COM 372: Theory and Research in Intercultural Communication
Summer, 2019—On-Line (Sec.
01) JUNE 17-JULY 12, 2019
School of Communication--Illinois
State University--John R.
Baldwin
Updated: 2019
July 8
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Instructor: John R. Baldwin |
Office: Fell Hall 420 |
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Office Hours: Virtual: by appt or email |
Office Phone: 438-7110 |
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Email: jrbaldw@ilstu.edu |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS!: See ReggieNet! |
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Writing
Academese! Here are some writing tips! |
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Course Texts
·
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S.
(2015). (Eds.). Intercultural
communication: A reader (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth. ISBN 9781285077390
·
Additional readings are on reserve in Milner Library (on-line).
Course
Goals
Many companies today seek employees with intercultural skills, and researchers in many areas of fine arts and social sciences now consider the role of culture in their studies. An advanced undergraduate course should provide students with the ability to understand research and theory in the area of intercultural communication. However, we must balance this with the fact that many students in the course have no background in the area, and most students seek a practical focus ("what works?"). For that reason, this course will balance review of primary studies and theoretical writings with introductory readings. We will also apply the concepts practically to concerns of international students and workers, media producers (and consumers!), and public relations professionals.
A
Summer Course: Think “Condensed”—not “Short!”
A one-month summer course is a crazy thing. During a regular semester, you have three hours of lecture and perhaps 2-3 readings per week, with some exam or written assignment every 2-3 weeks—an average time expense of about 135 hours/semester. In a one-month course, you are covering an entire week’s worth of material each day of class! By the end of your fourth day of class (one week), you will cover one month’s worth of material! This task is not for the light-hearted! Please do not take a summer course if you are interested in doing less work than a typical semester. Leave now, and make some polite excuse to save face. I am under requirement by the university to make a summer course, be it face-to-face or on-line, every bit as rigorous—“the same experience as”—a regular semester course. However, because of the condensed time-line, there are some changes we need to make.
Specifically, the regular semester class contains a data-collection 15 to 20-page research project, done individually or in groups. It is not realistic to do the same thing during the summer semester. I have tried a variety of things in the past—a 10-page, 10-source library paper (been there, done that), an intercultural “blog” where you relate class concepts to your personal experiences (but this begins to look too much like in-class essays or a lower-level class assignment). In the end, I have “streamlined” the semester to include heavy Internet (asynchronous) bulletin board, closed-ended quizzes, with essays that will require application to class concepts, and a “research portfolio” that introduces you to main types of intercultural research.
Specific Course Objectives: In this course, you should:
· Increase your knowledge and analytical skills regarding communication between people from different racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in both international and domestic settings.
· Develop the skills necessary to read, evaluate, and use intercultural theories.
· Develop an introductory ability to read and evaluate different types of intercultural research.
· Be able to understand basic qualitative and quantitative intercultural research.
· Be able to make practical applications of theory and research to business, education, marketing, media, or relationships--and to your own life.
· Realize that intercultural communication studies can be challenging but fun!
Course
Grade
You will earn your grade through the following
assignments:
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Assignment |
Due Date |
Earned |
Possible |
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Research Portfolio:
CHOOSE 3 of first 4! ·
Quantitative
Project (Survey/Experimental) ·
Interpretive
Project (OEQ/interview/observation) ·
Critical
Media project (content analysis/rhet crit) ·
Theory
Summary & Critique (optional) |
Monday Wk2 Monday Wk3 Monday Wk4 Monday after last week TBA |
50 pts 50 pts 50 pts |
150 |
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Exams: [study
guides are tentative until updated 2017] ·
Week 1 ·
Week 2 ·
Week 3 ·
Week 4: FINAL
(some portions comprehensive) |
Each Sunday at Midnight |
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150 30 30 30 60 |
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Intercultural Application Essays (1 each week) |
4 x 20 |
80 |
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Participation (min 20
bulletin board posts) |
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50 |
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TOTAL |
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450 |
Course
Grade: 90% = A; 80% = B; 70% = C; 60% = D; under 60% = F
Course Approach
v
General format/Texts: As a 300-level class, this course has a lot
of reading—typically one reading per day in a regular semester, so 2-3
readings per day in a summer course. Our text is a famous “reader” (that
is, an edited book, with short chapters by different authors (SPMR). The reader
presents essays focused on very specific topics by authors who are experts
within specific areas of culture and communication. Many days, you will have
some say over the exact readings you choose in the reader, with the
understanding that you will learn much
more than I can test you on! Think
and look ahead at what you want to get out of the course. Still, all
class activities should work toward meeting our class objectives.
