The purpose of this seminar is threefold: 1) to understand in what ways traditional folktales we tell and retell in our communities influence the way we view ourselves and others  2) to recognize how traditional master narratives with "happily ever after" endings frequently lead to the exclusion of individual identities based  on gender, ethnicity, disability, body image and socio-economic status; 3) to discover our potential to reshape those tales towards building inclusively diverse communities.

The seminar will meet two times at 90 minutes each. In this first session, we will read and watch traditional folktales and discuss their impact on cultural perceptions of "self" and "other," of "inclusion" and exclusion and their impact on our lives.

Discussion led by Nick Ostrau, German Studies.