Berlin, GE

 

 

The Human Medium: Identity in Film, Fashion, and Theater

 

Abstract:

         

As a group, we have chosen to examine the use of various mediums as a means of identity expression and self-advocacy, as well as how these artistic and often personal choices impact outside perceptions of certain groups. Focusing on personal choices, Hannah will be researching how people use clothing as a form of expression and how society perceives them as a result of these decisions. Mira will be exploring how various minorities are portrayed in films and how German-produced films and those produced by the groups of interest may differ in their portrayals of the minority group. Roujia and Kendra will both be exploring German theater, examining the different aspects of social change that can be achieved through live performance. Roujia will be examining how ethnic minorities use stage performance as a means for social inclusion by the majority, while Kendra will be looking at how marginalized groups use theater arts to advocate for equal rights and opportunities in their own communities. In totality, our research will focus on how judgments based on appearance can affect daily interactions and how these judgments are either perpetrated or broken down through the human mediums of fashion, film, and theater.

 

Background:

 

Identity most visibly manifests itself in the choices that people make in their own presentation. Our group -- which was loosely titled “Performance” -- chose to extend this concept of identification to include the artistic choices involved in film, fashion, and theater. In synthesizing the different arts we chose to investigate identity with, we arrived at the broader concept of a “human medium,” that guides both the formation and perceptions of identity. Unlike music or visual arts such as painting or drawing, artists don’t require tools or years of practice. An artform that uses the human body as a medium makes these forms of expression more accessible to individuals from a variety of backgrounds where the tools for other arts may not have been available to them. The accessibility of these forms of expression places them among the easiest ways to share the unique experiences of individuals and come to significant understandings about the different identities they are rooted in.

 

Hannah’s Section:

 

Fashion is truly a human medium.  It is created by, chosen, worn and interpreted by people.  It is not only an expression of the artist that originally created it, but also the model that chooses to wear it and the manner in which they chose to do so.  To many the artistry of clothing seems trivial and pointless, but clothing and fashion represent a billion dollar, global enterprise that employs millions of people with countless professional aspirations.  The influence of fashion is not to be overlooked.

Like film and theatre, fashion is form of expression.  Expression that can be used for social activism, oppression through stereotyping or self-identification.  There is really no limit to what fashion can be used for or how it can be perceived.  This makes fashion a very powerful tool and is the reason why it is so important to the social structure of a community or country.  Common attitudes towards clothing create social narratives that can be hard to change or most past.  These attitudes also give people to portray themselves in a more favorable manner, conversely it can cause people to give off an impression that they may not have intended or that may not apply to them.  This can cause misinterpretations or representations of identity, which perpetuates stereotypes and a leads to a lack of social progress.         

   

Mira’s section:

 

Film is a form of self-expression that not only conveys the beliefs and attitudes of the creators, but has the potential to influence those of the audience. In this way, it is an incredibly important medium when it comes to the separation of "others" in society. Through the lens of the filmmaker, society can either be broken up into it's pieces or seen as a whole. It is my aim to look at the portrayal of immigrants in German cinema, in films produced by mainstream production companies and those produced by the demographic in question. The treatment of this often marginalized group in fictional narratives speaks volumes about the larger perceptions of their role in society, and to what prejudices come attached to this identity. The other side of film as a medium for immigrant stories are those told by the immigrants themselves. These works represent a view of the larger German society as the "other," as opposed to identifying the minority group as the "different" factor. The accessibility of film has incredible consequence in the spreading of the stereotypes or understandings it perpetuates. Thus, looking at the messages being broadcast by an entire industry is necessary in order to understand the national climate for immigrants in Germany.

 

Kendra’s Section:

 

Stereotyping is a way in which people can group like-individuals in order to make quick decisions on how to interact with that type of person.  When referring to a group it is much easier to make broad assumptions and generalizations, however this means that when a person is associated with a particular stereotype they are labeled with generalized characteristics of the group and their individual identity is lost.  In this way, stereotyping can be correlated to a form of oppression in which a person who stereotypes is dehumanizing an individual by classifying them as a generalized group instead of a unique person. Through theater, individuals are able to tell their story and share their internal narrative with others.  This internal narrative gives the artist’s audience a snapshot of the artist’s identity and is a way for them to express the trials and triumphs they have faced as a fellow human. This makes theater a wonderful way for individuals who are underrepresented to not only express themselves and share their story, but to explain to their audience why they are equal as humans.  In this way, theater becomes a powerful method for minority groups to advocate for equal representation and opportunities in their communities.

