DM2556 Intercultural Communication, Spring 2015

DM2556 Intercultural communication

Intercultural communication is a field of study that investigates how people from different countries and differing cultural backgrounds behave, communicate and perceive the world around them, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavour to communicate across cultures.

In the world today there is an ever growing number of contacts and communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This communication takes place because of contacts within the areas of business, international organizational co-operation, science, education, massmedia, entertainment, tourism, and - of course - migration. Intercultural communication studies how people from different cultural and social backgrounds behave, communicate and perceive the world around them, and how they communicate across cultures. The study of intercultural communication brings together academic disciplines such as Critical Theory, Cultural Studies, Film studies, Literary studies, Management, Media studies, Philosophy, Postcolonialism, Psychology, Social anthropology, and other disciplines. The central objectives of the course are to understand what it means to become a stranger (both in another culture and in one's "own" culture); how people from different cultures communicate with each other in organizations and enterprises; how to improve the ability to successfully communicate with people of other cultures (intercultural competence); ethical dimensions of intercultural communication (hospitality). The course will also focus on how media, media technology and media systems work in different cultures and societies, including issues like freedom of press, advertising and propaganda, entertainment imperialism, education, business, digital and social media. The course is based on lectures, seminars, study visits and indiviudal project work.

The course Intercultural communication is also available as PhD course DM3511.

Course literature

Myron W. Lustig & Jolene Koester, Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures, 7th edition (Pearson 2013) = IC

Nadeem Aslam, Maps for Lost Lovers (London, Faber and Faber, 2005)

Articles

Course schedule (Spring 2015)