COMMUNICATION STUDIES 356 ONLINE – Fall 2022

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Instructor: Justin Weiss, Ph.D.

Office: Manzanita 348
E-mail: justin.weiss@csun.edu (available M-F, 9am-5pm) (Please communicate
with me via CSUN email, rather than through Canvas messaging).
Classes: Online
Office Hours: By appointment (Email me about scheduling)

Student Learning Outcomes

SLO 3 Articulate the reciprocal relationship between communication and culture

SLO 7 Understand and apply communication competencies in civic engagement for a
multicultural, global society

Welcome!! In this course I will set up an online environment that will enable us to share
in the learning experience together. I will do so by posting video lectures that will not
only teach material from the textbook, but I will also be posing thought provoking
questions to get you to think and engage while you watch. My intention is to engage you
in the excitement of learning so that lectures are not just static content that you just listen
to – my hope is that you will feel intrigued to learn more about yourself and the world
around you. I will also be using discussion questions to support my educational value that
we are both teachers and learners in this course being that you are the expert of your
experiences and we need your expertise to learn and grow from one another. Your
experience and capacities as human beings are valuable resources for us all. Respect for
yourself and others is essential for creating a positive learning environment in this class.
I look forward to working with you to make this happen.

Course Context and General Objectives

This course is a journey. As most journeys, our travels take us to places both known and
unknown. In the process, we will learn a great deal about others—their values,
standpoints, ways of thinking, behaving, and communicating. We will also learn about
ourselves and how we are shaped by culture, positions of power and forms of inclusion
and exclusion. Reflection upon oneself as a cultural being is an important aspect of
intercultural communication. In our exploration of new territory in this class, we go
away from home, leaving what is familiar and “normal” and we return home with new
insights, perspectives and actions.

The purpose of this class is to understand how culture and communication intersect in the
context of globalization. Communication across cultural groups is complex and
challenging and often leads to misunderstanding and conflict in our global world.
Intercultural communication is also informing and creative and can lead to personal, local
and global change, growth and innovation. While both difficult and rewarding,
intercultural communication is central to all our lives in the global context. You will

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have the chance to gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will increase your
intercultural communication competence.

Specific Course Objectives

1. To explore cultural self-awareness, other-culture awareness and the dynamics that

arise in interactions between people from different cultures.

2. To understand how communication processes differ among cultures and to acquire

knowledge and skills that increase intercultural competence.

3. To understand that socially constructed systems of exploitation and exclusion--

racism, sexism, and classism, for example--are historically based; to recognize how
privilege, disadvantage and discrimination are perpetuated today and to develop
alternative attitudes and actions to challenge and dismantle these systems of
oppression.

4. To make critical connections between local and global issues by examining the
historical, political and economic dimensions of intercultural communication in the
context of globalization.

Required Texts

Sorrells, K. (2013). Intercultural communication: Globalization and social justice, 3rd

Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

COMS 356 Reading Packet (Weiss). Purchased at Sun Star Copies, 9514 Reseda (Reseda
and Plummer).

Course Policies

Due Dates: The dates are firm. All graded work is due in Canvas as assigned in the
syllabus.

Writing Mechanics and Style: All written work should be typed and presented
according to guidelines for each assignment. PROOFREAD YOUR WRITING. If you
need assistance with your writing, please use the resources available to you on campus
including: 1) the Writing Lab of the Learning Resource Center (on the 3rd floor of
the Oviatt Library) and 2) The Aronstam Library (Manzanita Hall Room 214).

Academic Honesty is assumed!! As stated in the CSUN catalogue, “Academic

dishonesty is an especially serious offense and diminishes the quality of scholarship
and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of the campus program.
Academic dishonesty includes: cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic
dishonesty, and plagiarism” (Section 4130, Title 5, California Code of Regulations).

