globe and people of diverse cultures University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Department of Geography and Anthropology

ANTHROPOLOGY 351
Cross-Cultural Dynamics
Spring 2005

                                          

COURSE GOALS AND METHODS
The principal goal of the course is to prepare students to interact effectively with members of other cultures, whether abroad or in your own country. You will gain an understanding of the processes of cultural adjustment and readjustment and the kinds of cultural differences that cause problems in intercultural communication. The course should lead you to understand your own values and culture more clearly and be more knowledgeable about and respectful of the many other ways of living that humans have devised.

The course will use lecture, whole group discussion and small group discussion. We will play several simulation games during the semester. Videos will be an important part of the course.

The UWEC Academic Goals which will be addressed by this course are primarily:

Ability to inquire, think, analyze
Ability to write, read, speak, listen
An historical consciousness
International and intercultural experiences
An understanding of values
An understanding of human behavior and human institutions

 

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY
   Class activities are an essential element of the course and regular attendance is necessary. Excessive absences may result in a lowering of your grade: if there are 6 unexcused absences, the course grade may be lowered by 1/3 (e.g. from B to B-); if 10 unexcused absences, the grade may be lowered by 2/3. (Each meeting of the course will count as 2 classes, before and after break.) Meaningful contributions to class discussion will be very favorably regarded when determining the course grade.

ATTENDANCE SLIPS

All students will be expected to hand in a slip of paper at the end of each class to demonstrate attendance and to provide feedback. Write your name, the date and at least one sentence referring to the day’s class. The feedback might report on something you found interesting in the material covered, anything that was not clear in the lecture and needs more explanation, thoughts you have about the ideas covered, suggestions about the class...

 

 

TEXTBOOKS

Reader: Samovar, Larry A. & Richard E. Porter. Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 7th ed., 1994.

All articles listed on syllabus by author's name are available on electronic reserve. Instructions for Ereserve Readings

Website

The syllabus, reaction paper topics, take-home essay exam questions and other useful information will be available on the course website http://www.uwec.edu/minkushk/syllabus_351_sp03.htm

Information that will come up as a web page is underlined.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Writing Standards

 

Exams: Two take home midterms (due March 7 and April18) and a take home final.  Exam Guidelines  First Midterm  Second midterm  Final

Quizzes: Six quizzes will be given, each worth 20 points. If you take all 6, the lowest grade will be dropped.

Reaction papers: You will be expected to submit two reaction papers, each 2-3 pages long during the semester. Topics will be posted on Blackboard. Each will be worth 20 points.   Reaction paper topics  

 

 

Determination of course grade:

The principle that will be used to determine grades is the following:

94% of all points is an A; 90% A-; 84% B and so on. + and – grades will be given.
2 midterms  200 points
Final  100
Quizzes  100
Reaction Papers    40
Total Points 440

 

COURSE OUTLINE
Jan. 31 

Introduction
Video:  Bridging the Culture Gap 425

Simulation: Gammans and Deltans
Feb. 7

Culture, Intercultural Communication, Cultural Relativity, Ethnocentrism   Culture
Condon and Yousef  Introduction to Intercultural Communication  Ch. 10 pp. 231-245
Shahar & Kurz "Choreography of the Social 

  Dance" (Israel)
Feb. 14         

Cultural Adjustment (Culture Shock and Reentry Shock )   Reentry    Reentry research in Japan
Pedersen "Experiencing Culture Shock" (skip pp. 5-7)
Minkus & Hlawatsch "The Impact of Study Abroad on Japanese  and American Exchange Students"
Boakari "Foreign Student Reentry"

Video: Beyond Culture Shock 427

Quiz 
Feb. 21           

Value Orientations: Values Regarding Self, Family and Society
 Condon and Yousef  Introduction to Intercultural Communication  Ch. 4 64-73
Australia, Nigeria, Spain, Italy
Renwick "If Australians are Arrogant"
Eames "Navigating Nigerian Bureaucracies"
Diaz-Plaja "The Spaniard and the Seven Deadly Sins"

Enzensberger "Every Italian is Privileged"

Questions "if Australians are Arrogant"  Quiz
Feb. 28

 

France; Mexico; Thailand
Carroll Cultural Misunderstandings   excerpts from pp. 30-87
Condon "So Near the United States"

Natadecha-Sponsel "Individualism as an American

  Cultural Value"

Quiz   Group discussion questions
Mar. 7

East Asia
Reader: Yum "The Impact of Confucianism on Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Patterns in E. Asia" 75-85
Condon With Respect to the Japanese excerpts
Browning "Unhappy Returns" Wall Street Journal
Yoshikawa "Some Japanese and American Cultural Characteristics"

Videos: All-Japan Picture Forming Contest, Education in Japan

Quiz
Mar. 14

Gender Roles, Heterosexual Interaction, Family Relations; India

Reader: Jain + Kushman "Dominant Cultural Patterns

  of Hindus in India"

McGowan "Take your shoes off my books"

Lessinger "Family, Gender Relations, & the Second

   Generation"
Mace "Cultural Differences in Mate Selection"
Video: A Woman's Place: India

Apr. 4            

Middle Eastern Muslims

Abu-Lughod "Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?"

Smith "Women in Islam"
Video: Under One Sky

"France loses its head over headscarves"
Apr. 11

Adaptation of Immigrants and Refugees
Terry "Cultural Traditions and Law Collide in Middle

   America"

Sung "Bicultural Conflict"

"What is our life like? Three generations of Hmong in America"
Apr. 18   

Non-verbal Communication
Text Ch. 6
Hall "Learning the Arab's Silent Language"
Hall "The Anthropology of Manners"
Parker Pen Co. "International Gesture Dictionary"
Video: A World of Gestures 4039

Apr. 25 
Etiquette - Eating, Gift Giving....
Kansai Gaidai U. "Living with a Japanese Family" 
 Lee, "Cultural Factors in Dietary Choice" 
 Craig, Culture Shock excerpts (part 1 on quiz)
Video: Managing the Overseas Assignment 426
              How to Talk Minnesotan 
Quiz
 
May 2
     		Health Care 
Primeaux "Caring for the American Indian Patient"
Video: Split Horns: A Hmong Shaman		 
May 9
 
 
Lambo "Psychotherapy in Africa" 
Sandner "Symbolic Healing"
Goode "The Cultures of Illness" 
Grunloh "The Body's War and Peace" 
Quiz

 

 
May 16 
 
Final due  7:00 pm
 
  
 
 

                                                                            

 

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Updated:  April 30, 2005

Contact: Helaine Minkus (minkushk@uwec.edu)