Research Paper

Park University
CA104/Interpersonal Communications

German
Interviewee- Corrina Knipping
Corrina Knipping born and raised in Germany. She lived here in El Paso for few years as a foreign exchange student, doing a part of her college here as a student. She left back to Germany last year and is planning on coming back to America once she is done with her studies over seas. We had an interview over Skype and messenger. Asking her a few question and squeezing as much info from the little time she had. I asked her about what she thought the views for American marriage, wedding traditions, and her cultures views where on media. I also asked her what her cultures morals and ethics on commitment where. She got into some religion and compared American to German beliefs. I also asked her about why she was in Panama doing civil service for a year, called Social Year. Germany in my opinion is more culturally and open minded than Americans or America ever will be.
Marriage
Marriage was the first topic and question I asked Corrina about. Starting with, what she thought American marriage was to her, saying that she thought Americans didn’t value the seriousness of marriage or took it to serious. Thinking humorously, because she told me that Marriage was viewed in Germany more liberal and open. Liberal as in people dont require to be married or an ultimate necessity. Pointing out that she has friends who’s parents got married after years and after they where 13-14 years of age. Opening the facts about marriage German people believe that there shouldn’t be a commitment if it is not chosen to be. So they can live together and do everything raise children but the ultimate goal of being married isn’t there its by choice. One thing that caught my attention was the fact that she through out sex. She explained that some Americans due to religion they stop couples from having sex before marriage. I told her that depending on the family, but she brought up a good point because she said that in Germany a couple is encouraged to have sex before marriage. Explaining to me that if American Culture would encourage sexual intercourse before marriage the chances and percentages of a divorce rates happening would lower in her opinion. Family violence and family arguments would be less also she pointed out. She also pointed out that a traditional wedding in America was a lot different than a traditional wedding in Germany. In America couples prefer to get married in June, but in Germany the preferred month for marriage is May. Americans have a tradition to wear bride and groom engagement rings, and after they wear wedding rings on their left hand ring finger the woman, having a big shiny diamond and the man usually a little round wedding band. In German traditions the wedding rings are called Eheringe (wedding rings). During the engagement period both the bride and groom wear a ring on their left hand, then after the wedding they wear the Eheringe on their right hand. Usually the rings are gold with no diamonds. The attire for usual wedding in America for woman is a huge white dress and a long train following her wedding dress. For a male usually wear a white or black tuxedo. German woman wear a shot train or no train attached to their wedding dress, their veils aren’t worn on their face but worn on fingertips, or are often replaced by flowery headbands with ribbons. A male German usually wears a black suite and a dinner jacket. The Actual wedding ceremony for germans is called Die Standesamtliche, before church the bride and groom will be married by the town hall, a witness is needed, traditional like an American court marriage. The church wedding which is called Die Kirche-Hochzeit, the couple will enter the church and walk down the aisle and get the ceremony, it isn’t legal to marry only by church just like in the U.S. Also in German weddings dont require bride’s maids or groomsmen or flowers girls ring boys. Other German