Accessing contemporary German culture through the lens of examining Chancellor Angela Merkel’s tenure as the head of the German government, this course will survey, contextualize and analyze some of the most important social and cultural phenomena and shifts over the past 20 years. Questions of gender equity, German national identity, and the significance of the German social market economy will be contextualized within Germany’s rich post World War II history and its connection to the USA. Students will sharpen their trans- and intercultural comparative and interpretive skills and will be able to analyze German cultural practices and products in depth at the end of this course.