Bridges between cultures - Can foreign language radio programmes enhance integration? (E-Book, PDF)

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 enhancingintegration or slowing it down. While the guest workers programmes werenecessary to help foreigners who did not speak any German, foreign mediatoday might create ghettos and decrease the need to learn German a basicasset for integration. Part A of the essay will closely analyse the theoretical research that has beendone on society as a whole. Systems theory will give an explanation for theway societies work (chapter 1). As a next step, the building and existence ofidentity will be looked at. After the difference between personal and collectiveidentities has been pointed out in chapter 2.1, national identity as a certainform of collective identity and especially its creation will be analysed further(2.2). The last section of the theoretical part will explain the process ofintegration (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 formerguest workers in Germany and the impact foreign language radio broadcastinghad on it. After giving a short history of labour immigration in the FederalRepublic of Germany (4.1), the changing policy of the German governmentstowards foreigners in the country will be adumbrated(4.2). The currentsituation of foreigners in Germany will give a hint to the answer of thequestion whether integration has been completed or not (chapter 5). Chapter 6of the essay deals with the function foreign language radio programmes had inthe past and have nowadays (6.1) and gives examples for two different kindsof immigrant radio in Berlin (6.2). The conclusion at the end of the essay will answer the question whether amedia market with a choice of broadcasts in immigrant mother tongues canenhance their integration or whether it is obstructing it.