Intercultural Communication

US International University
Linda Swanson, Ph.D.

Course Description
This course explores communication, culture, and intercultural communication. The emphasis is on promoting understanding of and appreciation for the rich and varied perspectives encountered in intercultural communication opportunities. Interdisciplinary in nature, COMM 1500 focuses on the need to develop self-understanding as a first step to intercultural understanding. It also begins the process of building competencies which may facilitate effective communication in all types of cross-cultural settings. The course is designed to take advantage of USIU's international and multi-ethnic population.

Course Rationale
Advances in mass communication and technology have contributed to a global situation in which the world appears to be shrinking, and its people must depend more and more upon each other. Indeed with changes such as the break up of the Soviet Union, new opportunities for cross-cultural interaction have been created. Also, 'an unprecedented increase in the international travel, migration, and communication through the mass media has brought people in contact with each other across languages and cultures in a variety of ways. In addition, a heightened awareness now exists of the serious environmental, technological, and moral issues that threaten not only the quality of life but the very existence of life on earth. Local issues have become global issues, and people need the communication skills to appropriately address these pressing concerns.

The need for effective intercultural communication skills among the diverse co-cultures of the United States is also critical. The challenge to develop these skills is especially significant for the citizens of California where demographic studies indicate that by the year 2002 California will be the first state in the continental United States with no racial majority. California has the opportunity and the challenge to create a truly healthy multicultural state and society. California's citizens will, however, have to become effective intercultural communicators if such a goal is to be accomplished.

This course, then, is about communication -- communication between international cultures, between co-cultures within the United States, and really between any two or more people. It grows out of the philosophy that developing better interpersonal, intercultural communication skills will profoundly benefit the five-and-a-half billion people who share this planet and who increasingly interact with each other. Further, the course is based on the philosophy of its text's authors, Samovar and Porter, who believe that "most of the obstacles to understanding can be overcome with motivation, knowledge, and appreciation of cultural diversity." The goals of this course are to supply all three through the discovery of techniques and methods that when put into practice, will lead to the intercultural synergy necessary to begin solving critical local and global problems.

Mission Outcomes, Course Objectives, and Assessment

Required Textbook

Samovar, L. & Porter, R. (1995). Communication between cultures (2nd Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Course Requirements

Attendance
This is an interactive class in which all participants will contribute to the learning/teaching process. Therefore, 100% attendance is expected, and two or more unexcused absences will negatively affect your final course grade. Please let me know In advance if you must miss a class.

Field Task Assignment
Choose one of the three possible field tasks to complete the assignment. It should be at least two pages in length, typed or word-processed, and written in paragraph form. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to gather first-hand information about a culture or co-culture other than your own primary culture. You must attend this event during this quarter. It is not acceptable to write about an event that you attended sometime in the past. This assignment is due on Tuesday, May 20 (Week Eight).

Attend some type of intercultural event which you have never before attended. It may be here on campus or out in the larger community. Write summary and evaluation of your experience by responding to the following questions.

1. Describe the event. What was the main purpose of the event? Was it enriching for the participants?
2. Was there anything controversial about this event?
3. What did you find most interesting about the event?
4. What did you learn that might be new to you?
5. What did you learn about yourself at this event?
6. Try to interview one or two other persons who attended this event and ask them what they found most interesting, what they learned, and why they chose to attend this particular event.

Field Task Choice #2: Religion

Attend the religious services of a group that is outside of your own religious experience (choose a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, for example). Observe and report the following:

A. The Congregation

1. About how many people attended the service?

2. About how many were men, women, and children?

3. Approximately what was the age distribution?

4. What type of clothing worn was worn?

5. What was the ethnic breakdown, if observable?

6. What was the relative participation of the congregation?

7. Were there any responsive readings?

8. Did everyone kneel to pray?

9. What was the general mood of the congregation?

B. The Religious Leaders (Priests, Ministers, Rabbis, Assistants)

1. Were they male or female?

2. Did they give a sermon?

3. Did they wear vestments (special robes, etc.)?

4. Did they speak directly to the congregation at all times? Did they speak directly to a deity?

5. Did they remain calm? Did the service include speaking in tongues, trances, dances?

6. What would you say was the relationship between the religious leaders and the congregation? Friendly, aloof, or other?

C. The Service
Briefly outline the activities of the service in terms of singing, sermons, praying, etc. How did you feel about attending the service? What did you learn about yourself? What was the most interesting thing you learned from attending this service?

Field Task Choice #3: Education
This field task involves visiting a school in San Diego, observing a portion of a typical school day, and comparing it to your own experience as an elementary or secondary student. This field task is especially appropriate for the international students in the class.

