INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Speech Communication 320

 

Instructor: Dr. Richard L. Wiseman (Rich)                                                      Fall 2001

Office:     College Park-420-2                                                 Office Hours:  10:00-11:00 TR

Phones:            Office: 278-3902                                                                        1:00-2:00 R

                        Dept.: 278-3617                                          

Email: rwiseman@exchange.fullerton.edu

Class Web Site: http://fdcnt2.fullerton.edu:8900/public/15221/index.html

My Web Site: http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/rwiseman/

 

                                                             CLASS CONTRACT

 

This is one-half of a contract.  It represents my explicit expectations of you, me and the course.  I assume that you also have expectations of me that you may want to make explicit.  Please feel free to formalize these, either in writing or orally, now or as we move through the course.

 

Course Objectives

   1. The student should develop an appreciation for the wealth that knowledge of other cultures offers.

   2. The student should be able to describe different viewpoints on culture as they influence communication.

   3. The student should be able to develop his/her own model of intercultural communication, with particular attention to perception, language, values, and nonverbal communication.

   4. The student should be able to describe the relationship of culture and communication as mutually reciprocal influences.

   5. The student will develop a communication perspective on intercultural communication that incorporates:

a. an understanding of self as part of a culture by developing an awareness of the impact

    of our own culture on communication.

b. a knowledge of a variety of ways of expressing messages among different cultures.

c. an understanding of how nonverbal communication may vary across cultures.

d. an understanding of the bases of acceptance/rejection for

    communication in different cultures.

e. the role of communication in minimizing alienation from the host culture.

 

Philosophical Assumptions

As a "teacher" I make certain philosophical assumptions about the nature of education that you should understand.  Basically, those assumptions are:

   1. Education is a proactive rather than a reactive process; i.e., learning is facilitated when the student participates responsibly in the learning process and that as a teacher I can only facilitate learning.  In other words, WE must assume responsibility for the learning that takes place.

   2. Learning can be generalized best when you integrate: (a) your "real life" experiences, (b) your experiences in class, and (c) your conceptualizations based upon your readings, observations, etc.

   3. We have the potential and opportunity to learn from one another; it is expected that you will learn as much from each other as from the instructor (and I will learn from you!).

   4. Learning can only occur in the context of a supportive environment; the instructor will try to be supportive of your learning and in return I hope you will be supportive of my learning. To be supportive, please pay attention to others, be here and leave on time, be sensitive to others, and TURN OFF your pager and/or cellular phone.

 

Class Web Page

You can obtain important information (including syllabus, example test questions, forms, study guides, chat room, calendar, bulletin board) by logging into the class Web Page.  Before logging in, though, you need to register for MyWebCT and request the Web Page.   Send your browser to the following URL: http://fdcnt2.fullerton.edu:8900/public/15221/index.html and follow the menu instructions.  Consult this site frequently; use it!  You may find some information that improves your test performance, and thus, your grade in this class.

 

Course Requirements

To receive credit for the course, you must complete the following:

Three Examinations                                                       240

Service-Learning Project or Scholarly Paper                   80

Class Attendance                                                          _60_

                        380

Examinations

There will be three examinations throughout the semester.  The examinations will cover the materials discussed in the lectures, texts, and in-class experiences for the time prior to the test (i.e., the tests are not accumulative).  You will need an optical scan form NCS P099B and a blue book for each test.

 

Service-Learning Project or Scholarly Paper

You have a choice as to the whether to do a service-learning project or write a scholarly paper. 