v
Asynchronous, yet time-bound: Our course takes place during the time period
of one month. We hold no meetings; if you are on-line, you can log on and do
your work at any time you like. You should log on a minimum of 4
days during each week (as evidenced through your “class
participation”—see below). This will
keep us all participating with each other
on the course content at the same time. However, you may log on different
days within a week. The syllabus has no dates, but “day 1, day 2” and so on of
each of 4 weeks. I will count “Day 1” as Monday. Your “Day 1” might be
Monday, but someone else’s may be Thursday! But don’t wait until Friday, or you
will get yourself in a jam! By Sunday night midnight of each week, we should
all be caught up with each other. Note that one of the grading criteria for
bulletin board participation is that it is “consistent” throughout the semester
and not “clumped” at the beginning or end.
v
Multimedia: This course will integrate three main forms
of media:
1.
ReggieNet: Teaching modules, on-line (bulletin-board style) discussions, and
quizzes/exams, course announcements. We will turn in and return assignments
through ReggieNet.
2.
ReggieNet e-mail: for correspondence to/from instructor.
3.
Internet: Main syllabus with hotlinks to
assignment descriptions. Most or all of this also appears on ReggieNet. Also, we may have occasional Youtube
or other exercises. You should have access to a high-speed modem to do the course
effectively. Yes—I have had people sign up for this course when they have no
reliable means of accessing the Internet.
Description
of Assignments
v
Exercises/Participation (50 pts): Based on contributions to
classroom and/or Webboard discussion, attention,
participation in any group exercises. More weight will be given to participation
that reflects knowledge of and thought about the reading (whether or
not your understanding of reading matches mine!) as well as engaged
interaction with other students. There is no specific grading on
attendance (or exactly how many days/week you log on), but lack of attendance
(or doing all of your participation in just a few time chunks) limits
what others and I can learn from you and your experiences (and thus
limits your participation grade). For on-line, you have a minimum of 20 Web-board posts during the summer. A minimum of 10 of
these should be responses/interaction with others, and minimum of 10 should be
“unique” contributions of some sort. See the grade sheet before the semester
begins!
v
Mini Research
Portfolio (MRP) (except graduate students) (150 pts): You will create a portfolio of relatively
short assignments (typically 2-4 pages each) that will provide you with
knowledge of tools that can be useful in conducting cross-cultural, diversity,
or other forms of research, and to give you a good understanding of how theory
works. In each case, you will do just a “small portion” of an exercise, enough
to give you some familiarity with it. The main idea is to imagine how two or three
different research approaches might look at the same research topic. If you want to know more about a specific
method, please contact me, and we can talk “beyond class” about it. All assignments are
due at Midnight the Monday of the following week. For further
details, go to the ReggieNet file. All three mini- projects should be related
to the same general area of interest, if not the same specific area of
interest. That is, you must choose a
single “research topic” that you will apply all three papers to. You may choose any 3. The theory paper (#5
below) is optional and rarely shapes grade substantially. (See examples on ReggieNet link).
1.
Wk 1: MRP1: Research Article
Abstract (50 pts): A roughly 2 pp. single-spaced summary of a journal
article. The article must (1) be an actual study, either of media text(s)
or human communication; (2) deal with culture and communication in some way
(either American cultural values/norms, diversity within the United States,
cross-national differences, or intercultural communication); (3) follow the
format described on the link; and (4) include your own evaluation of the
article with implications for culture and/or communication. I will provide a list of sample articles, or
you may choose your own with approval.
2.
Wk 2: MRP2: “Scientific”
Project (50 pts): Here you create a survey but do
not actually collect any data! You should use existing surveys that are
available at Milner library in a book, or if you are not in-town, you should
locate existing surveys on-line or create them from the results section of
different articles—do not create your own
measure from scratch! If you find surveys on-line, they should be as
academic as possible, such as Ward’s
measurement for sociocultural adjustment, Norton’s Communicator
Style measure, Triandis’ measure of individualism/collectivism, etc.
Another option is to use a survey in conjunction with an experiment that you
design (but will not actually conduct). A summary essay includes the rationale
for the research questions or hypotheses (including different types of
questions addressed in class notes), a description of the measure, and how you
will address cross-cultural or other issues of validity. Total length is about
3-4 pp. double-spaced. Typically, this study might be part of rationale for
MRP2, 3, and/or 4.
