Transcript Course Description

Intercultural Communication
Y020702
Åland Polytechnic
1,5 ECTS credits
Points of Departure
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Raising awareness
Theoretical understanding: Patterns under
the surface of variety
Readiness for international cooperation
Communication analysis
Definitions of culture: Refinement, mental
programming, etc.
Objectives
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Familiarising the participants with the
central concepts of intercultural
communication.
...increased skills in understanding and
investigating other cultures and clashes of
culture
Outline of the module
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Lectures and discussions, 20 hours
Literature (links to the course homepage +
compendiums + news items/articles)
Test on the basic concepts
Interview assignment
Seminar on the results of the interviews
ICC web + web classroom on Fronter
What is intercultural
communication? (1)
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Intercultural communication is
when a message produced in one culture
Is received in another culture.
Why intercultural communication?
(2)
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Answer: Internationalisation.
Why internationalisation?
The economic world order:
Free flow of factors of production,
advantages of large-scale production,
improved communications, global
problems and global solutions
Why intercultural communication?
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Shirt - Indian,
Radio - Chinese,
Holidays are
Turkish,
Your numbers are
Arabic,
Your writing is
Roman,
And you blame your
neighbour that he
is African?
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Your Jesus is
Jewish,
Your car is
Japanese,
Your food is
Italian,
Your democracy is
Greek,
Your coffee is
Brazilian,
Your watch is
Swiss,
Why intercultural communication?
(3)
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Philosophical freedom:
Awareness of the actual possibility
...of doing almost the opposite
...because it is in fact the normal among
others
(but it has a price)
Overlapping layers of culture
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generation,
sex,
income,
education,
religion,
language,
region, etc
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Family,
company,
association,
profession,
peers,
music,
dress,
VALUES AND ATTITUDES 1.
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Value the importance of being a
competent intercultural communicator.
Acknowledge personal values as a cultural
result.
Learn to respect cultural differences.
Acknowledge the tendency to value our
inner groups.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES 2.
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Tolerate the different interpretations others
make about different facts and
happenings.
Value the importance of cultural identity,
acknowledging the value of diversity.
Gain respect towards time and space
value and management approaches in
other cultures.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES 3.
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See the cultural patterns reflected in the
languages of different cultures.
Develop a receptive attitude towards
different nonverbal behaviours.
VALUES AND ATTITUDES 4.
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Promote a win-win relationship in any
intercultural negotiation.
Understand the potential personal value
gained from the culture shock process.