Please note: This syllabus is from the upper level version of intercultural communication, before it was moved to 36:042. There are more primary sources here, and more writing is involved, than I would ask of a mid-level course.

36C:093 Intercultural Communication

Culture may be defined as a system of taken-for-granted assumptions about the world that influences how people think and act. Those assumptions arise from the shared experiences of a group of people. Because different groups speak different languages and have different experiences, they construct different visions of the world and live those out in a common culture. When people from different cultures come in contact with one another (which they inevitably do), those distinctive visions of the world and ways of doing things may collide, or combine over time, or coexist harmoniously. Each of these potential outcomes happens through, and at least partly because of, communication.

This course looks at intercultural communication from a perspective of four premises: that culture happens through communication; that by understanding culture and how it shapes communication, you come to understand communication better; that intercultural communication can happen visibly as well as invisibly; and that knowing about communication and about culture can (sometimes) make intercultural communication go more smoothly. Oh yes, a fifth, more value-laden premise: To the extent that intercultural communication can go more smoothly, the world can be a better place.

Course Objectives

In this course, you will

1. learn how culture, your own and other peoples', shapes visions of the world and ways of speaking
2. explore how culture is reflected in, and how it shapes, newspapers and other mass media
3. analyze cases of intercultural contact in order to understand what happened (happens) and why
4. apply knowledge of culture and communication to life in a multicultural society

Required Reading

There are two required texts for this course, available at the IMU bookstore:

Martin, J. & Nakayama, T. (2000) Intercultural communication in contexts (second edition). London: Mayfield.

Kingsolver, B. (1993) Pigs in Heaven. New York: Harper Collins.

Several other readings are on reserve at the Main Library that you will be required to read. You will also need ready access to the Web for this course, preferably on a high-speed server of the kind available at many computing centers on campus.

Expectations

Attendance/participation: I know, I know: you hate it, I hate it, it's a silly idea to enforce things like attendance and participation that should spring from a dedication to learning ... etc. Nonetheless, there will be a sign in sheet passed around each class day, and it will be up to you to be sure to sign it before you leave. More than three absences without a pressing and documented reason will hurt your grade. Part of your grade will also be based on participation. There will be lots of ways to participate in class, and all of them depend on having read the assigned material before you get there. I will expect to hear evidence that you have read and thought about the assigned material during class discussions. If that is NOT evident, participation will be assessed by way of pop quizzes, something I'm sure we would all prefer to avoid. On some days I will give you a short written assignment to bring in to the following class: collect examples of personal address alternatives you hear around you, write a 2 page response to a video we watch in class, choose one question from those listed at the end of the chapter and write a response to it. These written assignments will count toward (or off of) your participation grade.

Further, I expect you to take responsibility for learning in the following ways: If you miss class, it's up to you to get notes from another student. If you don't understand the reading or an assignment, it's up to you to ask questions (I am happy to respond to questions during class or office hours, by appointment outside of class, by e-mail or phone). It's up to you to turn in assignments at the right time and place. Assignments should be turned in to me at the beginning of class on the due date. I will accept late assignments under the condition that a 10 point penalty will be assessed for each day the assignment is late. Weekends are included! such that if a paper is due on Thursday and you turn it in Monday, you have lost 30 points. Group presentations cannot be rescheduled. If you miss yours due to an emergency, we will work out a paper assignment for you to do instead.

Finally, I take academic integrity very seriously: Do not plagiarize, cheat, or engage in other dishonest activities and do not allow others to do so.

Assignments and Grading

What follows are very brief descriptions of the main assignments for this course. Detailed instructions will be made available on the Web well ahead of the due date for the assignment.

1. Web paper (due March 8): Follow two stories on the front pages of two national newspapers, at least one of them non-US, for several weeks. Write an 8-10 page paper that summarizes the stories, compares and contrasts the coverage the events or issues receive in two countries, and discusses the cultural significance of those events or issues that accounts for the kinds of coverage they received. 25%
    
2. Group presentation (due dates vary; earliest is February 15, latest is April 19): In a group with 4-5 of your peers, choose one of several chapters selected from Martin & Nakayama to present to the class. The presentation will last a full class period; I will give suggestions for extra readings and activities that might be used to expand on the material in the chapter. Except in extraordinary circumstances, which we'll talk about, everyone in the group receives the same grade. 20%
    
3. Observation paper (due April 17): Following discussion of directives, personal address, and
   cultural myths and narratives, conduct at least 5 hours of observation in your culture of one of those communication processes. Write a 4-6 page paper that discusses how the communication phenomenon you observed relates to culture and makes one or more claims about cultural premises and/or norms revealed by that behavior. Alternatively, you may observe a culture other than your own or a setting/scene of intercultural contact and write a paper that describes that, tying your observations to concepts discussed in class. 25%
    
4. Textual analysis paper (due May 1): Following discussion of the novel Pigs in Heaven, choose a novel or film that portrays intercultural communication (a list of suggestions will be provided) and write a 3-5 page paper that analyzes the cultural aspects portrayed in the text. 20%
    
5. Participation/attendance 10%

Tentative Schedule