January 1, 1999 - "Citizens of the World" Marx and Engels pioneered modern advertising by concluding the "Manifesto of the Communist Party" with the resounding slogan: "WORKINGMEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!" Today the slogan in much of Western Europe–particularly in Germany–might read: "CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!"
The emergence of this universalistic worldview expresses the desire of some people in Germany to jettison the negative aspects of their history and to use the advent of the European Union and globalization to reinvent German culture and society. For example, many young Germans are eager to embrace English or a combination of German and English, dubbed "Denglisch" (the "D" comes from "deutsch," the German word for "German"), which reflects their desire to emulate American values and behavior (New York Times, December 6, 1998).
But other people in Germany view all this is as unnecessary revisionism. To them the alterations of the language are offensive and the idea that modern Germany has something to apologize for makes no sense. Moreover, they argue, its citizens embody values that have created and sustained high levels of economic activity because of the high quality of their work and the efficiency of German industry. If anything, the creation of a unified Europe and indiscriminant borrowing of ideas and language from other cultures could adversely affect Germany.
Web Exercise
In this exercise you will explore recent developments in Western Europe and how they are influencing national culture, values, and attitudes toward work.
This site–What is the European Union?–is an introduction to the 15 member states of the European Union.
2. http://www.eurunion.org/infores/resguide.htm
This site provides detailed information on most aspects of the European Union, including its legal framework.
This site looks at European business and provides comprehensive coverage of current events in European business and their implications for the European Union.
4. http://www.eurunion.org/legislat/agd2000/agd2000.htm
This is the site of the European Union in the United States and presents an agenda for the Union's relationship with the U.S. for the year 2000.
What developments do you see? Are there any trends emerging? It is useful to periodically check these sites to see if any major events are taking place. It is possible that the next six months might be a turbulent time as unanticipated issues emerge.
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