Culture Shock!

Germany
Awesome PP Presentation by
Alan Itkin

Table of Contents

First Impressions
German History
German Characteristics
The German Landscape
Fitting Into Germany
Settling In
Experiencing German Society
Food and Entertaining
Enjoying Germany
Doing Business in Germany
D.I.Y. Germany

Extras

Culture Quiz
Dos and Donts Appendix
Resource Guide
Further Reading
Map
Index

Introduction

The story of the three blind men and the elephant.

No one can fully experience and describe all of it, not even
someone who had spent his or her whole life here (6).
Ive tried to incorporate all of these perspectives into the overall
view presented here, even when they were in some cases wildly
contradictory (7).
But then, German society itself is wildly contradictory in so
many ways (7).
I admit that even after youve travelled through this whole book,
you still wont know every inch of the elephant, but at least youll
have a good idea of what kind of beast this elephant is, and how
you might begin to deal with it (7).

Tone & Style

Informal
Conversational
Anecdotal
Avuncular
Straightforward

Chapter 1: First Impressions

A quote from one world-weary American visitor: I was pretty

much used to the fact that in todays world, every place looks
like every place else. But Germany looks more like every place
else than any place else (12).
Dispelling myths, Lederhosen, etc.
I can count on the fingers of one hand all foreign residents of
Germany who came here and then fell in love with the country
or its people (as opposed to some of its people). But they did
fall into a sense of satisfaction (15).

Chapter 3: German Characteristics

Skipping Chapter 2: History.

History plays a role in the development of all nations but in
Germany it casts a particularly long and heavy areas (39).
What are Germans like?
Germans are not risk takers and they insist on having things
reasonably under control-- and what the Germans see as
reasonable, others might well consider irrational (40).
Other headings under Values in this chapter: Neither
Borrowers nor Lenders, Home and Hearth, Concern for the
Environment, Compartmentalisation, Keep it Where it Belongs,
The Importance of Planning, Frankness to a Fault, Arrogance,
Theres Always Room for Gloom, etc.

Other Chapters
Chapter 4: The German Landscape
Exploring regional differences in geography
and culture.

Chapter 5: Fitting into Germany

Immigration, ethnic communities,
multiculturalism, xenophobia.
Practical advice for integrating into German
culture: Aufenthaltserlaubnis, etc.

Other Chapters
Chapter 6: Settling In
Practical advice for living in Germany:
housing, banking, shopping, health,
transportation, etc.

Chapter 7: Experiencing German

Society
Advice for acclimating oneself to German
culture: humor, public vs. private, etc.

Other Chapter
Chapter 8: Food and Entertaining
Gross!

Chapter 9: Enjoying Germany

Leisure time activities: Holidays, the
Kneipen culture, Strassenfeste, the media,
the arts.

Other Chapters
Chapter 10: Learning the Language
Chapter 11: Doing Business in
Germany
Chapter 12: D.I.Y Germany
Miscellaneous cultural info: names to drop
in conversation, etc.

Conclusion
Culture Shock! Germany is a decent,
practical, friendly guide, that does not
pretend to be definitive, but approaches
German culture from the perspective of
a non-native (Richard Lord), with plenty
of anecdotes and advice gleaned from
the experiences of other outsiders who
acclimated themselves to German
culture.