 

Rouja’s Section:

 

Ethnic minorities are still treated as “invisible”, isolated from the major society. People are taking actions to overcome such exclusion, both white German and non-white German. Artists or students from minorities groups in Germany lead an immigrant vanguard in seeking more social inclusion by the society. The idea behind this is a different type of social activism, also called creative activism. Young German students direct musicals “Yes We Can” and “Wedding on the Street” to examine racial issues in Germany. Director of Maxim Gorki “made a nexus for plays tackling issues like immigration, race and assimilation” in their theater so that they move daily life of ethnic minorities to a public stage. They used stage performance, a form of “human medium”, as their pathway to share their perspectives. They are seeking an echo not only among the minority group, but also in the entire society. Those efforts in self-expression of ethnic minorities and promoting creative activism are worth to gain much more insights about them.

 

Question:

 

How do marginalized groups use theater as a means to advocate for equal rights and opportunities in Germany?

 

In September of 2013, Today’s Zamman -- a popular English-only Turkish Newspaper -- published an article titled, “Discrimination, racism remain problems in Germany”.  This article goes on to discuss how discrimination, racism, and islamophobia have become systemic in the German society (Akarcesme, 2013).  During the elections in 2013, the National Democratic Party, known to be ultranationalist, mailed letters to candidates with immigrant backgrounds explaining why they should leave Germany (Akarcesme, 2013). Attached to each of the letters was a one-way plane ticket for the candidate to go back to their country of origin (Akarcesme, 2013).  Although this is an extreme example of the discrimination that immigrant citizens of Germany face, there is substantial proof that racism and discrimination impacts the everyday life of citizens who don’t ‘look’ German.  In a study produced by Germany’s Konstanz University, a person with a more Turkish sounding name was 25% more likely to be rejected for a job than a person with a German sounding name, even though the rest of the resumé was entirely identical (Kiesel, 2011). In addition to racial discrimination, there is also discrimination towards the LGBTQ communities, discriminations between men and women in the workforce, and discrimination towards religious minorities. The issues of discrimination towards race, class, gender, and religion is not only unique to Germany though. Discrimination is an issue in every culture of the world, and by studying ways in which people choose to combat everyday discriminations perhaps we can come to a conclusion of how marginalized groups can obtain equal opportunities in their communities.

 

One of the largest minority groups in Germany are the Turkish immigrants or German citizens of Turkish decent. In 1961, the Chancellor of Germany signed a labor recruitment agreement with Turkey due to a boom in demand for labor in East Germany at the time (Bartsch, Brandt, Steinvorth, 2010). By 1969 a million Turkish guest workers had entered into Germany to work in assembly lines and other semi- or unskilled labor. The foreign workers were originally not supposed to stay any longer than two years, but the pressure from the German industry caused the clause that enforced the two-year stay to be removed. The Turks were also reluctant to return to Turkey because of financial instability and political uncertainty in their home country. The Turkish guest workers all lived in apartments or neighborhoods together and integration of Turkish guest workers into German society, though tolerated, was not endorsed by German politicians.  Thus when an economic crisis occurred in 1973, the guest workers were no longer seen as a glorious force of cheap labor, but as a burden to German society that should be encouraged to return home. In addition the children of the guest-workers-turned-immigrants, were discouraged from an “unconditional integration into the German school system”, and were forced to take supplementary lessons in Turkish, so that the children would be able to integrate back into Turkish society.  The result is instead a generation of children who are not literate in either German or Turkish and have helped foster the stereotype that Turks are uneducated and unsophisticated.

 

As humans we make quick judgements of people based on their appearance and attempt to categorize or generalize people into groups to help organize and process information (McLeod, 2008).  In other words, we stereotype people so that we can make decisions on how to interact with that person. Frequently though, the stereotypes that we have created for groups of people based on their appearance are derogatory and can lead to the majority populous discriminating against these minority groups.  In order to cope with the judgements of the majority, these marginalized groups form a community in which they can freely express themselves without discrimination.  These groups sometimes integrate into the community and become a part of the cultural identity of their city or nation, but in other cases these groups continue to isolate themselves from the majority population and compound the separation of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’.  The farther that these groups are separated from the majority community, the less of a voice that they have and the more marginalized they become.  The more marginalized a group is the harder it is for them to become integrated into a community both socially and economically. Ethnic minorities have a particularly difficult time attempting to overcome social exclusion, obtain a job, or even gain citizenship.  Through theater minority groups are able to become part of a community while sharing their stories and educating society about why changes need to be made.  