3.
Wk 3: MRP3: “Interpretive”
Project (50 pts): In this paper, you either (1) conduct a single interview or focus
group, (2) create a brief open-ended questionnaire (about 2-3
questions—1 page) and give it to 10 people, or (3) do a one-hour systematic observation
of a cultural “site.” I must approve the
survey, topic, or observation. In a 3-4 pp. DS paper, you will again give a
rationale for the topic (if you did MRP2, you could use elements of same
rationale), present the RQ(s) that guide(s) the study, and summarize the themes
you find in your analysis.
4.
Wk 4: MRP4: Critical
Media Project (50 pts): (content analysis/rhet crit): In this paper, you do either a quantitative
(mini-)content analysis of media (e.g., using a coding sheet to count
frequencies of appearances (variables) of people of different diverse groups in
a type of media, with multiple observations) or a rhetorical analysis of a single mediated text. Regardless of your
approach, your summary paper (3-4 pp DS) should include critical terms as
presented in the “representation of difference” section of class.
5.
Two weeks
post-class: Theory
Summary & Critique (100 pts, OPTIONAL): This paper—about 5
double-spaced pages, is more abstract and worth more points. Here you find
original readings on a single theory that seems most related to your project
and that we have covered in class (unless you have approval to use an outside
theory). The paper summarizes the theory in your own words, shows the
applications to the production and consumption of (face-to-face or mediated)
messages dealing with culture as it relates to your topic, and evaluates the
theory.
6.
Primary
Research Project anyone? Some undergraduates may want to do the “primary data collection
and analysis” paper, so I will allow you, individually or in groups, to “opt
out” of the Research Portfolio and/or
application essays in exchange for a data-analysis (conference-type) paper,
due at the end of the summer. Undergrad
papers are about 15-20 pp.(double-space).
v
Quizzes: Quizzes evaluate your mastery of readings,
lectures, and class discussions. They combine multiple choice and short answer.
They will be available in ReggieNet from the first
possible “Day 4” (Thu) to the last possible “Day 4” (Sunday night, midnight).
Be able to comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate concepts. Pay
special attention to theories in your reading, as exam essays will
almost always be focused on these. The exams are open-book, but they are
timed, usually ˝ hour for 15 questions. Please
take the on-line exams on a secure line (e.g., not on a wireless network),
because if your connection cuts out, you cannot renew. You can take first three
quizzes twice and you get to keep the best score. Here’s a sample of Baldwinesque Quiz Questions. Helpful tools for
preparing for exams:
o
Study
f2f or on-line with someone!
o
Use ReggieNet notes—watch for red-bolded items.
o
Download
study guides before you read so you know what to focus on!
v
Application
Essays: Instead of essay
questions on exams, you will write four well-developed application essays that apply some class concept or framework to
an experience you have had or to some “artifact.” There will be some specific
requirements in the overall grading. Read the final grading sheet carefully!
The journal, along with the class participation, will make this a very applied
course (even though we focus on research and theory!). Some of the papers will
have specific prompts!
o HINTS: (1) Clear application
with mention of specific class terms and
reading(s). (2) Good detail of
application of a variety of related concepts (such as a framework)—don’t
write the whole application paper about one concept in a theory or one
dimension of a framework. (3) If using a theory or framework, try to apply all
the concepts to the same event,
relationship or culture—that is, don’t apply each concept of the theory or
framework to a different incident or experience. This allows you better to see
how the theory or framework should work. (4) Some level of personal application/analysis is helpful! (I’m the only one who
reads it!). It’s often nice to “evaluate” the concept/framework after you apply
it! Here are some of my own applications on my Intercultural
Blog.
v
Extra Credit (up to .15% of total grade): For extra credit,
you may attend any out-of-class presentation or engage in an
intercultural experience out of class—either at ISU or in your
community—and write a brief report on it. I especially encourage out-of-class
experiences that include civic or political engagement. Your
report must tie the experience explicitly to class concepts. I will post
ideas as we go along, but you can should take the initiative to propose your
own ideas.
v
Graduate Student
Primary Research Project
(150
pts). Graduate students do not complete mini-portfolio. Instead,
you do a primary research paper (that is, where you collect and analyze your
own face-to-face or media data)—with a review of literature, methods section,
results section, and discussion. ‘A’ papers will those that could be presented
at a regional conference. These papers will be due in August. Due to the depth
of this project and the fact that good papers also include theory and
application, you may also choose to substitute final project also for weekly
essays. If you do so, your final project will be worth 230 pts. You may work
alone or in groups of up to three students.
