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LaissezFair: A Case for Greening the Business German Curriculum
Author(s) -
Gonglewski Margaret,
Helm Anna
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
die unterrichtspraxis/teaching german
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1756-1221
pISSN - 0042-062X
DOI - 10.1111/tger.10141
Subject(s) - german , sustainability , context (archaeology) , variety (cybernetics) , curriculum , business , introspection , public relations , marketing , sociology , political science , pedagogy , psychology , computer science , linguistics , history , philosophy , archaeology , artificial intelligence , biology , cognitive psychology , ecology
An effective way to teach about sustainability and environmentally conscious practices in German language, literature, and culture programs is within the context of a business German course. In this article we first situate educational sustainability in the US, leading into an examination of why the context of German business can be particularly productive for teaching sustainability along with aspects of recent and current German history and culture. We then present a unit focused on “green” business, starting with a general introduction to the topic and migrating into the specific area of Öko‐Mode : organic, fair‐trade clothing. The “green business unit” described here culminates in a business case as classroom task, featuring a small German eco‐fashion company called LaissezFair. The unit further engages students through the use of a variety of media for comprehension and introspection and critical reflection of their behavior as environmentally conscious consumers in our globalized society.