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Alexander Hasgall

Monday, 02 January 2012 22:53

Notions of the German

One of the characteristics of the German language is its ability to string together substantives. Terms such as kindergarten, mittelstand or leitmotif have even found their way into the English language. For the last couple of years, another German substantive is dominating current social and political life - the so-called "Integrationsdebatte” (debate on integration).

Integrationsdebatte characterizes the discussions about how to deal with the Muslim minority in Germany. However, as with many such neologisms, it remains unclear what the meaning really is. Is the Integrationsdebatte a debate about how a globalized society should adequately deal with immigration? Or rather, is the Integrationsdebatte the discussion of how to defend a hegemonic perception of Germany toward immigrants with different cultural backgrounds?

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