Important Notes:
1. LATE work may be
penalized 10% for each class day late. If lateness is habitual for a given
student, stiffer penalties may be imposed.
2. All assignments should be typed and
double-spaced, according to American Psychological Association (APA) style
manual, 6th edition, unless
otherwise noted (e.g., the abstract, which is single-spaced). Margins
should be 1 inch on all sides, using a standard font (11- or 12-pt). Please pay
attention to APA format on sources, citation, use of et al., spacing after paragraphs, heading format, gender-neutral
language, and appropriate formal tone for academic papers (don’t use “you,”
colloquialisms, etc.). Application papers may have a different tone or
“register” than the MRPs, which should be academic.
3. Only in extreme circumstances will students be
permitted to make up exams or get deadline extensions on projects. Make-up
opportunities must be discussed with the instructor in advance of the missed class period or due date.
4. The failure to take any exam will result in an automatic grade of "F" for the
course. If a test or presentation is missed, it is the student's responsibility
to make arrangements with the instructor.
5. Always keep careful records of your progress:
attendance, returned papers, etc. until you receive (and are in agreement
with!) final grade for course. This is especially true for group assignments.
It is your responsibility to keep track of your academic progress. If at any
time you would like to know your status formally, please visit me during office
hours. All papers will be turned in and returned electronically, through ReggieNet.
6. Any form of cheating, including plagiarized papers,
will automatically result in a minimum penalty of "F" in the
assignment. In some cases, a further sanction may be enforced.
7. The
instructor reserves all rights to make changes to this syllabus. However, any
changes regarding due dates of assignments or dates of tests
will be carried out only by class consensus. In effect, the syllabus is our
"contract." We usually stay close on target with syllabus. If there are
updates to schedule, I will post your e-mail account with notification. You
are responsible for keeping up with readings and due dates of assignments.
8. Demand and show respect! Some topics we
discuss may be emotional for you. It is important to show respect for others
and their opinions as well as expect the same for your own.
Special
Needs: Any student in need of a special
accommodation for a documented disability should contact Student Access and
Accommodation Services, 350 Fell Hall 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).
Tentative Schedule 372
Updated 2019 June 15
NOTE: “Green” shading means that the
learning module is ready to go!
Do not expect
any module to be ready prior to the day that it would normally be taught f2f.
Readings: SPMR: Samovar
et al. reader. RN: ReggieNet
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Wk |
Day1 |
Day2 |
Day3 |
Day4 |
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1 6/17-6/23 2019 |
Wk1 Day 1 Overview Opening podcast UNIT I: Introductions Topic: Rationale ·
History of ICC:
Notes Readings: ·
Rationale ·
SPMR: Korzenny 42-46 McDaniel & Samovar 5-16 ·
RN: Murky Waters ·
[Optional: RN: Leeds-Hurwitz] ASSIGNMENTS: ·
Review Portfolio
·
Review MRP1:
abstract |
1:2 Overview Topic: Action, Ethics, & Research ·
Intro to
Research 1: Paradigms [notes with optional
power point—more practice on day 3!] Readings: ·
SPMR Ch 8: Evanoff, 417-422 Kale 422-426 ·
Optional: RN: B et al Chapter 2 |
1:3 Overview Topic: Culture and Communication ·
Views of comm ·
Definitions of
culture ·
Models of ICC & video analysis Readings: ·
RN:Moon ·
RN: Martin et
al. ·
RN: BCGS. 3 ·
Opt: Baldwin et
al. Ch. 2 ·
Opt: SPMR:
Cleveland 401-404 |
1:4 Overview UNIT 2: Elements Topic: Values/WV · Rules,
cultural values, norms, beliefs Readings: ·
Values etc.
