CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURAL SELF IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY

 

 

INSTRUCTOR

           

 

 Larissa Chuprina,

 

Larissa Chuprina, holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with specialization in Educational Psychology and concentrations in Adult Education, a Master’s Degree in Foreign Language Education from Kharkiv State University, and Diploma in International Business from Kharkiv University of Economics in Ukraine. She has rich international experience and expertise in teaching foreign languages, training and consulting on intercultural communication issues.  She has presented papers at major international conferences, and published numerous articles, on cross-cultural communication and continuing education in post-Communist countries. She was born in Germany, raised in Ukraine, and traveled extensively in Europe participating in educational tourism. In Ukraine, she owned and managed a Foreign Language Institute, as well as taught English and consulted organizations and individuals on cross-cultural issues.  She works as ESL Coordinator at Bridge Refugee Services in Knoxville, TN, providing training to educators/tutors and conducting cultural orientations to organizations and individuals.  She brings her multicultural and interdisciplinary background into the teaching process.

 

 

RATIONALE:

 

The sweeping socio-economic changes currently taking place in Eastern Europe and the world’s tendencies of globalisation in economy, business, education, communication media and other fields, make international collaboration number one priority for a nation’s progressive development. Strengthening economic and cultural ties with the developed countries increases chances for the East European countries to integrate into the world community.  All this calls for the necessity of training specialists who, side by side with their professional skills, would possess good cross-cultural communicative competence, be knowledgeable about the cultural peculiarities of the partner countries, have a cultural awareness of their own, and would not be ignorant of international work and business ethics.  It is to these goals that the present course “Cross-Cultural Communication and the Understanding of the Cultural Self” is geared.

 

The overall goals of the course aim to affect the cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains of participants and subsequently people's overall adjustment and effectiveness in cross-cultural settings and provide a good theoretical base for understanding the aspects in question. Analysis of studies (Bhawuk, 1994; Brislin, Cushner, Cherrie, & Yong, 1986; Brislin & Pedersen, 1976) suggests that, overall, intercultural education has at­tempted to (a) help people communicate more effectively, (b) help people deal with the inevi­table stresses that accompany an intercultural encounter, (c) enable people to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships with those whose backgrounds are different from their own, and (d) enable people to accomplish the various tasks they originally set out to do in a new context or setting.

 

This course offers a broad overview of the notion culture and brings about the understanding and appreciation of diversity within a domestic and international context. The course is intended to serve as an opportunity for learners to gain new theoretical knowledge in intercultural communication and explore personal values and attitudes relative to their professional development. This knowledge base is especially vital for educators and professionals who face the reality of functioning in a multicultural global environment.

 

Teaching activities                                                               %

On-line workshops                                                                20

Discussions                                                                            30

Case studies                                                                           20

Students’ presentations                                                         20

Homework                                                                             10

 

 

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE:

 

From the point of view of methodology and content, the proposed course is an integrated interdisciplinary venture, combining cross-cultural, cognitive, sociolinguistic, and

Educational Psychology aspects as well as approaches and philosophies of Adult Education.

 

The scope of the issues addressed by the course includes:

·      defining and examining the concept of a national culture, its definitions, constituent components and manifestations,

·      classifications of cultures;

·      discussing cultural values and stereotypes shaping people’s nationally specific patterns of communicative behaviour;

·      analysing the process of adaptation to a new culture and the phenomenon of “culture shock”;

·      analysing the available experience of cross-cultural miscommunication and identifying the “danger zones” that deserve priority attention in intercultural teaching and training;

·       examining the phenomenon of the national character and features of national psychology, determining cultural differences in academic, business, and social encounters;

·      discussing diversity in a broad meaning and impact of pluralism on organisational effectiveness.

 

A crucial methodological principle of the course is comparative, which presupposes contrasting the learners’ own culture with those of other nations, recognising differences and similarities in the respective values, behaviour patterns, and modes of communication, looking for their underlying cultural explanations and interpretations. The contrastive dimension helps to reduce ethnocentric bias and instil in the learners the ideas of cultural diversity, relativity and tolerance.

Each session will employ interactive teaching on-line and promote self-directed learning. The teaching-learning process in this course is based on active, informed involvement of the learner in the learning process.  Therefore, the wide range of instructional delivery techniques used throughout the course will include but are not restricted to: presentations, discussions, media, readings, case studies, story-telling, role-playing. Interaction with other participants is encouraged.

 

 In addition, a created website for the course and e-mail communication between the students and the instructors will facilitate further discussion of issues related to the class.  World-wide web application and recommended sites will provide complementary course materials and serve as a virtual link outside of the physical classroom.  

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

 

1.     providing theoretical knowledge in cross-cultural communication from interdisciplinary perspectives that could help participants in designing their culturally responsive curricula;

2.     developing an awareness of contemporary events that illustrate the need for improved

      intercultural communication skills;

3.     understanding self and one’s own culture

4.     encouraging reflection and the development of cultural self-awareness;

5.     appreciating other cultures;

6.     distinguishing between individual and group identities and characteristics;

7.     interacting with different languages and cultural orientations;

8.     sharing psychological aspects of communication across cultures (values, attitudes)

9.     developing communication flexibility;

10.  seeking commonalties and  understanding differences;

 

TOPICS FOR INQUIRY:

 

The following are a sampling of the topics to be covered in the course; other relevant topics may be added, depending on the needs and interests of the participants.

