CMST 238 - Intercultural Communication

Credits: 5
Looks at communication across cultures on the interpersonal and inter-group levels. Investigates the components of culture that work to affect the communication of members in and across cultures, including consideration of the role of culture on majority and minority cultural groups related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, disability, religion, age, immigration, etc. Examines different aspects of the communication process as they relate to intercultural communication, including perception, language, nonverbal communication, etc. Considers the overview of prevalent theories and practical applications.

Prerequisite: Eligible for ENGL 099 or instructor’s permission.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English and Diversity

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Identify the basic concepts, theories, and principles of intercultural communication.
Discuss how cross cultural contacts, including diverse majority and minority cultural groups based on ethnic, religious, sexual, gender, class, etc., influence and are influenced by different aspects of communication: perception, language, nonverbal messages, etc.
Illustrate strategies for intercultural communication problems and conflicts between dominant, subcultural, or co-cultural groups.
Apply intercultural communication concepts, theories, principals, and skills to real world situations and contexts.

Program Outcomes

Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.
Analyze cultural perspectives and values of a multicultural world.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.