COM303 Intercultural Communication - Complete Course

COM303 Week 1 Discussion 1

Your book outlines five major issues regarding our ability to fully cooperate with others, interculturally. Which of the five do you think is the most crucial to address in the short-term? Which of the five is the most critical to our long-term intercultural understanding? How do the short- and long-term issues affect you personally? Do you think you're more apt to be more cooperative in the short- or long-term? Why is this so?

 

COM303 Week 1 Discussion 2

Choose one of the stereotypes iterated in the episode of 20/20 that you have heard in your own life. Give the stereotype, and who said it to whom. Was your reaction the same when you watched it on 20/20 as it was when you actually experienced the comment? How do you think the use of humor allows the Broadway show "Avenue Q" to tackle the issues of stereotyping and prejudice?  Is it effective?  Is there a better way to handle such things, in your opinion?

 

COM303 Week 1 Discussion 3

Choose one of the caveats for studying IC (individual uniqueness, generalizing, and objectivity) and explain how you've encountered it in a work-related experience. Were the parties involved aware of the lack of effective communication when it occurred? How might the incident have been improved with a better sense of IC?

 

COM303 Week 2 Discussion 4

Choose one of the proverbs listed in this week's reading on pages 45-47 and articulate how someone in the non-dominant culture may interpret that message? Is there a proverb, adage, or saying from today that you think speaks from a place of power, from the dominant culture in the United States?  How are non-dominant citizens implicated by that saying?

 

COM303 Week 2 Discussion 5

On page 39, the assigned reading offers several opinions about what the function(s) of culture is/are. Choose the function you least agree with and explain your choice and rationale. What are the faults or weaknesses of the function in your opinion?  Do you have experiences in your own life that support viewing that function as less than ideal? Which function do you believe is the most relevant?

 

COM303 Week 2 Discussion 6

The reading offers eight elements to a transactional model of communication. Using the photograph of two boys in Chapter 2, choose three elements from the communication model that you believe are most important to 'arriving' at the moment captured in the photograph. Which of the three elements seems the most important to that photograph and why?  Is it possible to gauge verbal communication processes via a photograph?

 

COM303 Week 3 Discussion 7

Chapter 3 draws distinctions between the functions of the family unit.  Which of these functions is the most important to the maintenance of deep structure of culture? Why? Does your opinion create advantages for you? How does your position limit you?  (For example, if I think 'reproduction' is the most important, I may be emboldened by the fact that I have 5 children. Or I may feel inferior if I've have no children.) Which one of these family functions, if any, needs more focus or cultivating in today's society? 

 

COM303 Week 3 Discussion 8

Put the word family into an internet browser search engine and then select "images" to look at the photos, cartoons, etc. that pop up when we look up the word family. What do you notice about those 'families' that the internet determines are families? Are there any disturbing trends? Any reassuring trends? Choose one photo that came up in your search and analyze it based on the elements and qualities your book uses to explain the family unit. (Be sure to include a link to the photo or upload it directly in your post.)

 

COM303 Week 3 Discussion 9

Chapter 3 discusses intercultural views regarding the elderly. Choose one of the photos in the "Intercultural Images" section of the Content area. How does the image support or go against cultural constructions of the elderly? Are the images surprising to you or affirming to you? How might the images be altered to make them more interculturally 'traditional,' in your opinion?

 

COM303 Week 4 Discussion 10

We often place the topic of History on a pedestal (hence why I capitalized it) in our culture.  But as the reading discusses, history is a created, manipulated 'thing.' Which moment in history, before your birth, would you like to know more about? Which narratives are missing from that moment in history? Why might someone want to suppress those narratives?

 

COM303 Week 4 Discussion 11

Why do you think that the term 'worldview' is important to our study of intercultural communication? Do we need this concept? Does it help advance or clarify our understanding of cultures?  How does this concept affect the way we communicate with others? Is there another word/concept/idea that you think would be better than 'worldview'?

 

COM303 Week 4 Discussion 12

Narrate your experience of watching the "Christian/Atheist" episode of 30 Days. Do you think all of the participants in the episode were communicating interculturally?  Why or why not? Compare your perception of Brenda to the stereotypes of atheists that the episode presents. How does Brenda reinforce or go against those stereotypes?

 

COM303 Week 4 Discussion 13

Choose one of the belief systems presented in the reading that you do not personally follow and consider their stance/belief about death. Which is most appealing to you? Which differs the most from your current belief system?  How does your current belief system 'work with' or 'work against' the belief system you choose to examine in this prompt? 