               

The Maxim Gorki Theater is a theater in Mitte district of Berlin that has become well known for producing and performing plays that target issues such as immigration, race, and assimilation (Langhoff, Hillje, 2015).  The new director of the Maxim Gorki Theater, Shermin Langhoff, has made it clear that the theater is meant “for the whole city, and that includes everyone who has arrived in the city in the last few decades, whether in search of asylum, whether in exile, whether they be immigrants or simply people who grew up in Berlin”. The purpose of the productions that are put on by the theater is to contribute to the conversation about the human condition, our conflict with identity, and how to live together in today’s diverse culture.  Although the productions by the Maxim Gorki Theater are less targeted towards any political agenda for equality, they do promote a platform for integration of German minorities. This Theater will be a major aspect of my research, though I hope to observe and contact other minority theater groups in Berlin that have a similar purpose to that of the Maxim Gorki Theater.

 

Cultural Sensitivity:

 

 I will be approaching this research as an American who is of the ethnic majority in my own hometown and I need to remember to be open minded and respectful of people’s stories if they choose to share their personal experiences with me.  I will also be a foreigner in Germany and will be conducting research in a new context which means I will have to be mindful of cultural differences in opinions towards race, class, and gender.  Since I will be interviewing minority groups and their feelings on discrimination I will have to be respectful if people don’t wish to tell me about their experiences. 

 

As a student at the University of Washington I am a part of an enormous and diverse student body.  All around campus there are minority groups trying to raise awareness through fundraisers, performances, pieces of artwork, even picketing in red square. Minority groups at the University of Washington have found many ways to make their opinions heard and I feel like this is a unique characteristic of UW. Theater is one of many ways in which a minority group can advocate for equal rights and opportunities, I am just choosing one avenue that I find particularly interesting as a form of activism. In order to have a understand how minority groups are advocating for themselves in either the United States or Germany I would have to consider many more forms of activism.

 

Daily Schedule:

 

While I am in Germany I hope to contact and see performances by a few minority theater groups that I have researched so far.  These theater groups include; Refugee Club Impulse, which aims to connect foreigners and citizens, a program called “Gender & I” being put on by the Beethoven School and the Youth Theater office at Gorki Theater on June 24th, and a performance by the Theater Ballhaus Naunystrasse on June 27. I would also like to attend the Christopher Day Festival, which is the Pride Festival of Berlin on June 27th to observe how the LGBTQ community is perceived by the German public.  In addition to the events I am already planning to attend I will use the events calendar on Exberliner to keep up with any other opportunities for me to observe theater or stage art while I am in Berlin.

 

References:

 

Akarcesme, Sevgi. "Discrimination, Racism Remain Problems in Germany." TodaysZaman. N.p., 22 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 June 2015.

Bartsch, Matthais, Andrea Brandt, and Daniel Steinvorth. "Turkish Immigration to Germany: A Sorry History of Self-Deception and Wasted Opportunities - SPIEGEL ONLINE." SPIEGEL ONLINE. N.p., 7 Sept. 2010. Web. 03 June 2015.

Exberliner. "Going Out." Going out in Berlin. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2015.

"JUGENDTHEATERBÜRO BERLIN." GrenzenLos. N.p., 2015. Web. 03 June 2015.

Kiesel, Heiner. "Day-to-day Business of Racial Discrimination in Germany | Destination Europe | DW.DE | 29.12.2011." DW.DE. Ed. Sean Sinico. N.p., 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 03 June 2015.

Langhoff, Shermin, and Jens Hillje. "The Theater." Gorki.de. N.p., 2015. Web. 3 June 2015.

McLeod, Saul. "Stereotypes | Simply Psychology." Stereotypes | Simply Psychology. Simply Psychology, 2008. Web. 03 June 2015.

Vonarburg, Isa. "About Impulse." Impulseprojekt. N.p., 2015. Web. 03 June 2015.