Notes ·
RN: Courtright et al. ·
SPMR: Part
9: Miike & Yin. Optional: Jain/Begley (SPMR pp. 121-132) ·
Friday OR
Reynolds ·
Several optional
readings IC Research: ResNot1: Survey Research. Podcast Wk 1 ASSIGNMENTS Portfolio
topics Ex1/App1 Sun
midnight |
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2 6/24-6/30 |
2.1 Overview Topic:
Identity ·Assimilation,
integration, etc. ·Gender, sex,
sexual orient identities Readings: All readings
SPMR ·Chen 61-69 ·Braithwaite
& Braithwaite; 162-173 ·Pearson:
174-182 ASSIGNMENTS Rev MRP2:Soc Sci MRP1 Abstract
due Midnight |
2.2 Overview Topic: Identity Theories · Ethnic identities Readings: ·
SPMR Pratt et al 70-76 ·
Sauceda: 85-92 ·
Ribeau 182-189 ·
Collier 53-61 ·
Opt: Johnson:
African American Comm ResNot2:
Thematic Analysis |
2.3 Overview Topic: Identity · Whiteness Readings: ·
OL: Baldwin “Stranger” ·
SPMR: Martin 76-85 ·
RN: Orbe ·
Videos:
“Stranger in the Village,” etc. ASSIGNMENTS |
2.4 Overview Topic: Intolerance ·
Prejudice terms ·
Where is
“intolerance” ·
Addressing
intolerance: Contact hypothesis Website: Intolerance Readings: ·
RN: Dovidio et al. (contact) ·
Eadie: 190-208 ·
Cargile 251-259 ·
OPT: Baldwin
& Hecht, 2003 Ex2/App2 Sun
Midnight |
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3 7/1-7/7 |
3.1 Overview UNIT 3: Messages Topic: Verbal / Rhetoric ·
Sapir-Whorf,
Bernstein ·
Levels of
language and meaning ·
Myth and metaphor Website: Verbal Code Readings: ·
SPMR: Fong
209-216 Ellis
& Maoz 217-224; Roy,
224-229 ResNot3: Ethnog (of Comm) ASSIGNMENTS MRP2 Soc Sci (create-a-survey) due
Mon Midnight Review Port3: Interpretive |
3.2 Overview Topic: Verbal Specifics ·
Language, speech
codes in various cultures ·
Language
attitudes ·
Theory: CAT Readings: Website: Language
specifics ·
SPMR: SPMR: Skow & Samovar: 141-149 ·
Bergelson 133-140 ·
RN: Giles &
Noels: CAT ·
RN: Giles &
Noels: CAT Theory
Interlude: How to evaluate theories (in notes) |
3.3 Overview Topic: Nonverbal ·
Forms &
Functions ·
Issues in NVC ·
Theory: EVT Website: Nonverbal Code Readings: ·
RN: Remland OR Ekman ·
SPMR: Andersen: 229-242 McDaniel 242-250 ResNot4: Qt Field Studies |
HOLIDAY: Day off for July 4th! But: ASSIGNMENTS Ex3/App3 Sun
Midnight |
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4 7/8-7/14 |
4.1 Overview Topic: Media ·
Effects &
Rituals ·
Media & Identities:
“cultural studies” ·
Theories:
Cultivation Theory & Semiotics ·
Globalization Readings: ·
Choose 1 each Media
1: C.A. Media
2: Rhet ·
SPMR: Shuter
472-481 ResNot5: Media
studies ASSIGNMENTS MRP3 Humanistic
due WED midnight Review Port4:
Media/Critical |
4.2 Overview UNIT 4: Applications Topic: Adaptation ·
U-/W Curve ·
Theories ·
Return Cultural
Adjustment ·
IC Comm Competence Website: Adaptation Readings: ·
Notes ·
SMPR: Kim pp.
385-387; Spitzberg 343-355 ·
RN: Kim, Ch 5 ·
Optional RN:
Smith ·
Optional: SPMR:
Kim 430-438) |
4.3 Overview Topic: Relationships & Conflict ·
Cultural views
of relationship ·
Theories of IC
relational development and maintenance ·
Unique cultural
relational patterns ·
Conflict: FNCT Website: Conflict Readings: ·
Class Notes: ·
SPMR Yum 110-120 ·
RN: Ting-Toomey
& Kurogi
OR SPMR Ting-Toomey SPMR 355-367) |
4.4 Overview Topic: Business & Education ·
Cultural aspects
of orgs ·
XC health comm ·
XC classroom Readings: SPMR ·
Org: Nishiyama 266-273
OR Hinner
273-288 ·
Educ: Gay 302-320 OR Skow &
Stephan (388-302) ·
Health:
Geist-Martin 320-329 OR Rao
329-339 ASSIGNMENTS Q4/App4 Sun Midnight MRP4: Media/Criti due midnight
Wed 6/20 |