 

COM303 Week 5 Discussion 14

Using Something New as your artifact, choose three course concepts in this week's reading that are explored in the film. How does the film navigate issues of identity and prejudice? Does the fight that Kenya and Brian have in the grocery store feel genuine to you? Why or why not? What lessons does the film provide towards our understanding of intercultural communication?

 

COM303 Week 5 Discussion 15

How do you think the book's discussion of American culture pertains to Online education?  Online education still receives much criticism and ridicule. Do you feel that is because of our cultural orientation toward certainty, or is it because of lack of 'face time'? How do U.S. cultural perceptions and interpretations affect the status of Online education?

 

COM303 Week 5 Discussion 16

Think about a recent conflict situation in which you participated (e.g., an argument with your significant other, your parents, or a stranger). What communication strategies did you use to give, maintain, or save face?

 

COM303 Week 6 Discussion 17

When you think about the thousands of interactions you've had over your lifetime, which nonverbal elements have you found the most persuasive on/to you?  Which nonverbal communication traits do you wish you were able to use more successfully in your life?

 

COM303 Week 6 Ethnographic Research Paper

Using the television series 30 Days as inspiration, students will engage in 24 hours of intercultural participation and write about their experience, through a daylong ethnographic experiment. Due at 11:59 pm CT Saturday of Week 6. Additional guidelines and expectations can be found in the Start Here module.

 

COM303 Week 7 Discussion 18

In our reading about Ethical Considerations, the authors of the text outline several ethical principles of communication. Now that we've reached the end of the course, which of these principles is the most important to our study of intercultural communication? Which one do you think is the 'magic bullet', meaning that if we could fully incorporate 'it', our struggles in intercultural interactions would fall away?

 

COM303 Week 7 Discussion 19

Choose three issues discussed in Chapter 10 of the textbook that you would've like to have seen in more detail in the "Outsourcing" episode of 30 Days.  How might better awareness of those issues have added clarity to the episode? Why is clarity regarding these particular issues so important?

 

COM303 Week 8 FInal Exam

Question 1 (2 points)

 

Perception is considered selective because ____. 

Question 1 options:

	a)  there are too many stimuli competing for the attention of your senses
	b)  life's lessons teach you to see the world in a particular way
	c)  culture teaches you the meaning of most of your experiences
	d)  once you perceive something in a particular manner that interpretation does not usually change

Question 2 (2 points)

 

Because we view the world through a subjective lens influenced by a number of variables, perception is considered: 

Question 2 options:

	a)  selective
	b)  learned
	c)  inaccurate
	d)  consistent
	e)  culturally determined

Question 3 (2 points)

 

Countries whose cultures reflect a comfort with uncertainty (low uncertainty avoidance) include Greece, Portugal, and Guatemala.

Question 3 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 4 (2 points)

 

Cultural patterns are integrated and can be contradictory.

Question 4 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 5 (2 points)

 

For low-context cultures, the verbal message contains most of the information and very little is embedded in the context or the person's nonverbal activity.

Question 5 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 6 (2 points)

 

Chinese culture has a strong focus on the present time orientation.

Question 6 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 7 (2 points)

 

Individual orientation vs. group orientation is thought of as one of the basic pattern variables that determine human action.

Question 7 options:

	a) True
	b) False

 

 

Question 8 (2 points)

 

The United States is among the top five countries for high power distance.

Question 8 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 9 (2 points)

 

Flexhumility cultures place less value on education than monumentalist ones.

Question 9 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 10 (2 points)

 

The GLOBE Study differentiated between two types of collectivism: 

Question 10 options:

	a)  in-group and societal
	b)  in-group and out-group
	c)  ethnic and inter-ethnic
	d)  local and national
	e)  selective and exhaustive

Question 11 (2 points)

 

What time orientation do most Americans in the United States favor? 

Question 11 options:

	a)  past
	b)  future
	c)  present
	d)  linearity
	e)  polychromic

Question 12 (2 points)

 

Perception is learned because once you perceive something in a particular way, which interpretation does not usually change.

Question 12 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 13 (2 points)

 

Identify which of the following is not among the five universal questions for cultures, according to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck.  

Question 13 options:

	a)  what is the character of human nature?
	b)  what is the relation of humankind to nature?;
	c)  what is the value of wealth
	d)  what is the relationship of people to each other?
	e)  what is the value placed on time?

Question 14 (2 points)

 

Optimism and emphasis on the future reflect which of Kohls American values? 

