Intercultural Communication for Conflict and Development Practitioners

Intercultural Communication for Conflict and Development Practitioners

Annotated Syllabus

HS 250 F1

Heller School, Brandeis University

Master’s Program in

Coexistence and Conflict

Fall Module I, 2014

This class meets on Tuesday from 9am to 11:50am in Room G54

Professor: Theodore A. Johnson, JD, MA, PhD

Phone 65023

Office: Heller-Brown 353

Email:

Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs: 10 am to 12 pm and by appointment

Course Assistant: Nyingilanyeofori Hannah Brown

Email:

Course Meeting Time Tuesdays from 9am to 11:50am

Course Goals and Learning Objectives

Goal 1: Students will develop a more keen sense of cultural self-awareness to better comprehend themselves and others within the context of intra and inter personal communication.

Learning objectives: Students will learn how to do the following:

1. Analyze culture on several levels, for example: personal, family, group, community, national, professional;
2. Recognize that culture is not static, and identify their individual cultural traits and characteristics on and among different levels;
3. Reliably and consistently engage in rational thinking by recognizing and avoiding their own and others’ cultural and ethnocentric biases;
4. Develop a more conscious pathway from division and ethnocentrism, to a more consciously inclusive environment of ethnorelativism.

Goal 2: Students will develop an appreciation for the notion that understanding culture serves as a guide or roadmap to human interactions – often called “software of the mind” – that influences beliefs, values, ideas, language, customs and rituals.

Learning objectives: Students will learn how to do the following:

1. Analyze a range of human behavior incorporating Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory;
2. Learn to understand cultural dimension theory to better appreciate the fluid dynamics within groups and sub-groups.
3. Compare and contrast choices and outcomes from interactions within and across different cultural groups.

Goal 3: Students will understand the interaction between Culture, Communication and Dispute Resolution.

Learning objectives: Students will learn how to do the following:

1. Appreciate the impact of their own culture, and those of others, on perceptions, values, thinking and choices within the dispute resolution process.
2. Analyze the varying ways in which culture impacts the communication process within dispute resolution.
3. Discuss how the power-distance dimension impacts negotiating style.
4. Illustrate the barriers in cross-cultural communication.

Goal 4: Students will develop an understanding of how international organizational culture can affect and impact the behavior of individuals in ways that differ from their individual or group cultures within the organization.

Learning objectives: Students will learn how to do the following:

1. Examine ways in which the culture of international organizations differs from national organizations on multiple levels.
2. Appreciate that the culture of international organizations may differ within national operating units of the organization.
3. Recognize that cultural differences within an international organization can be seen as a resource rather than an impediment to organizational effectiveness.

Course Requirements:

Graduate-level reading and writing skills, regular participation, effective communication skills and critical thinking skills arte essential to success in this course.

Grading Elements:

Class attendance and participation30%

Cultural Identity Paper25%

Small Group Project20%

Final Paper25%

Cultural Identity Paper

Prepare a five to seven-page, double-spaced paper on how your culture/s affect your communication. The purpose of this paper is to allow you – a member of possibility many cultures, co-cultures, and social groups – an opportunity to examine how your own cultural and social identities affect you and your communication behavior. You will be required to decide how your own cultural, social, organizational, and personal beliefs, values, and norms affect the ways you communicate with others, and to link your observations to concepts of the course. Your paper will be evaluated based on your level of insight, your demonstrated understanding of the course concepts, and the quality of your writing. Papers should be written in the APA format.

Small Group Project

This project is designed to investigate cultures that we, as a class, believe should be better understood. You will be assigned to groups of 3 or 4 people based on which culture(s) you prefer to study. (The culture may be an organization if you choose). Each group will read information about its culture of interest, interview members of that culture, if possible, and observe cultural displays in order to determine the ways in which the culture affects its members’ communication. Each group will give a 15-minute presentation that includes a presentation of the cultural components and conclusions that the group has drawn regarding how the make-up of that culture influences is communication. Your group will be evaluated based on the quality of the information you present to the class, as well as the quality of the presentation itself.

Final Paper

The final paper in this course will be a five to seven single spaced paper focusing on your new intercultural communication insights from the course and how those insight inform intercultural communication skills for development practitioners within organizations and/ or in development field work. The paper will again be evaluated based on your understanding of the intercultural communication concepts you analyze, your knowledge of the course concepts and the quality of your writing. You will be required to use the APA format.