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If you plagiarize in any form, you will fail this class and the case will be handled
according to the guidelines of the Student Conduct Code.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, using any work that is not yours and not
citing the resource where you found the information from (such as online, in a book
or article, a video or lecture, using a paper that someone else has written, etc.);
ALSO, YOU MAY NOT USE A PREVIOUS PAPER YOU WROTE IN ANOTHER
CLASS (OR A PORTION OF A PREVIOUS PAPER YOU WROTE IN
ANOTHER CLASS), AS THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM
(Unless you cite your previous paper in your new paper).

No assignment will be accepted via email, only online through Canvas (please be
aware that Canvas tracks plagiarism and will catch cheating). Grades will not be
distributed via email.

Course Requirements

1) Class Participation/Modules & Video Lectures (5 points):

This is an interactive, experiential class. Therefore, I include thought provoking

questions, mini-activities, and stories within my online video lectures to engage you in
participating along with me during the lecture. Each week I will publish a new module
that will include a video lecture that will cover the material from the textbooks,
assignments, etc. The modules will only appear during the week scheduled on the
syllabus Tentative Course Schedule and along with the previous weeks’ modules. You
will be responsible for completing each weekly module. I will provide you with
participation points to support your participation in watching and engaging with the video
lectures. I have the ability to see who watched the videos (and how long you watched the
videos for) so I will be providing full participation points to those who watch all of the
video lectures. As a side note, the video lectures will help you gain important material
that will be on the exams.

2) Intercultural Research Paper (20 points):

This assignment requires that you research and learn about a culture that is different from
your own. You will be able to choose a cultural event that you have never learned about,
research online about the culture and their cultural events, and write a 4 – 5 page paper
discussing your research as it applies to this course, while also relating the knowledge
you learned about the cultural event to your own cultural practices.

3) 3 Discussion Questions (30 points/10 points each):

At three different times throughout the semester you will be assigned a discussion
question that you will need to answer on Canvas. The question will often be related to a

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video clip you must watch to answer the question correctly. For this assignment you must
include two full-length posts: 1) The first post must include your personal reflections
about the discussion question (about eight or more sentences) and, 2) The second post
must be a response to another student’s post (also about eight or more sentences). The
grade will be determined based on a thoughtful response to the question.

4) Exam 1 and 2 (20 points each):

The mid-term and final will consist of a multiple-choice exam that will require students
to synthesize and apply material and discussions covered in class, and the required
readings.

5) Culminating Cultural Poster (5 points):

To conclude the semester you will create a poster that on one-half of the poster
artistically depicts the way you (or others) perceived your cultural identity before the
class and on the other-half of the poster you will artistically depict the way you perceive
your cultural identity after taking the class. You are allowed to choose from two options:
1) You can either create a poster with pictures (using arts and crafts materials like
magazine clippings, online printed pictures, markers, crayons, drawings, words, etc.), and
then take a photograph on your phone of the poster to upload to Canvas, or, 2) You can
create a PowerPoint slide and copy and paste pictures/Google images directly to the slide
and upload the slide to Canvas.

Course Evaluation Points Grade

Participation/Exercises 5 93 – 100 A
Cultural Poster 5 90 – 92 A-
3 Discussion Questions 30 87 – 89 B+
Intercultural Research Paper 20 83 – 86 B
Exam 1 20 80 – 82 B-
Exam 2 20 77 – 79 C+
73 – 76 C
Total 100
70 – 72 C-
60 – 69 D+/D/D-

Below 60% F

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

The Learning Resource Center (LRC):

Students can get free help on campus at the LRC, including tutoring in multiple subjects,
one-on-one help with writing and grammar, and reading and writing workshops. The
LRC is located in the Oviatt Library, on the east wing of the third floor. (818) 677-2033.

Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) & the National Center on
Deafness (NCOD):

If you have a disability and need accommodations, please register with the Disability
Resources and Educational Services (DRES) office or the National Center on Deafness
(NCOD). The DRES office is located in Bayramian Hall, room 110 and can be reached at
818.677.2684. NCOD is located on Bertrand Street in Jeanne Chisholm Hall and can be
reached at 818.677.2611. If you would like to discuss your need for accommodations
with me, please contact me via email to set up an appointment.