Question 14 options:

	a)  idealism
	b)  individualism
	c)  time and its control
	d)  change
	e)  privacy

 

Question 15 (2 points)

 

The extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous and unknown situations is referred to as ____. 

Question 15 options:

	a)  uncertainty avoidance
	b)  tolerance for ambiguity
	c)  equivocality
	d)  ethnocentricity
	e)  neoplasticity

Question 16 (2 points)

 

Perceptions of self that set you apart from other people and life-forms are ____.           

Question 16 options:

	a)  human identities
	b)  societal identities
	c)  personal identities
	d)  identities of separation
	e)  identities of conformation

Question 17 (2 points)

 

Cyber and fantasy identities don't exist.

Question 17 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 18 (2 points)

 

Phinney's three stage model of identity acquisition includes: 

Question 18 options:

	a)  unexamined ethnic identity,ethnic identity search, ethnic achievement
	b)  biological inheritance, ethnic identification, ethnic presentation
	c)  ethnic identification, ethnic clarification, ethnic emancipation
	d)  unexamined ethnic identity, examined ethnic identity, insulated ethnic identity
	e)  biological inheritance, unexamined ethnic identity, examined ethnic identity

Question 19 (2 points)

 

Racial and ethnic identity are the same thing.

Question 19 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 20 (2 points)

 

According to Hall, the three levels of identity that each individual has are personal, relational, and communal.

Question 20 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 21 (2 points)

 

Social identities can be based on all of the following except: 

Question 21 options:

	a)  demographic categories
	b)  roles
	c)  membership in formal and informal organization
	d)  associations or vocations;
	e)  all of these

 

Question 22 (2 points)

 

Which of the following is not a type of identity discussed in the text? 

Question 22 options:

	a)  organizational
	b)  personal
	c)  neurobiological
	d)  cyber
	e)  fantasy

Question 23 (2 points)

 

The process of creating and recreating cultural identity through communication is referred to as ____. 

Question 23 options:

	a)  conditioning
	b)  embedding
	c)  redacting
	d)  enacting
	e)  morphing

Question 24 (2 points)

 

One can have both a national and regional identity at the same time.

Question 24 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 25 (2 points)

 

An example of regional identity would be a/n: 

Question 25 options:

	a)  Italian
	b)  Southerner
	c)  American
	d)  Columbian
	e)  German

Question 26 (2 points)

 

Societal identity is 'one's sense of belonging to a particular cultural or ethnic group.

Question 26 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 27 (2 points)

 

Personal identity is what sets you apart from other out-group members and marks you as special or unique.

Question 27 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 28 (2 points)

 

Identity is important to the study of intercultural communication because it influences expectations about your own and others' social roles.

Question 28 options:

	a) True
	b) False

 

 

Question 29 (2 points)

 

Identity is normally not associated with commemorative events.

Question 29 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 30 (2 points)

 

It is through communication that we are able to express and make known our similarities and dissimilarities to others.

Question 30 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 31 (2 points)

 

The frequent use of the word 'I' in American conversations reflects: 

Question 31 options:

	a)  ethnocentrism
	b)  the cultural value of the individual
	c)  elitism
	d)   the cultural value of collectivism

Question 32 (2 points)

 

Differences in spelling between American English and that used in England were the result of ____. 

Question 32 options:

	a)  the natural evolution of language
	b)  a calculated effort
	c)  limited access to dictionaries and other resources in Colonial America
	d)  simple but repeated errors

Question 33 (2 points)

 

The principal difference between translation and interpretation is ____. 

Question 33 options:

	a)  contextual nuances in interpretation don't apply to translation
	b)  written content is generally the focus of translation whereas interpretation involves spoken words
	c)  translation occurs as it is happening while interpretation occurs after the fact
	d)  the two terms are used synonymously to mean the same thing

Question 34 (2 points)

 

Communicative interaction, especially conversation, is not important to most Mexicans.

Question 34 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 35 (2 points)

 

The most common language among Internet users is English.

Question 35 options:

	a) True
	b) False

 

Question 36 (2 points)

 

Japanese language reflects the culture's emphasis on one's social position.

Question 36 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 37 (2 points)

 

Dialects reflect the variations in pronunciation that occur when people are speaking the same language.

Question 37 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 38 (2 points)

 

The idea that language is a dominant influence in shaping one's worldview and perception of reality is commonly known as ____. 

Question 38 options:

	a)  the synergy of language and culture
	b)  the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
	c)  the many-worlds interpretation
	d)  the perceptual interface
	e)  the linguistic theory of mind

Question 39 (2 points)

 

Argot is the specific term for specialized vocabulary shared by a group and  jargon is the more general term.