 

.           Globalization and cross-cultural communication

·                 Communication theories and research findings on cultural differences.

·                 Psychological aspects of communicating across cultures

·                 Developing self-awareness of values and beliefs

·                 Constructing the cultural self and reconciling cultural dilemmas

·                 Language as culture/Language and gender

.           The pitfalls of intercultural communication

.           Specific cultures (USA, Hungary, Ukraine, and the cultures of the participants)

.           Intercultural conflict management

·                 Diversity & Multiculturalism in the society

·                 Effective cross-cultural communication in global leadership

 

 

COURSE  REQUIREMENTS:

 

 

1.              To read all assigned readings (selected materials)

 

2.              To engage actively in discussion on the topic(s)/issue(s) on-line

 

3.              To complete a form “Lessons Learned” at the end of each session to reflect on the issues and activities (that can be used for the reaction paper at the end of the course)

 

4.              Learning Activity #1. To compose a two-page paper of a cultural portrait of self.

 

5.              Learning Activity #2. To prepare a one-page of Cultural Identity based on the interview of a person from a country different from their own.

 

6.              Learning Activity # 3.  To provide a two-page summary of one of the articles or book chapters on topics of personal interest, specifically related to the issues relevant to the class (global education and/or intercultural communication) in each set of sessions read by different instructors/research persons (total 6).

 

7.              Learning Activity #4. To share information on their countries’ cultures

            and preferable communication styles.

 

8.              Learning Activity #5. To write a reaction paper reflecting on the

lessons learned during the course.

 

 

ASSESSMENT

 

A grade of PASS/FAIL will be granted based upon preparation and participation in the activities, as well as a written reaction paper. This course will not focus on “right and wrong” answers, but rather on developing sensitive approaches to cross-cultural communication and analytical skills.

 

Homework –30%

Participation in class discussion, presentations – 40%

Final paper: “Reflection on the Lesson Learned” – 30%

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SELECTED CHAPTERS WILL BE ASSIGNED FROM THE FOLLOWING TEXTS

 

Bennett, M. J.  (1998).  Basic concepts of intercultural communication:  Selected readings. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press

 

Chaney L., & J. Martin.  (2000).  Intercultural business communication.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 

Coupland, J. , Robinson, J.D., Coupland, N. (1992). How are you? Negotiating phatic

            communication. Language and Society, 21.

 

Gudikunst, W.B., Ting-Toomy, S., Nishida, T. (1996).  Communication in personal relationships

across cultures. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

 

 Matsumoto, D. (2000).  Culture and psychology: People around the world.  Wardsworth:

Thomson Learning.

 

Ting-Toomey, S.  (1999).  Communicating across cultures.  New York: The Guilford Press.

 

Ziegahn, L. (2001). Considering culture in the selection of teaching approaches for adults.

            ERIC Digest No. 231

 

 

REFERENCES

 

Adler, S. (1993).  Multicultural communication skills in the classroom. Boston: Allyn and Bacon

 

Althen, G. (1988). American ways. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

 

Brislin, R. (1993). Understanding culture’s influence on behavior. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace

College Publishers.

 

Chaney, L.H., & Martin, J.S.  (2000).  Intercultural business communication.  Upper Saddle

River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 

Drum, J., Hughes, S., & Otero, G. (1994). Global winners: 74 learning activities for inside and

 outside the classroom. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

 

Hall, E.T. (1985). Hidden differences: Studies in international communication.
Hamburg: Gruner & Jahr.

 

Hall, E.T. (1990). Understanding cultural differences. Yarmouth, ME:
Intercultural Press.

 

Hampden-Turner C., & Trompenaars, F.  Building cross-cultural competence:  How
to create wealth from conflicting values. Hartford, CT: Yale University Press.

 

Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture’s consequences. London: Sage.

 

 

Kim, E.Y. (2001). The yin and yang of American culture: A paradox. Yarmouth, ME:

Intercultural Press

 

Lanier, A. R. (1996). Living in the U.S.A. (5th ed.,). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

 

Lustig, M.W. (1999). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures.

New York: Longman.

 

Mausehund, J., Timm, S., A King, A. (1995). Diversity training: effects of an intervention

treatment on nonverbal awareness. Business Communication Quarterly, 58(1), 27.

 

Ricard, V. (1996). Beyond diversity: Culture and culturing. Adult Learning, September/October,

30-31.

 

Seelye, H.N. (Ed.) (1996). Experiential activities for intercultural learning. Yarmouth, ME:

Intercultural Press.

 

Stewart, E.C. & Bennett, M.J.  (1991). American cultural patterns: A cross-cultural perspective.

(Rev. ed,). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

 

Vail, J. (1996). Business ethics. International Business Communication, 1 (1).