COMM 380 Intercultural Communication

Course: COMMUNICATION 380: Intercultural Communication

Semester: Fall Semester, 2010 (Harlaxton College, England)

Professor: Dr. Dean Thomlison

Texts: Intercultural Competence (6th ed) by M. W. Lustig and J. Koester, and With Respect to the Japanese by John C. Condon.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The main purpose of this course is to help you improve your communication with people from other cultures or subcultures. We will explore intercultural communication problems encountered in various social settings. For purposes of this course, intercultural communication will be thought of as communication between individuals or small groups representing different cultural experiences and backgrounds, including subcultures within nations and cultural groups from different countries.

COURSE OVERVIEW:

With the advent of mass communication, rapid dissemination of information, the advent of a global economy, and the reduction of travel time to various parts of the world, there has been an increasing interest in the intercultural communication process. Within a given culture, communication has many complex effects, but when the intercultural dimension is added to the mix these effects are multiplied several times over. Messages are transported across cultural boundaries by encoding in one context and decoding in another. This can lead to potential difficulties, as well as a wealth of opportunities to bridge our separate worlds through communication. With the age of atomic weapons, new developing nations, terrorism and unrest between peoples, communication becomes a must if human beings are to progress toward peace, understanding and prosperity. Furthermore, with global electronic communication capabilities and international business at an all-time high, the odds of communicating regularly with individuals from other cultural backgrounds is higher than at any time in the recorded history of human beings. Success in the workforce will be dependent upon your ability to communicate interculturally.

The goal of this class is to help you to develop an insight into the problems and opportunities inherent in interpersonal/intercultural communication and a sensitivity to the many subtle intercultural differences in meanings. No doubt you have already felt uncomfortable or ill-at-ease in certain intercultural situations. Perhaps it was with a person from another country or ethnic or racial group. We'll explore how communication works at such times in order to reduce the barriers and anxiety you will experience in future situations.