Question 39 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 40 (2 points)

 

The 'noisy, animated speech' form often associated with Arabs is normally limited to interactions with elders and superiors.

Question 40 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 41 (2 points)

 

Examples of regional accents in the United States include: 

Question 41 options:

	a)  Northern and Southern
	b)  Australian and Canadian
	c)  English and German
	d)  Coptic and Nordic

Question 42 (2 points)

 

Dialect refers to: 

Question 42 options:

	a)  pronunciation of shared vocabulary
	b)  someone who speaks two languages
	c)  differences in vocabulary and grammar
	d)  pronunciation of non-shared vocabulary

 

Question 43 (2 points)

 

What is the most important consideration when choosing an interpreter: 

Question 43 options:

	a)  language knowledge
	b)  dialect knowledge
	c)  specialized terminology
	d)  cultural knowledge
	e)  all of these things

Question 44 (2 points)

 

Accents refer to differences in vocabulary, grammar, and even punctuation.

Question 44 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 45 (2 points)

 

Being mindful, monitoring your speech rate, and selecting appropriate vocabulary are all ways to improve intercultural communication competence.

Question 45 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 46 (2 points)

 

African Americans tend to use less inflection and vocal range than most white Americans.

Question 46 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 47 (2 points)

 

Identify the "unintentional" example of nonverbal communication: 

Question 47 options:

	a)  smiling to let a friend know you're happy
	b)  giving a "thumbs up" sign when asked about how you did on your intercultural communication test
	c)  looking at your watch because you want to leave a conversation (Incorrect)
	d)  looking at your watch to see what time it is

Question 48 (2 points)

 

What dimension of nonverbal communication puts an increased burden on you whether you are the sender or the receiver? 

Question 48 options:

	a)  nonverbal sensitization
	b)  nonverbal ambiguity
	c)  nonverbal monomorphism
	d)  nonverbal polymorphism
	e)  nonverbal sensitivity

Question 49 (2 points)

 

A conceptualization in which time is viewed as a finite, scarce resource which must be rationed and controlled is referred to as: 

Question 49 options:

	a)  m-time
	b)  bounded time
	c)  p-time
	d)  unbounded time
	e)  f-time

 

Question 50 (2 points)

 

The "thumbs up" sign is considered positive in the U.S. as well as in Australia and West Africa.

Question 50 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 51 (2 points)

 

If a person say's "ok" while gesturing with a 'thumbs-up' or 'a-ok' sign, what is the function o the nonverbal communication? 

Question 51 options:

	a)  regulating
	b)  repeating
	c)  substituting
	d)  creating identity
	e)  conforming display

Question 52 (2 points)

 

Which of the following is true about agreement gestures? 

Question 52 options:

	a)  they mean the same thing in every culture
	b)  always indicates agreement
	c)  are culturally based
	d)  none of these

Question 53 (2 points)

 

Which of the following is true regarding the nonverbal message value of clothing? 

Question 53 options:

	a)   it can convey social and economic status;
	b)  moral standards
	c)  belief system
	d)  athletic abilities or interests
	e)  all of these

Question 54 (2 points)

 

Umms, ers, likes, and you knows in a stream of speech are referred to as vocal segregates.

Question 54 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 55 (2 points)

 

According the spatial rules of the dominant U.S. culture, two people standing approximately 3 feet apart are likely to be: 

Question 55 options:

	a)  family or a close friend
	b)  business acquaintances
	c)  intimate partner or significant other
	d)  strangers
	e)  colleagues

Question 56 (2 points)

 

Nonverbal behavior has little role in regulating interactions.

Question 56 options:

	a) True
	b) False

 

Question 57 (2 points)

 

While all people use various movements to communicate, 

Question 57 options:

	a)  some movements are more common than others
	b)  culture teaches people how to use and interpret those movements
	c)  actors are better at it than others
	d)  it is only those movements that are innate

Question 58 (2 points)

 

The correct way to beckon or call someone over to you nonverbally is with: 

Question 58 options:

	a)  one hand palm up, fingers together, moving toward the body
	b)  cupping a hand palm down pulling fingers in toward the body
	c)  right hand up palm out fingers opening and closing
	d)  it depends on the cultural rules

Question 59 (2 points)

 

If you say "good job" while giving the 'thumbs up' sign, you are substituting the message with nonverbal communication.

