Berlin Proposal

After walking down American streets a countless number of times without once having my smile acknowledged, I can’t help but wonder what hardens locals against strangers. Is it the fear of the unknown, or something deeper? More specifically, are people too lazy to acknowledge others? Could it be that smiling at a stranger on the street, waving to a vagrant, or even brushing against someone else affects a person negatively because it acknolwdges the other’s existence? Are we so selfish that we prefer to exist in our tiny bubbles, believing that at least in our worlds, we’re the most important?

            Clearly these, among other questions, will be difficult to answer, but exciting to explore. In Berlin, I seek to answer these questions: What cultural differences cause the issue of personal space to be different in America vs. Germany? How do citizens of each react to invasion of this space? Is the difference really that perceptible, or are people generally the same?

            To answer these from a scientific and objective perspective, I have conducted research here, including observing and interacting with others,  which I have recorded in a research journal. Upon arrival in Berlin, I plan to compare my results in order to come upon an accurate or at least logical conclusion. Yes, I may discover that human inter-action isn’t logical, but to me, that is an extremely significant discovery. Perhaps I will find that humans are too different to be sloughed into little masses of culture, and because of their uniqueness can not be classified. More interestingly, I may find that intrinsically, we are all the same. 

Abstract

Studies of prostitution, personal space, social interactions, and athletic inclusion regarding gender and religion come together to create an umbrella theme of Social Borders in Berlin. These social borders, exhibited through very different studies, which use very different methods, are generally lines that Berliners encounter and interact with in their lives. Studying them will attempt to further understand why they exist, how they compare with their American counterparts (do they even have American counterparts), how those who see and experience them feel about the existence of the borders, and whether or not these walls should remain standing.

Questions ask, more precisely: what cultural differences cause the border to exist? How do citizens react to the border? What are the “rules” that dictate the border? How many people does this border affect or influence? (Further, what is this border’s affect on cultural identity?) What are the implications of this border? Are insiders aware of this border? How do outsiders view the border? Focusing on and personalizing these questions will drive the research.

Each of these topics is very site-specific. An important part of the research will be attempting to experience these borders on-site and interacting with the people that the border directly includes (speaking with prostitutes, bumping into people, sitting in market places, and playing soccer, respectively). The concept here is that experiencing (directly and indirectly) the border itself and interjecting oneself into the social division being researched will promote more insight, understanding, and, frankly, more questions. Specifically, as each research topic in this “Social Borders” group deals overtly with society and social interactions, projects will all become clearer once that social (on-site) wall is confronted.