Becoming One Nation: Explorations into Language Use and Identity Formationof Germany?s Post- and Pre-unification Generations

Many scholars have discussed the ways in which formerEast andWest Germany are not reuniting, but how the wall inpeople's mindsremains while the remnants of the actual wall havelong beendestroyed. The author of this book thus approachesthe question ofGermany's unity by looking at its future - thechildren that wereborn post Germany's reunification.Through a discourse analyses in 10th grade historyclassrooms offormer East and West Berlin high schools, this bookaddressesmatters of national identity and unity from a linguisticanthropological standpoint. Based on Michael Billig'stheory thatnational identities are inculcated through every-daybanalinteractions, student-teacher communication isexamined throughthe lenses of language socialization and languageideology. Here,the speakers' use of pronouns and greeting practicesand thejuxtaposition of the local Berlin dialect to theGerman standardlanguage are analyzed in their power to create ashared nationalidentity.This book gives new insights to anyone interested inGermany'sreunification process from a micro-analytical, bottom-upperspective.