Course Description
Factors that facilitate or impede effective communication between members of different cultural groups. Considers interactions between people from different nations as well as co-cultures within the same nation. Effects of differing world views, value systems, language varieties, nonverbal codes, and relational norms. Skills for disseminating ideas across cultures and for building intercultural competence.
Athena Title
Intercultural Communication
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in COMM 4800E
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The purpose of the course is to enhance students’ understanding of intercultural communication and its utility to impact individuals and societies. The population of the United States has become increasingly diverse, as the world has become increasingly interconnected. It is important to understand how an individual’s background, worldview, and value systems affect his/her capacity to communicate effectively with people from other cultures. Students in this class will embark on a journey of change from the inside out. First, by understanding their own potential biases and apprehension, challenging themselves to become more open, and improving skills as communicators with diverse populations. Then, they will attempt to use the theories they have learned to develop ideas and strategies of how to impact the world around them.
Topical Outline
Week 1: What is Intercultural Communication? Week 2: Cultural Variability: Individualism and Collectivism Week 3: Cultural Variability 2 Week 4: Cultural Variability 3: Ethics Week 5: The Self Across Cultures Week 6: Language: High/Low Context Week 7: Language II Week 8: Nonverbal Functions and Patterns Week 9: Nonverbal II: Time, Space and Synchrony Week 10: Adaptation: Short term and Sojourner Week 11: Adaptation and Assimilation II: Immigrants Week 12: Social Identity and Attribution Theories Week 13: Ethnocentrism Week 14: Intercultural vs. Intra-cultural Conflict Week 15: Group Presentations Week 16: Group Presentations Finals week: Final Exam
Syllabus