I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Intercultural Communication

2. Course Prefix & Number:
COMM 2420

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course is designed to study communication among individuals of different cultural backgrounds, including the study of similarities and differences across cultures. Intercultural Communication is designed to help students learn about their own cultural identities, recognize cultural differences, identify barriers, adjust their communication, and build successful relationships to help them better succeed in their professional and personal lives. We'll look inclusively at culture, exploring both international and domestic variables. Topics will include communication and intercultural communication theory, barriers to communication such as ethnocentrism, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, cultural variables affecting communication such as language, nonverbal behaviors, perception, rules, values and worldview.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Inver Hills Community College, COMM 2240 Intercultural Communication, 3 credits
Anoka Ramsey Community College, CMST 2210 Intercultural Communication, 3 credits
Century College, COMM 1051 Intercultural Communication, 3 credits

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

 

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Deaf Studies Certificate
Criminal Justice AAS Degree

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 1 – Written and Oral Communication
• Goal 7 – Human Diversity

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	List the elements of communication and define intercultural communication from within a domestic and international context.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Analyze individual, institutional and cultural isms; explore differences in bias, prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination; and demonstrate an awareness of the individual and institutional dynamics of unequal power relations between groups in contemporary society.
Apply ethical principles in decision-making	Discuss the role mass communication/media plays in influencing cultural perceptions and compare it to individual responsibility for intercultural competency with mediated-communication.
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments	Justify the need for intercultural communication competency in our global and ever-changing world.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• List the elements of communication and define intercultural communication from within a domestic and international context (MnTC Goal 1);
• Describe the role of perception on the intercultural communication process and illustrate how best to manage perception for intercultural competency (MnTC Goal 1 and 7);
• Analyze intercultural communication and identity from a historical context and explain the theory of historical trauma (MnTC Goals 1 and 7);
• Demonstrate knowledge of intercultural communication theory by analyzing verbal and linguistic variables affecting intercultural communication (MnTC Goals 1 and 7);
• Demonstrate knowledge of intercultural communication theory by analyzing nonverbal variables affecting intercultural communication (MnTC Goals 1 and 7);
• Analyze individual, institutional and cultural isms; explore differences in bias, prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination; and demonstrate an awareness of the individual and institutional dynamics of unequal power relations between groups in contemporary society (MnTC Goals 1 and 7);
• Discuss the role mass communication/media plays in influencing cultural perceptions and compare it to individual responsibility for intercultural competency with mediated-communication(MnTC Goals 1 and 7);
• Identify the frameworks and fundamental principles of the major world religions and discuss how that deep structure can influence worldview (MnTC Goals 1 and 7); and
• Justify the need for intercultural communication competency in our global and ever-changing world (MnTC Goal 1 and 7).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Introduction to Communication and Culture
• Globalization
• Intercultural communication defined
• Communication defined
• Functions of communication
• Principles of communication
• Culture defined
• Functions of culture
• Elements of culture
• Characteristics of culture
• Enculturation
2. Cultural Identity
• Importance of identity
• Social identities
• Racial identity
• Ethnic identity
• Gender identity
• Sexual identity
• Class identity
• Age identity
• Relational identity
• National identity
• Regional identity
• Organizational identity (professional and/or social)
• Physical identity (appearance and/or ability)
• Personal identity (personality and/or behavioral characteristics)
• Cyber and fantasy identity
• Identity in intercultural interactions
3. The Dark Side
• Terminology
• Stereotyping
• Prejudice/bias
• Ethnocentrism
• Discrimination
• Types of prejudice/discrimination
• Racism
• Sexism
• Heterosexism
• Ageism
• Audism
• Classism
• Ableism
• Sizeism
• Lookism
• Nativism
• Other
• Wheel of oppression and interconnectedness of oppression
• Oppression and oppressors
• Cycle of oppression
4. Shaping Interpretations: Values and Perception
• Perception
• Beliefs
• Values
• Cultural patterns/intercultural theory
• Hofstede’s Value Dimensions
• Individualism vs. collectivism
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Power distance
• Masculinity/femininity
• Long- and short-term orientation
• Kluckhohn's and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientations
• Human nature orientation
• Person/nature orientation
• Time orientation
• Activity orientation
• Hall’s Context Orientations
• High context
• Low context
• Face and facework
• Acculturation
• Assimilation
• Integration
• Separation
• Marginalization
5. Deep Structure of Culture
• Institutions
• Effect on belief
• Effect on messages
• Effect on personal identity
• Family
• Importance of family
• Definition of family
• Forms of family
• Functions of the family
• Cultural variants in family interaction
• Gender roles
• Individualism and collectivism
• Age groupings
• Social skills
• History
• History of the United States
• History of other cultures such as Russia, China, India, Mexico, Islamic civilization
• Role of historical trauma
• Role of media in cultural perceptions
6. Language and Culture
• Social and cultural functions of language
• Language and culture
• What is language?
• Language variations: accent, dialect, argot, slang, branding
• Language in intercultural communication interactions
• Mindfulness
• Speech rate
• Vocabulary
• Nonverbal feedback
• Checking
• Interpretation and translation
• Intercultural marriage
• Communication technology and language
7. Nonverbal Communication
• Defining nonverbal communication
• Classifications of nonverbal communication
• Body behavior
• Facial expressions
• Eye contact and gaze
• Touch
• Paralanguage
• Space and distance
• Time
• Silence
• Intercultural competence and nonverbal communication
• Communication accommodation
• Gestures around the world
8. Cultural Influences on the Context
• Culture and context
• Influence of power on the context
• Institutional isms
• Cultural isms
• Individual isms
• Internalized isms
• Different contexts
• Business setting
• Negotiations
• Conflict
• Educational setting
• Health Care setting
• Religious traditions
• Holistic traditions
• Scientific traditions
9. Global Citizenship, Technology and Intercultural Communication
• Globalization and global citizenship
• Intercultural communication and the mediated self
• Intercultural communication and intercultural competence through mediated communication
10. International Travel
• Ugly American stereotype
• Travel competency
• Responsibilities before travel
• Responsibilities during travel
• Culture shock and W-Curve Theory
11. Worldview: Life and Death *(This segment NEEDS to be in all courses to meet the requirements for the Deaf Studies Certificate.  It is often lacking in textbooks and needs to be supplemented if that is the case.)
• Worldview
• Worldview and culture
• Religion, secularism, and spirituality as worldviews
• Religion
• Christianity
• Judaism
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Confucianism