Contact the school to arrange for a time and date for your visit. Be sure to visit a school which is different from that of your own educational experience. For instance, if you attended a Christian school, choose a different type school for your field task. The schools listed below have agreed to having classroom visits, but you are free to contact other schools as well.

1. King Elementary (The Global Magnet) -- 525-7322
2. Montessori School of Scripps Ranch -- 566-3632
3. Mira Mesa Christian School -- 578-0262

Write a summary and evaluation of your school visit by responding to the following questions.

1. Describe the classroom setting. How were the desks or tables arranged? Where did the teacher stand or sit during the class? What types of displays or decorations were in the room?
2. What classroom rituals did you observe? Did every student participate?
3. Describe the portion of the curriculum you observed. Did the students have different teachers fro different subjects? Were textbooks used? Was homework assigned?
4. Describe the interactions between the teacher and the students. For example, did the students raise their hands to ask questions? Did the relationship between the teacher students appear to be formal or informal? Describe the interactions between the students. Were members of the same sex allowed to interact? Were some students called on more than others? How did the teacher discourage or encourage certain behaviors or interactions?
5. Did the teacher emphasize individual or group work? Did the classroom activities stress cooperation or competition between students?
6. What evidence did you gather that any of the following concepts were consciously or unconsciously being taught in the classroom: individualism, conformity, ethnocentrism, gender role expectations, other?
7. Summarize your reactions to the experience of visiting this classroom.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Issues
Each week you will find a newspaper or magazine article which deals with a cross-cultural issue. In a journal, you will write your reaction to the article. You may want to analyze the issues and propose solutions or simply react to the content of the article. Try to include a variety of articles which address both positive and negative aspects of intercultural communication. Include the article in your journal. Each week you will bring your journal to class so that you can summarize the article for your group, and one person from each group will share his or her article with the whole class each week. Grades for the journal will be given on a weekly basis. Please note: No late journal articles will be accepted. The first journal assignment will be due on Tuesday, April 15 (Week Three). You will prepare nine journal entries during this quarter.

Self-Assessment Paper
The object of a self-assessment paper is to look at an intercultural interaction in which you have participated and analyze your communication competence with regard to that interaction. You will want to choose a significant relationship or interaction which was interesting from the perspective of intercultural communication. Such interactions may include those between you and someone from a different culture, ethnic group, gender, or sexual orientation.

The paper should be at least two pages in length, typed or wordprocessed, and written in paragraph form. Use the following outline as a guide to organizing your paper.

1. Describe the relationship and the particular interaction.
2. Identify the cross-cultural issues which are most important in understanding this relationship and the interaction. (Use the text and notes from lectures to help you analyze the intercultural dynamics of this relationship.)
3. Assess your communication competence. What did you do right? What should you have done differently? What thoughts, feelings influenced your behavior?
4. Make some suggestions for the improvement of your intercultural competence. What would you do differently in the future? In what ways can your increasing knowledge and skill in intercultural communication improve this relationship? What are some remaining issues regarding intercultural communication which you would like to work on within yourself?

This assignment is due on Tuesday, May 13 (Week Seven).

Group Culture Topic Oral Presentation
For this quarter, you will become a part of an intercultural group with whom YOU will work closely on a number of class activities. For the culture topic oral presentation, your group will choose one aspect of culture that you would all like to explore from different perspectives. Then each person in the group will become his or her culture's expert informant on the particular aspect of culture chosen. As an individual, you will share your culture's perspective on the chosen topic. As a group, you will prepare an approximately twenty-minute oral presentation in which you discuss your topic from the various perspectives of your group members. Examples of appropriate topics include but are not limited to the following: value orientations, high context/low context communications, world view, verbal/nonverbal communication patterns, social institutions (such as religion, family, education), and business practices. Your oral presentation must include visual aides: a videotape, pictures, overhead transparencies, or other visual aids. You will not submit a written report -- this is an oral presentation only. Presentations will be given by all groups on Tuesday, June 10 (Week Eleven). Anyone not present for his or her group's presentation will receive no credit for this assignment.

Homework Assignments
Case studies and/or articles will be assigned throughout the quarter. You will be expected to complete those assignments and will earn points for each assignment. No late homework will be accepted.

Examinations
You will have two exams in this course. Exam #1 will be given on April 29 (Week Five). This exam will cover material in chapters one through four in Communication Between Cultures and material and information presented in class weeks one through four. Exam #2 will be given on June 3 (Week Ten). It will cover chapters five through ten in Communication Between Cultures and material and information presented in class weeks five through eight. Make-up exams will be given only in cases of extreme emergency and only within one week of the class exam time.

Evaluation
The course is based on a total of 800 points. The point distribution is as follows:

You may also earn 30 extra points by completing a journal article review during the quarter. This is an optional assignment. The article will be given on May 13 (Week Seven) and will be due on May 27 (Week Nine).