Literatur und interkulturelle Sensibilisierung: Ein psychotherapeutischer Roman im Hinblick auf Vorurteile, Stereotype und Fremdbilder in einer multikulturellen Gesellschaft

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Culture and literature have always facilitated scientific research. It has been proven that culture and literature are closely interrelated. Literary texts reflect emotions and foster creative thinking by providing new information, which makes them significant to society. The primary role of literary texts is to offer diverse perspectives to society, thus guiding its members. Coordinated use of literary texts can prevent even the most alarming issues between nations, cultures, societies, communities, and peoples. Positive attitudes in literary texts can help reduce prejudices, stereotypes, and foreign images. It is not as difficult to realize intercultural actions without arguments as previously thought. Literature is believed to be a means of promoting intercultural sensitivity. Literature can enable people to develop intercultural competence. This study explores prejudices, stereotypes, and foreign images through the literary text entitled "Ahmet-Story of a Children's Therapy". Written in 1981, this book is about the challenges faced by Ahmet, a teenage guest worker who was born in Turkey but resides with his family in Germany. The book presents the problems and experiences of Turkish guest workers and their families from the perspective of a German psychotherapist. This study employs the work-immanent interpretation method. The research design is explained by highlighting, presenting, and interpreting the data collection techniques, direct passages, and quotations from the novel. To explore the concepts of prejudice, stereotypes, and foreign images, this study presents and discusses findings as direct quotes from the book "Ahmet-Story of a Children's Therapy". The study concludes with an attempt to explain the extent to which a literary work can contribute to social and intercultural issues.