Policies

Academic Integrity. You should know that plagiarism and misrepresentation of others’ work is unacceptable in this course. Remember plagiarism constitutes any representation of another person’s words or ideas in a manner that makes it appear as if they were your own.

Cultural Sensitivity. Due to the unusually sensitive and personal nature of culture and cultural identity and interactions, it is expected and required in this class that all participants consider the impacts of their words and opinions on your classmates. This does not mean that we are expected to avoid difficult issues and controversies; in fact, we will especially want to deal with many challenging issues. It does mean that all class members will be expected to voice their views in a respectful manner that is academically and socially supportive of each other. It is expected that we will differ, those differences should never be given abusive voice.

CLASS SESSIONS, MEETINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Session I: September 2;

What is Culture and what impact does it have on Communication?

Required Readings:

Hall, Edward T. “What is Culture?” in The Silent Language, (1973, 1990) Anchor Books: Ch 2: pp. 20 - 32

Avruch, Kevin “Culture, A Concept and Approach” in Culture and Conflict Resolution (1998, 2002) USIP Press: pp. 5 – 16

Hofstede, Geert. “Levels of Culture” in Culture and Organizations, Software of the Mind (1997) McGraw-Hill: pp. 3 – 19

Ting-Toomey, Stella. “Intercultural Communication: An Introduction”, in Communicating Across Cultures (1999) Guilford Press: pp. 3 – 24

Recommended Readings:

Bennett, Milton J. “Intercultural Communication: A Current Perspective”, in Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication Selected Readings. Milton J. Bennett ed. (1998) Intercultural Press; pp 1 – 34.

Barnlund, Dean. “Communication in a Global Village”: in Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication (Bennett); pp 35 – 51)

Session II: September 9;

Communication Theory and Five Basic Problems and Dilemmas of Society: Identity, Hierarchy, Gender, Truth and Virtue

Required Readings:

Littlejohn, Stephen W. and Karen Al Foss: “Defining Communication”, “Communication Theory” and “Levels of Communication” in Theories of Human Communication 9th ed. (2011) Wadsworth Publishing. From Chapters I & II.

Hofstede et al: Exploring Culture “Ten Synthetic Culture Profiles” pp. 91- 113;

“Getting to know the Synthetic Cultures” pp. 115 – 134; “Dialogues in Synthetic Culture Roles” pp. 135 – 160

Hampden-Turner, Charles, and Fons Trompenaars. “Individualism and Communitarianism: The Dilemma” and “Reconciling Individualism and Communitarianism” in Building Cross Cultural Competence (2000) Yale University Press. Chapters III and IV.

Ting-Toomey, Stella. “Value Orientations and intercultural Encounters” in Communicating Across Cultures: Chapter 3 pp. 57 – 82.

Session III: September 16;

Working with Cross Cultural Dimensions

Required Readings:

Littlejohn et al, “Perceptions, Message Reception and Processing” (Chapter VII) and, “Social and Cultural Realities.” (Chapter IX).

Hall, “Vocabulary of Culture” (Chapter III).

Ting-Toomey, Stella. “Mindful Intercultural Verbal Communication” in Communicating Across Cultures: (Chapter IV).

Recommended Reading:

Singer, Marshall R. “Culture: A Perceptual Approach”, in Bennett: Basic Concepts pp. 97 – 110.

NOTE: NO CLASS ON SEPTEMER 23 – IT IS A BRANDEIS THURSDAY

Session IV: September 30;

Direct and Indirect Communication – Verbal and non-Verbal

Cultural Identity Paper Due

Required Readings:

Bowe, Heather and Kylie Martin. “Direct and indirect messages in a social context” and, “Politeness and face”, in Mutual Understanding in a Global World. (2007) Cambridge University Press. (Chapter 2 & 3)

Ting-Toomey, Stella. “Mindful Intercultural Nonverbal Communication” in Communicating Across Cultures. Chapter 5.

Ramsey, Sheila J. “Interactions between North Americans and Japanese: Considerations of Communication style” in Bennett: Basic Concepts pp. 111 – 130.

Recommended Readings:

Kochman, Thomas. “Black and White Cultural Styles in Pluralistic Perspective” in Bennett: Basic Concepts pp 131 – 156.

