Course Name: COMM 35852 Intercultural Communication
Description: In the contemporary world characterized by globalization of goods, people and ideas, and by growing processes of internal diversification, intercultural competences are necessary requirements for every individual both for personal and professional life. Intercultural Communication deals with the relevance of difference (not only among cultures but also within a culture) that is approached both as a threat and as a resource. In our everyday experience the continuous reference to the ‘other’ (ethical, religious, political, gendered etc) is used to build up the very sense of our identities and in so doing dividing the world among ‘us’ and ‘them’, ‘bad’ and ‘good’, ‘friends’ and ‘enemies’. Diversity compels us to reflect upon our values, and the taken-for-grantedness of the social world in which we live. This course will move from the social constructivist approach trying to combine together sociology, cultural anthropology, and media studies investigating the role that diversity plays in our every-day life and the importance to acquire an intercultural communication approach in order to be more effective in our processes of communication, to solve conflicts and to better understand the interactions among individuals, institutions and cultures. Theories, concepts and problems will be presented through lectures and audiovisual materials. Interaction is strongly required and will be stimulated. Students will be invited to take part in the classes commenting on the topics presented, offering opinions, surveying and practicing ‘problem solving’.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: None
Open to all students.
