Detailed course information about International Community Development (INTS 3331) and Intercultural Communication (COMM 3501) will be provided by in advance of Block Week 1.
Some notes about both courses:
Comm 3501: Intercultural Communications
Course Description: Intercultural Communication examines communication among individuals of different cultural backgrounds, including the study of similarities and differences across cultures. The course will introduce students to key intercultural communication topics: communication and culture, linguistic differences, ecological influences on culture, the dimensions of cultural difference, stereotyping, and intercultural encounters, culture shock and adaptation.
Course Rationale: The spring 2020 offering of this course is tied to student participation in a field school involving travel to India and related project work. The professors involved will be working together and across course lines to prepare for the field school and provide support for project development.
COMM 3501 will serve as well as an introduction to the field of intercultural communication by considering the practical application of theory and research. Communication is the basis of cross-cultural interactions and therefore an appreciation of the impact of culture and diversity on communication processes is an important skill, particularly in context of visiting a country much different than one’s own.
For this course you will be asked to explore your biases, prejudices, anxieties, excitement etc., in being introduced to a new culture.
Course Goals:
To introduce students to the nature and context of communication across cultures
To enhance the student’s own ability to take part in intercultural settings
Course Topics: We’ll consider three significant topics in intercultural communication, touching on them before the India component of the field school, and addressing them more fully when we reconvene on campus in June. The topics are:
Culture and communication
High and low context cultures
Cultural competency
Course-Learning Outcomes:
Develop an understanding of the intercultural communication process
Develop a greater awareness of one’s own culture and communication styles
Enhance appreciation of the diverse ways of communicating in different cultures
Hone analytical skills in examining intercultural interactions
Increase understanding of cultural issues that influence communication effectiveness
Ints3331: International Community Development
Course Description: This interdisciplinary course will provide students with an overview of International Community Development issues as they participate in the 2020 India Field School. The course will be delivered using classroom-based and field-based experiential learning principles, acknowledged as critical for excellence in undergraduate education. Experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by doing. This approach involves immersing learners in an experience and reflecting about the experience in order to develop new skills and new ways of thinking. Experiential learning endeavours to makes connections between learning and the real world and for learners may demand self-discovery, purposeful endeavour, reflection, meaningful relationships, and venturing beyond ones’ established comfort zone. Experiential learning can take a multitude of forms and learners can expect role-playing, games, case studies, simulations, presentations, and various types of group work.
Situating this course in a social work context: Whether you come to this course a student in social work, education, child and youth studies, or journalism, it’s important to ground the course in terms of preparation for entry into professional life.
The mission of the Social Work profession is to enhance well-being and help people meet basic human needs and reach their potential. Social Work is a rewarding yet demanding profession that requires workers to have a wide knowledge and skill base that are embedded in values and behaviours that are congruent with the profession. We believe that in all the learning experiences offered to students in the Social Work program, and by extension, in the 2020 India Field School, that students should have the opportunities to learn, and to be assessed for their knowledge, skills and professional behaviours.
Professional Presentation of Self is the demonstration that a person has the necessary attitude, values, knowledge, skills and integrity to work as a professional. The Social Work program has identified a set of behaviours that are required of students at all times in all classes. These behaviours are the ones that are required in professional settings in Social Work, but also in many related professions.
Faculty will utilize these expectations when assessing all students, who will be expected to:
Participate in class discussions
Ask questions and share opinions
Be curious
Complete work on time
Attend classes
Be punctual
Be attentive
Be respectful to other students, our hosts, our partners
Be respectful to instructors
Be non-judgmental of other opinions and ideas
Ensure confidentiality
Demonstrate commitment to the learning process
Adhere to the your professions’ Code of Ethics
Ask for help when needed
Offer help when possible
Keep an open mind to new or different ideas and experiences
To work as team members
Present self in a professional manner
Utilize feedback to improve skill and knowledge of development
Course Goals:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Explain and examine issues in international community development from a global perspective (Social Work Program outcomes #1 and #3)
Demonstrate an evolving awareness of the interplay between local and global contexts of Social Work (Social Work Program outcomes #1,#2, #3 and #5)
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