Service-Learning Project:  In an effort to apply some of the concepts we will be talking about and to provide you an opportunity to contribute to your community, you will be required to provide your services and expertise to a formal social service organization.  Since your growing expertise is in the area of intercultural communication, the service site should be concerned with intercultural issues (e.g., young/old, poor, cultural diversity, immigrant cultures).  It is expected you will contribute a minimum of 15 hours of your time to the organization.  Services may include tutoring, mentoring, leading recreational activities, being a “friend,” counseling, or other forms of professional service as deemed appropriate by me.  Proper certification of the program specifying the services that you will provide must be authenticated by the director, principal, pastor, or administrator of the program on the organization’s letterhead prior to the start of the service and no later than September 10.  Ms. Ingrid Harris will be overseeing and monitoring placements during the semester under a service-learning grant from the CSUF Faculty Development Center.  Her email address is <monarch7@ix.netcom.com>.  To assist Ms. Harris in ascertaining that all is well with your service-learning project, a very brief (paragraph) report will be due October 18.  The forms necessary for accomplishing the paperwork aspects of the service-learning project can be found find on the Web Page for the class.  Either Ms. Harris or a field supervisor will validate a tally sheet of hours served, including the total.  A four-page paper (not including supplemental information such as bibliography, photographs, or other ancillary materials) with your assessment of your activities, learning as it relates to the CONCEPTS in the class, and evaluation of the clients’ benefits must be submitted with the tally sheet on November 15.  You may team up with a classmate in performing your service; however, each individual’s effort will be evaluated separately as reflected by the individual papers/tally sheets turned in.  Evaluation will be based upon: (a) the significance of the service, (b) the learning vis-à-vis the concepts in class, and (c) the quality of the presentation of your assessments in the paper.

Scholarly Paper.  While my true preference would be that you would do the service-learning project, I recognize the need to give you an option.  In lieu of the service-learning project, you may research and write a scholarly paper.  If you choose this option, you should research a question/thesis evoked from the readings from the text.  For example, how do international students adapt to new environments, what are the critical skills for intercultural communication competence, what are the stages one goes through in becoming a multicultural person, etc.?  The paper should have three clear parts: intro, body, and conclusion.  The intro suggests the importance of the question/thesis and attains the reader’s interest.  The body reviews and integrates the critical literature on the topic.  The conclusion proposes some acceptable generalizations and avenues for future research.  The length of the paper should be between 8-10 pages (double-spaced, 12 point font, and not including bibliography or another other supplemental materials).  The paper should be in standard English and follow the compositional rules of the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual (4th edition).  The paper should be based on a minimum of 8 academic scholarly JOURNAL references (not the web, not popular magazines, not the texts from the class).  The journals can be found in the library on the second floor.  Please feel free to discuss your ideas with me in person or via email from the class Web site.  Papers are due on November 15.   Papers will be evaluated on the merit of the idea, the level of integration of the review of the research, the adequacy of the conclusions generated from the review, and the quality of the composition of the paper.

 

Class Attendance

The classroom will be our learning lab and an understanding of the concepts under examination will emerge within this setting.  Only if we work together can we learn together.  Thus, attendance is of paramount importance to your learning and your grade.  Since there are approximately 30 sessions, you will receive two points for each session attended.

 

Texts

G:         Gudykunst, William B. (1998).  Bridging Differences: Effective Intergroup Communication (3rd edition).  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.

LK:      Lustig, Mryron W., & Koester, Jolene (1999).  Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures (3rd edition).  New York: Longman.

Reading Schedule

Session Readings                                              Session Readings

  1                    G: 1;  LK: 1                                             11                 G: 8;  LK: 8

  2                    G: 2;  LK: 2                                             12                 G: 9;  LK: 10

  3                    G: 3;  LK: 3                                             13                           LK: 11

  4                    G: 4;  LK: 4                                             14                 G: 10

  5                    TEST 1                                                   15                           LK: 12

  6                              LK: 5                                            16                 TEST 3 (Thursday, Dec13,

  7                    G: 5;  LK: 6                                                                                          9:30-11:20      

  8                    G: 6;  LK: 7

  9                    G: 7;  LK: 9

10                                      TEST 2

 

Course Outline

    I. Importance of Intercultural Communication

A. International awareness

B. Domestic awareness

C. Personal awareness

   II. Postulates Regarding Intercultural Communication

A. Through culture and communication we control and are controlled by

our social environment

B. Communication and culture are processes

C. Communication is used to accomplish cultural tasks

D. Communication and culture are interdependent

  III. An Orientation to Communication and Culture

A. The Nature of Intercultural Communication

1. Encoding and decoding

2. Messages

3. Cultural differences and effects

B. The Nature and Influence of Culture

1. Reference groups

2. Demographic groups

3. Races and ethnic groups

4. Countercultures

   IV. Interfaces between Culture and Communication

A. Values

B. Language

C. Sociolinguistics

D. Nonverbal Communication

E. Epistemologies

    V. Outcomes of Intercultural Communication

A. Intercultural relationships

B. Intercultural effectiveness

C. Acculturation

D. Becoming intercultural