Intercultural Communication and Miscommunication

Catalog description

An introduction to basic issues in intercultural communication, reviewing various perspectives on the nature of culture, communication, "miscommunication" and inter-cultural relations. The course criticizes two commonly held assumptions: 1) that "cultures" are unitary and unchanging and 2) that inter-cultural contact and communication is inherently more troublesome then intra-cultural communication. The course considers ways in which intercultural communication has important consequences in education, medicine, social services, business settings, and international contact situations.