Session V: October 7;

Culture, Intercultural Communication and Organizations; Mapping the cultural landscape from a development practitioner’s perspective

Required Readings:

Argyris, Chris. “Why Individuals and Organizations Have Difficulty in Double-loop Learning?” in On Organizational Learning second ed. (1999) Blackwell Publishing pp. 67 – 79

“Teaching Smart People How to Learn” Organizational Learning, pp 127 – 138

“A Leadership Dilemma: Skilled Incompetence” Organizational Learning, pp 139 – 148

Hofstede, Geert “Understanding power distance in social class and the workplace”, in Culture and Organizations, Software of the Mind (1997) McGraw-Hill pp 27 – 37

“How does the Individualism-Collectivism dimension apply in the work place?” Culture and Organizations pp 49 - 67

“What impact does the Masculine-Feminine dimension have in organizations?” Culture and Organizations pp 79 – 96

Session VI: October 14;

What is the role of intercultural communication and dispute resolution for development workers?

Required Readings:

Ting-Toomey, Stella; and John G. Oetzel. “Intercultural Conflict: A Culture-Based Situational Model”, and “Intercultural Conflict in Diverse Work Groups” in Managing Intercultural Conflict Effectively (2001) Sage Publications. Chapter 2 & 4

Avruch, Kevin. “Culture and Negotiation” in Culture and Conflict Resolution pp 39 – 55

Brett, Jeanne. “Negotiation and Culture; A Framework,” in Negotiating Globally. (2001). Jossey-Bass Chapter 1

Salacuse, Jeswald W. “Ten ways That Culture Affects Negotiating Style.” Negotiation Journal, 1992: 221.

Recommended Readings:

Faure, Guy Olivier and Jeffrey Z. Rubin Eds. “International Negotiation: Does Culture Make a Difference?” in Culture and Negotiation, (19930 Sage Publications, pp 1 – 46

Session VII: October 21;

Recommendations and applications for the development practitioner; developing self-mastery of personal and social restraints.

Small Group Presentations.

Required Readings:

Bennett, Milton J. “Overcoming the Golden Rule: Sympathy and Empathy” in Basic Concepts pp 191 – 214.

Ting-Toomey, Stella. “Transcultural Communication Competence” in Communication Across Cultures pp 261 – 276

Johnson, Theodore A. “Conclusions and Recommendations” in “The Paralysis of Culture…Increasing Cross-Cultural Understanding in International Organizations”, PhD Dissertation, 2009 (Fletcher School, Tufts University) pp 346 – 361.

Final Paper due on October 28, 2014

Bibliography

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Asante, Molefi, Kete and William B. Gudykunst eds. Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication. Newbury Park: Sage Publications, 1989.

Avruch, Kevin. “Culture.” In Conflict: From Analysis to Intervention, by Daniel Druckman, Larissa Fast, and Sandra Cheldelin, Chapter 8. New York: Continuum, 2003.

Barnett, Michael and Martha Finnemore. “The Politics, Power, and Pathologies of International Organizations.” 53, no. 4 (Autumn 1999) 669-732.

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Bennett, Milton J. Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication, Selected Readings. Yarmouth ME: Intercultural Press, 1998.

Bercovitch, J. and O. Elgström. “Culture and International Mediation: Exploring Theoretical and empirical Linkages.” International Negotiation 6, no. 1 (2001): 3-23

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Blanding, Michael. “The Brain in the World; A Burgeoning Science Explores the Deep Imprint of Culture,” In Tufts Magazine Winter 2010 Vol. XVII, No. 2, p. 24.

Bowe, Heather and Kylie Martin. Communication Across Cultures. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Breslin, J. William and Jeffrey Z. Rubin ed. Negotiation Theory and Practice. Cambridge MA: Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School, 1991.

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Cohen, Raymond. Negotiating Across Cultures; International Communication in an Interdependent World, (revised ed.) Washington DC: U.S. Institute of Peace, 1997.

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Faure, Guy Oliver and Gunnar Sjöstedt. “Culture and Negotiation: An Introduction.” In Culture and Negotiation, ed. Guy Olivier Faure and Jeffrey Z. Rubin. Newbury Park: Sage Publications, 1993.

Finnemore, Martha. “International Organizations as Teachers of Norms.” In International Organizations An International Organization Reader, ed. Beth Simmons and Lisa Martin. Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 2001.

Fisher, Glen. Mindsets: the Role of Culture and Perception in International Relations. Yarmouth ME: Intercultural Press, 1988.

Fisher, Roger and Scott Brown. Getting Together, Building Relationships As We Negotiate. New York: Penguin Books, 1988.

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