This course will provide students insight and knowledge into the challenges and complexities of intercultural communication in the global context. The course engages students in the process of reflective, critical thinking and acting to enable them to navigate in complex and dynamic interculturalenvironments and educational settings. Specific emphasis is placed on knowledge and skills necessary for cross-cultural interpersonal and group communication that reflects a commitment to respect for other cultures and an ability to communicate with diverse audiences. Central to the course is the idea that understanding of cultures is essential to leading diverse learning organizations in a rapidly changing and mobile world. The course concludes with an examination of how changing culture in systemic ways can lead to successful reform. International Research Trip or Experiential Learning Practicum is embedded within this course.
OR
Students will self-evaluate, acquire, practice, and develop the necessary aptitudes and attitudes for effective cross-cultural leadership. Students will learn Hofstede’s Theory of Cultural Dimensions (1984), a recognized model for comparing and contrasting cultures from around the world, as a heuristic for effective cross-cultural communication. Well-Gap Theory (Kim, 2023) provides students with a Biblical framework towards an empathy-informed approach to interpersonal reconciliation and relational constructivism. The course is a deeply experiential, authentically transformational, richly interpersonal exploration of cultural identity and its implication for communication, collaboration, and community. Through field experiences, dyadic dialogues, engaged reading, online discussion, and intra-personal exploration, students will discover methodologies of belonging and welcome, identification and representation, empathy and advocacy.