Welcome!
This free Open Education Resource was edited for use in the course SPCH 4753: Intercultural Communication at Oklahoma State University. This course was designed to examine “social and cultural differences between individuals from diverse backgrounds as possible barriers to effective communication” (http://catalog.okstate.edu/courses/spch/). Specifically, course objectives are as follows:
- Demonstrate improved intercultural competence.
- List & identify a variety of intercultural theories.
- Identify & increase awareness of your own personal cultural identity and how that identity intersects with power structures in society.
- Analyze and adapt to our classroom audience utilizing theory, inference, and data gathering.
- Utilize logic, evidence, and citations to inform listeners/peers.
- Interact effectively in small group discussions.
- Investigate intercultural social problems using research, critical thinking, and teamwork.
Each part includes discussion questions culled from the original sources, as well as suggested homework exercises. This course is designed to build upon each part, meaning that the best way to read this book and work through the course is chronologically, starting with Part One and ending with Part Eight.
A special Thank You goes out to previous OER contributors to this OER material, especially to Dr. Kathryn Weinland, who adapted this text and taught this course in previous semesters.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Importance and Foundations of Intercultural Communication
Chapter Two: Intercultural Identity and Identity Development
Chapter Three: Intercultural Relationships of Family and Education
Chapter Four: Religion and Culture
Chapter Five: Challenges in Intercultural Communication
Chapter Six: History of Major Cultures
Chapter Seven: Verbal and Nonverbal Messages Across Cultures
Chapter Eight: Business Practices and Economic Principles Across Cultures
