook group (complete with captions telling us which item it is and something cool about it … captions count for creativity too). Please be sure to upload all photos in a single post (rather than individually).

Also, for some of the items below there are ‘XP’ options (that’s gamer-speak for ‘experience points’) … these are just additional challenges to make the find even more awesome. These additional bits are completely optional, but really cool. Some clues are obvious and flexible, and some are cryptic and specific … it could be helpful to do a little research ahead of time.

An extra benefit of the hunt is that any of the items on this list are fair game as topics for your travel blog posts, so keep that in mind as you enjoy Bruges. The list? Below: 

• “Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o'er the town” -- this home of 47 bells is just 366 steps above two rebels and the site of a famous murder.
  XP for the most schoen view, alta. 
• Two brews – one of moon and one of jester – are born here.
  XP if you get inside for a tour, but you might have to schedule this in advance.  
• Bruges is home to chocolatiers – find a sweet that’s shades of green, or perhaps one that's a bit embarrassing.
  XP – Snap a pic of you, enjoying the treat! 
• All o’er the town little angels abound … find three cheeky cherubs. 
• In the U.S. doors can be bores, but Belgians entrée with more flare. Find three red doors! 
• Bears aren’t so bad in Belgium – they'll even hold and hug beers! Find this lovely beast.
  XP – Enter his den and find the connection between the US and Belgium. 
• In certain spots – more low than high – you’ll spy tiny doors made for the gnomes. Seek out these gateways (but don’t try to enter!) as they may not like you in their homes. 
• Swans are plenty in Bruges city. Find three of different forms: 1) Real and live. 2) Sweet and small. 3) Statuesque.
  XP – if your live swan is photographed while on a canal cruise. 
• Signature local foods are all of the goods … try at least one Flanders dish. XP if you do so in the Frites museum. 
• From the west to the east, lions are beasts – but whoever knew they could be blue, and carry a cross in their feets? 
• Churches and cathedrals rise high above the town, but for one of the more interesting ones you may want to look down. Find the ruins of a 950 AD church in the basement of a hotel. 
• Seek out – according to your tastes – a museum that highlights treasures of this place. Take your pick from torture, beer, chocolate, art, or diamonds … or another of your choice.
  XP – Pop into the museum and make the rounds.

Not so foreign lands: First impressions of Erfurt (Guest Post)

The post below was written by Christiana Robey, one of our five West Virginia University Communication Studies students attending SPICE 2019. 

Erfurt, DE -- When I stepped off the plane in Frankfurt I had very few expectations because I hoped to go into this experience completely open minded. However, the first bit of culture shock I received was in the form of traffic. The roadways seemed convoluted and the drivers, both in cars around us and my bus driver, seemed to maneuver expertly around other cars, people, and bikes.

After arriving in Erfurt however, it was a breath of fresh air to find that the Erfurt students were very similar to our American group both in dress and mannerism. The tram ride towards the apartment was packed with so many different types of people from little children to the elderly and the all existing together in the seemingly peaceful harmony amidst the din of the city.

While the apartment was very basic and like ones in the US, my first underlying bias occurred when entering the grocery store close to the apartment where I expected to find a variety of foreign items, but instead I found myself easily filling my basket with items similar if not better quality than what I eat at home.

One of the biggest cultural differences I have noted in my time here is related to volume. As I already said the train and tram rides are quiet if not silent despite being regularly packed tightly with people. Restaurants, even when seated outside, remain almost muted in comparison to the clamorous crowds in the United States. Our small group has, on numerous occasions, received a disdainful stare or a not so gentle reminder that we are boisterous strangers out of place in the quiet swells of Erfurt.

Despite this many if not most people here in Erfurt are kind and will switch to English and try to communicate with our groups, especially if we look confused. Even when the language barrier remains a separation they will gesture or on occasion some shop clerks will use their hands to show prices. I read in a post from a previous SPICE participant that said Erfurt felt like their home away from home, and the longer I stay here the more I start to agree.

We're booked! Information for Bruges travel

Erfurt, DE -- Morning, folks! While you're scattered to the corners of Germany (some south, and some east), I'm manning the fort here in Erfurt, at perhaps the best local breakfast house in the city. A quick update that as we prepare for Bruges, we've got an outline for our travel day, below:

• 07.30: Meet at Erfurt Hauptbahnhof
• 07.51: Board ICE 1638, bound for Frankfurt Main Hauptbahnhof. The group has reservations in Wagen 35, Sitzplatzen 44, 46, 48, 53, 55, and 57.
• 09.56: Arrive at Frankfurt Main Hauptbahnhof
• 10.29: Board ICE 16, bound for Brussells Midi/Zuid; this is the main station in Brussels. The five students have a salon reserved in Wagen 27, Sitzplatzen 91, 92, 93, 95, and 96. Dr. Bowman's seats are reserved for Wagen 21, Sitzplatz 58.
• 13.26: Arrive in Brussels Nord, Platform 4
• 13.40: Board IC 1535 bound for Blankenberge, from Platform 9 at Brussels Nord
• 14.51: Arrive in Bruges, and make our way to the hotels. Students are staying at the Hotel Koffieboontje; Dr. Bowman is staying at the Huyze de Maine.
• 17.00: Meet in the Brugge Grotemarkt (the market square, in the center of the city), and make our way to the evening class at 't Poatersgat (see map at the end of this post)

The Bruges Belfort (left) is the main character in one of Colin Farrell's earlier movie roles, for the film, In Bruges. 