CSUN University Counseling Services:

CSUN offers counseling/therapy services to students. UCS services are free, confidential,
and accessible. UCS is open during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 am
to 5 pm), providing all of our mental health services virtually via telemental health. 24/7
crisis/urgent care services are always available by phone. During regular business hours
call (818) 677-2366, option 1 to speak with a crisis counselor. Outside of business hours,
speak to a crisis counselor by calling (818) 677-2366, option 3. 24/7 crisis/urgent care
services are available for students at (818) 677-2366 (Option 3). In addition, the urgent
care page of our website provides many other crisis services, including the 24/7 suicide
prevention hotline (800-273-TALK/8255) and the 24/7 Crisis Text Line – text "START"
to 741-741. For emergencies, please call 911.

Title IX: Sexual Misconduct Disclosures/Maintaining a Respectful Learning

Environment:

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining a safe and respectful space
to express their reasoned opinions. Professional courtesy and consideration for our
classroom community are especially important with respect to topics dealing with
differences in race, color, gender and gender identity/expression, sexual orientation,
national origin, religion, disability, and age.

In this course, the topic of sex (including sexual misconduct/sexual violence) may
emerge either purposefully or inadvertently in readings, films, class discussions or other
class materials. We recognize that such topics may be particularly upsetting for some
survivors; we encourage all students to seek the support they need.

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While making personal connections with the topics studied in any course can be a
meaningful and important endeavor, please be aware of the following policy regarding
confidentiality and disclosures of incidents of sexual misconduct/sexual violence.

As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help maintain a safe learning

environment on our campus. In the event that you choose to write, speak or otherwise
disclose about having experienced sexual misconduct/sexual violence, including rape,
sexual assault, sexual battery, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking and specify
that this violence occurred while you or the perpetrator were a CSUN student, federal and
state laws require that I, as a “responsible employee,” notify our campus Title IX
Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator will contact you to inform you of your rights and
options as a survivor and connect you with support resources, including possibilities for
holding accountable the person who harmed you. Know that you will not be forced to
share information and your level of involvement will be your choice.

CSUN’s Title IX Coordinator is: Susan Hua University Hall, Room 285 Phone: (818)
677-2077 E-Mail: susan.hua@csun.edu If you do not want the Title IX Coordinator
notified, instead of disclosing the experience to me, you can speak confidentially with our
Campus Care Advocate.* CSUN’s Campus Care Advocate is: Katie LaRue Klotz Student
Health Center, Room 140G Phone: (818) 677-7492 E-Mail: katelin.larue@csun.edu For
more information regarding your university rights and options as a survivor of sexual
misconduct/sexual violence, please visit the University’s Title IX website at:
http://www.csun.edu/shinealight *Note: If it is determined that an alleged perpetrator
poses an imminent threat to the broader campus community or if person(s) under 18 years
of age are involved, our Campus Care Advocate is required to notify our Department of
Police Services.

Notice to Students:
This syllabus is subject to change. I will make every effort to notify you in advance about
any changes.

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 Grade Tracker

Exam 1 ____/20pts

Intercultural Research Paper ____/20pts

3 Discussion Questions ____/30pts (10pts each)

Exam 2 ____/20pts

Culmination Culture Poster ____/5pts

Participation: ____/5pts

Total: ____/100pts

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 Tentative Schedule

(AUTHORS NAMES IN BRACKETS INDICATE READING IN PACKET)

Week/Date/Assignments Topic Reading

1 8/29 – 9/4 Intro/Foundations

Intercultural Com & the Global Context

2 9/5 – 9/11 Defining Culture Ch. 1

Key Concepts (Hall & Hall)

3 9/12 – 9/18 IC & Globalization Ch. 2

Video & Discussion #1 Due: Discussion #1
(by 9/18)

4 9/19 – 9/25 Culture and Body Politics Ch. 3

Histories and ICC (Grinde; Orbe)

