Intercultural Communication

Catalog description

Intercultural communication examines the nature of culture and its relationship to communication. This course will increase students’ understanding of the growing interdependence of nations and peoples. Students will learn to identify and appreciate the beliefs, values, and norms of their own culture, while developing a capacity to be inclusive of many other cultures. Through a variety of assignments students will test their familiarity with and understanding of different worldviews, cultural explanations of life and death, cultural histories, cultural values, and verbal and nonverbal messages in different cultures. Students will apply these concepts to different intercultural contexts, such as education, family, health care, and business relationships. By the end of the course, students will develop an informed ethical position on cultural values, customs, traditions, and ways of communicating.