For this week, be sure to have completed the following assignments: 

• Have completed your communication accommodation theory write-up, to your individual Google Docs. This should be completed before boarding the train that morning, as I will be using the train itself to grade these posts. 
• Have completed the readings for face negotiation theory (the assigned readings for this week). 
• Get some sleep, so that you can enjoy the trip. =) 

 

Face Negotiation Theory

Erfurt, DE -- Whenever one encounters a new culture, one of the things that they will notice rather quickly is the emergence of conflict. Commonly when traveling for example, foreigners will unknowingly violate social norms of behavior that might lead to embarrassing situations (Students: Can you think of any social norms that you've violated in Germany already?) while their hosts are left in a quandary - upholding their own cultural norms while still attempting to help the naive traveler save face so they are comfortable in the new environment. This is a coarse example, but it is the core of Face Negotiation Theory.

Developed by Stella Ting-Toomey, the theory "explains the culture-based and situational factors that shape communicators' tendencies in approaching and managing conflicts." When we say we are negotiating face, we mean to suggest that we are trying to balance the way in which others see us as well as the manner in which we behave in response to how we see others. Understood this way, we can break down different types of face that Ting-Toomey labels (a) self-face concern, or the protective concern for one's own identity image when one's own face is threatened, (b) other-face concern, or the concern for accommodating the other conflict party's identity image, and (c) mutual-face concern, or the concern for both parties' identity image.

Not exactly...but good try, Dustin! 

The theory argues that different individuals - and really, different cultures - place differential weights on self-, other-, or mutual-face concerns, and these sensitivities can have dire influences on the interpersonal communication process. For example, Oetzel and Ting-Toomey (2003) find that comparing individualistic and collectivistic cultures revealed stark differences in face sensitivity, with more collectivist cultures such as China engaging on more other-face concern and vice versa. Applying this more to our SPICE program, the same study even found some differences between Germany and other countries, with Germans reporting more direct-confrontational facework strategies (i.e., showing little other-face concern) overall. Of course it is the case that other individual and situational factors can play a role in this process (STUDENTS: Can you think of some of these?) but there is no doubt that one's cultural identity plays a major role in the relative important they place on self-, other-, or mutual-face. 

I can think of an example of this process playing itself out a few days ago, when I was paying for drinks in a German bar. It is common knowledge (at least, I found out later) that in Germany, tips left for drink service are usually much smaller - sometimes no more than €1 or 2 at most. This is because unlike in the US, German bartenders and waiters are paid a 'normal' wage and thus do not rely on tips for their salary (for those who don't know, most US service staff are paid about 1/2 of minimum wage with the assumption that they will make the remainder of their wages of tips). Yet in the US it is a self-face maintenance behavior to leave a decent-to-large tip particularly on a date or with friends, perhaps because we want to appear to be generous. So despite my knowledge of the German customs associated with tipping, I left a bartender a €4,80 top for a €15,20 drink bill (for the record, three glasses of riesling, a delicious German variant of weisswein indeed!) in an effort to present a positive self-face. However, the move could have been easily viewed as a threat to the bartender's face (other-face) as it might have suggested that I felt he was in need of the money; in fact, it could have possibly been seen as a negative self-face move as I might have appeared to my friends (and really, others in the bar) as arrogant.

Want to read more about Face Negotiation Theory? Below is a reference theoretical overview from the SAGE Reference (and a source of much of this posting).

• Oetzel, J., & Ting-Toomey, S. (2003). Face concerns in interpersonal conflict: A cross-cultural empirical testof the face negotiation theory. Communication Research, 30(6), 599-624. doi: 10.1177/0093650203257841
• Ting-Toomey, S. (2009). Face negotiation theory. Encyclopedia of Communication Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. 371-375. (NOTE: You'll need to scroll down to page 371 for this one!)

I forgot the "Interpersonal Interactions" assignment ... d'oh!

Erfurt, DE -- Whelp ... this morning, I realized that I never did discuss your "buffer" assignment, listed in the syllabus as the Interpersonal Interactions assignment. For this reason, I will not require our students to submit a post for that one. However, I will award bonus points to students who complete the assignment and likewise, I'll share the best post to our larger blogging audience. Safe travels this week. =)

This weekend? Kraemerbrueckenfest 2019

Erfurt, DE -- Happening in Erfurt this weekend is one of the largest festivals that the town celebrates: The Kraemerbrueckenfest. The festival is a celebration of the Kraemerbruecke, one of the oldest "residential bridges" in Europe. The name translates loosely to "Merchant's Bridge" and has stood for nearly 800 years. There is a fantastic entry on the bridge via Wikipedia, for some more context around it's cultural and historical importance to the city.

The festival itself is a collection of food, music, and other celebrations of Medieval times, which is very appropriate for Erfurt's architecture. You'll find massive parties and a festival atmosphere at the Domplatz and the Kraemerbruecke itself, and this is a great chance to try new foods and drinks, as well as grab unique German souvenirs. This weekend, make sure to give yourself some time to visit the festival. Los jetzt!

Panoramic view of the Krämerbrücke, North face. Image credit: Wikipedia / simon tunstall