5 9/26 – 10/2 Cultural Identities (Tanno; Nero)

Video & Discussion #2 Due: Discussion #2
(by 10/2)

6 10/3 – 10/9 Racism & White Privilege (McIntosh; Martin)

Race, Gender, & Class Identities

7 10/10 – 10/16 Cultural Space Ch. 4

Exam #1 Review

8 10/17 – 10/23 Exam #1 Due: Exam #1

(by 10/23)

9 10/24 – 10/30 IC Relationships Ch. 5

10 10/31 – 11/6 Crossing Borders Ch. 6

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11 11/7 – 11/13 Media and IC Ch. 7
Video & Discussion #3 Due: Discussion #3
(by 11/13)

12 11/14 – 11/20 IC, Business & Capitalism Ch. 8

13 11/21 – 11/27 IC Conflict Ch. 9

DUE: Intercultural
Research Paper
(by 11/27)

14 11/28 – 12/4 IC & Social Justice Ch. 10

15 12/5 – 12/11 Culminating Cultural DUE: Culminating

Poster Cultural Poster
Exam #2 Review (by 12/11)

16 12/12 – 12/18 Exam #2 Due: Exam #2

(by 12/15)

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 COMS 356: Intercultural Communication

Intercultural Research Paper (20 points):

This assignment requires that you research online a cultural event from a culture that you
have not experienced before. The cultural event can be from members of a particular
ethnicity or religion (i.e., Octoberfest, Diwali, Holi, Spring Equinox, Dia De Los
Muertos, Bat-Mitzvah, Quinceanera, Nowruz, etc.), or a cultural event that is participated
in by members of a sub-culture (i.e., a rave, sporting event, concert, performance, rally,
holiday, etc.). The main objective is to pick a cultural event that you are not as familiar
with. Your research and paper will require the following:

A 4 – 5 page typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman font, 1”

margins, submitted on Canvas). The paper must include the following:

• 1) INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH: An Introduction paragraph that provides a

preview/overview of your paper (i.e., attention grabbing beginning, thesis statement,
a statement identifying the culture and cultural event you researched, preview of the
four sections that are covered in your body paragraphs).

• 2) BODY PARAGRAPHS: The body paragraphs include four sections.

(**NOTE: Each section in the body paragraphs must begin with you typing
the phrases: “SECTION A,” “SECTION B,” “SECTION C,” and
“SECTION D” so that you can organize and separate each section for the
reader to understand which section you are writing about)

Each section will have multiple paragraphs, but you only need to type the
phrase: “SECTION A/B/C/D”, at the start of the section.

**Also: Each section must be equal in length with the same amount of
content:

§ SECTION A:
• Research online a cultural event from a culture that you have
not experienced before.
• Describe the cultural event in detail (e.g., foods, decorations,
stories, actions they partake in at the event etc.)
• Your intention in this section is to explain the event to the
reader as if the reader is asking you to tell them about the event
and culture you researched.
• No research is needed for this section; you only need to
describe what you observed from reading about the
event/watching online.

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§ SECTION B:
• Include 2 – 3 concepts from the textbook or course reader
and apply the concepts to the cultural event. (Concepts
from the course materials can include key-terms,
definitions, and/or theories).
• Explain the concept from the textbook/course reader (must
paraphrase or quote from book and must cite author), then
apply the concept to the cultural event.
• You must cite the textbook and author using proper MLA
or APA in-text citations.