Question 59 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 60 (2 points)

 

All of the following are purposes of silence except: 

Question 60 options:

	a)  give participants time to think
	b)  provide feedback
	c)  reward
	d)  punishment
	e)  suppress an emotion

Question 61 (2 points)

 

A holistic worldview results in a uniform approach to understanding the causes of illness.

Question 61 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 62 (2 points)

 

Which of the following would not help teachers communicate empathically? 

Question 62 options:

	a)  attend to student's nonverbal and verbal behaviors
	b)  emphasize a competitive climate
	c)  accurately reflect and clarify feelings
	d)  be genuine and congruent
	e)  none of these

Question 63 (2 points)

 

Cultures such as Germany and Israel view assertiveness as a deficit.

Question 63 options:

	a) True
	b) False

 

Question 64 (2 points)

 

When negotiating with Brazilians, representatives of American businesses should:           

Question 64 options:

	a)  emphasis the universal rather than the specific
	b)  emphasize task over relationship
	c)  emphasize group over individual
	d)  none of these

Question 65 (2 points)

 

Ineffective communication strategies in multicultural classrooms include:

Question 65 options:

	a)  provide lots of opportunities to discuss global issues relevant to students
	b)  be sensitive to cultural customs that may differ from the mainstream
	c)  remind students that the classroom is a safe place for learning
	d)  encourage conversations that perpetuate us and them discussions
	e)  none of these

Question 66 (2 points)

 

Chinese tend to think in terms of role fulfillment where employees are given a job role or title to fulfill, though they are not necessarily expected to perform the job.

Question 66 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 67 (2 points)

 

The general intercultural negotiation skills recommended include all of the following except ____. 

Question 67 options:

	a)  avoid and resist ambiguity
	b)  be prepared
	c)  develop sensitivity to the use of time
	d)  listen carefully
	e)  locate areas of agreement

Question 68 (2 points)

 

A person's native language had deep significance because it is the seed of identity that blossoms as children grow.

Question 68 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 69 (2 points)

 

Mexican's rarely use honorific titles.

Question 69 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 70 (2 points)

 

Chinese business culture is associated with all of the following except: 

Question 70 options:

	a)  a collectivist, high-context culture that diffuses decision-making responsibilities
	b)  Chinese make decisions based on relationships
	c)  rarely defer personal interests to those of the group
	d)  discourage independent expression
	e)  power relationships are the ultimate determinant of Chinese social interaction

 

Question 71 (2 points)

 

The Indian economy is sometimes compared to an elephant because it is not capable of running swiftly as some smaller "tiger-like" Asian economies but enjoys the advantage of being stable and less affected by upsets and disturbances.

Question 71 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 72 (2 points)

 

In the business sector, culture determines: 

Question 72 options:

	a)  protocol
	b)  management and leadership
	c)  decision-making
	d)  negotiation and conflict management
	e)  all of these

Question 73 (2 points)

 

For the Chinese, a contract is a rigid agreement to which parties are expected to adhere precisely to the various provisions.

Question 73 options:

	a) True
	b) False

Question 74 (2 points)

 

The shared understanding of the meaning of communication and the behaviors appropriate for specific situations reflect what basic assumption?   

Question 74 options:

	a)  communication is culturally determined
	b)  communication is rule governed
	c)  communication has a consequence
	d)  communication is unavoidable
	e)  communication is dynamic

Question 75 (2 points)

 

Domestically, all of the following statements about businesses in the U.S. are false except ____.

Question 75 options:

	a)  increases in minority co-cultures have impacted both workplace and marketplace
	b)  minority owned businesses grew by about 45% between 2002-2007
	c)  more than 2.3 million businesses in the U.S. owned by Hispanics
	d)  most business transactions involve a culturally homogeneous population

 

COM303 Week 8 Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation

You will record an 8-10 minute video speech of an informative exploration of a country of your choosing (excluding the United States of America). Presentations should follow a standard format and include all elements of an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Your research and presentation should focus on the deep structural elements of culture in your chosen country, as described by the text (family, religion, state). Your research will require collection of appropriate sources that will help inform your presentation. In addition to the text a minimum of four (4) sources should be orally cited in the body of your speech.

As in any public presentation, you should be dressed appropriately and stand in front of your audience (me and your camera). You should be speaking from appropriate, hand-held notes, not a computer screen or poster boards in the background.

To complete this particular assignment, you will need to record your speech using some sort of recording device. You will also need a video player installed on your computer to view your recorded speech, and the ability to upload that speech to YouTube.

 

I WILL PROVIDE MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN USE TO PREPARE VIDEO.  You can simply read out the content I provide and record video.