Kultur 11

I think that it was easier for me to relate to the East and West German tension coming from Korea where a country is still divided. I think that despite being a single country just divided by a borderline, the two Koreas are very different just as East and West Germany were as well in language, in culture, and in ideas and values as well. I was surprised that 10% of Germans wanted the wall to rebuilt because that's such a high number and that there is this sort of "Mauer im Kopf" attitude but now that I think about it, I think that those 10% are probably made up by the older generation rather than the young and those people that are close minded and advocate change. I'm sure that it was advantageous to some when the wall was torn down and disadvantageous to others under the same scenario. I believe that stereotype plays a huge role in the way people think about each other and this isn't just a problem in Germany but a global issue. If these stereotypes were unacknowledged (even if they were true) and people overlooked past the stereotypes, then people could be more open minded and adapt to change easily. I get that some stereotypes are positive but to be honest, most stereotypes are negative and people judge each other based on these things rather than knowing about each other in person. As soon as they categorize someone based on their negative stereotypes, they often shut doors and "build walls" in their heads towards someone else. I think that this also relates to the article between the Northerners and the Southerners and their divide based on prejudice. I understand that prejudice is created by society and probably will always remain but I think that limiting someone's ability and personality in one's head through any sort of stereotypes is unjust and not fair. I understand that people often say that stereotypes exist for a reason but I think that because people tend to acknowledge and judge others on these stereotypes, they're passed on from generations to generations and society holds these prejudices so firm in this world that often people are unable to escape these prejudices. Because this is what is expected of them because they are known for nothing else.