§ SECTION C:
• Research and use scholarly sources to explain and apply to
your cultural event (i.e., research 3 – 4 scholars who have
written on the cultural event you studied, and use their
writings to relate to what you observed when you
researched the cultural event)
• Scholarly sources can include the following:
scholarly/academic articles, books, newspapers, credible
websites. (The 3 – 4 sources in this section cannot include
sources form the textbook or course reader. Each source
must be cited both in-text and in the works cited/reference
page.
• In this section, use 3 – 4 quotes from a scholarly source that
explains, gives insight about, provides expertise about, your
cultural event.
• An example might include finding research from a scholar
who writes about why certain symbols are used to represent
the culture at the event.
• You must use proper MLA or APA IN-TEXT citations
after quoting each author. (If you are unsure how to write
in-text citations there are great resources online; Google:
“How to use MLA or APA in-text citations.” Another great
research is www.owl.purdue.edu.
• An example of this might look like: In the article Jewish
Traditions, author Mark Cohen explains, “Hanukkah is the
festival of lights, commemorates a special event that took
place in the second century” (Cohen, M., 2019, p. 5).

§ SECTION D:
• A summary of reflections on what you have learned from
researching about the event.
• You will especially need to write about topics such as: how
researching the cultural event/culture might have changed
your preconceived notions about the culture, ways you
recognized both differences and similarities to your culture,

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 how researching the cultural event was meaningful to you,
etc.

o 3) CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH: A conclusion paragraph that includes

sentences that recap/summarize of your paper.

o 4) A WORKS CITED/REFERENCE PAGE: that includes all of your

sources using proper MLA or APA citations.
§ This is NOT included as one of your 4 – 5 pages.

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 COMS 356: Intercultural Communication
Discussion Questions (30 points/10 points each):

At three separate times throughout the semester you will be asked to respond on Canvas
to a discussion question that will relate to the topic discussed in the lecture that week.
Usually, the discussion question will include a video that you will need to watch and then
you will be provided with a discussion question about the video. The assignment will
require you to respond to the discussion question using your own opinion, which will
need to be clearly articulated with sound reasoning and justification. The assignment
requires you to write one-full length post (about five sentences or more) answering the
discussion prompt questions, and also to write one-full length post (about eight sentences
or more) responding to a classmate’s post (about eight sentences or more).

Post 1: Response to the questions

• Must be a direct response to the discussion questions
• Your opinions must include justifications and sound reasoning.
• Must be relevant to the video/discussion question.
• Must be at least eight or more sentences.

Post 2: Response to a classmate

• Must be a direct response to a classmates’ post
• In this post you will need to read other posts from your fellow classmates and
either agree or disagree (respectfully) with another classmates’ post, using
justifications and reasoning for your agreement or disagreement.
• The point of this paragraph is to maintain a mature dialogue/discussion (not to
“troll” or belittle your fellow classmates. One intention of this assignment is
to learn how to disagree with another person using consideration and respect.
• Must be relevant to the video/discussion questions.
• Must be at least eight or more sentences.

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 COMS 356: Intercultural Communication
Culminating Cultural Poster: (5 points)

For this assignment you will compare and contrast what you thought your culture
was prior to taking this course with what you think your culture is now after taking
this course.

The assignment requirements are as follows:

1. Purchase a poster board (traditional size, which you can find at any local
convenience store) OR create the virtual poster on a Powerpoint slide.
2. If you choose to use a poster board than gather magazines/newspapers, print
Google Images, or use your personal drawing skills (you will cut out images
or words from the magazines or print images or draw right onto the poster
board. If you choose to use a Powerpoint slide then find Google images or
words to copy and paste onto your Powerpoint slide.
3. With these materials, you will do the following:
o On one half of the front side of the poster board, you will use the
materials to create a collage that expresses the characteristics of what
you thought culture was prior to taking this class (specifically, the
characteristics of your culture).
o On the other half of the front side of the poster board, you will use the
materials to create a collage that expresses the characteristics of your
culture(s) now that you have taken this course. Hopefully your ideas
of what culture is has changed to recognize that you have multiple
cultures (you will express the characteristics of your multiple cultures
on this half of the poster board).
4. Once your poster is done, you will take a picture of the poster and
attachment that picture to this assignment in Canvas or upload your
Powerpoint slide to this assignment in Canvas (Note: The assignment DOES
NOT require you to include any written essay or description with the poster.
You only need to upload and submit your picture of the completed poster
board).

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