CMN 203
Intercultural Communication
Spring 2006
Dr. Daniel Makagon
Office: SAC 596
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:00-4:00
and by appointment
Phone: (773) 325-7376
e-mail: dmakagon@depaul.edu
home page: http://www.communication.depaul.edu/dmakagon
Course Objectives
This
course explores relationships among communication, intercultural cohesion, and
intercultural conflict. We will consider the important role of context (social,
cultural, and historical) in intercultural interactions across a variety of cultural
groups (e.g., different nationalities, ethnicities, gender, sexualities,
classes, and subcultures). Questions about cultural experience and meaning will
primarily be located in everyday life, although we will connect the everyday to
broader social, political, and economic issues. This course should facilitate greater understanding of the
nuances of intercultural communication, enhancing self-reflection, flexibility,
and sensitivity.
Required Texts
All course readings are available
on-line. Download and print the files.
http://condor.depaul.edu/~dmakagon/student
Course Assignments
Class Participation (includes
intercultural context presentation) 10% ____(pts.) X .10 = ______
Analysis Paper (4-6 pages) 30% ____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Quizzes 30% ____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Final Paper (4-6 pages) 30% ____(pts.) X .30 = ______
Final Grade= ____________
You are
required to complete the reading assignments before you attend class. This will lead to more fruitful
discussion.
Analysis Paper
The
Analysis Paper should be 4-6 double-spaced pages in length. This paper asks
you to analyze an issue that emerges for you based on your intellectual engagement
with a set of readings. This paper must be turned in no later than seven days
after we cover the reading (e.g., if you're writing about Eric Klinenberg's
"Dying Alone" then your paper would be
due April 18th). The last date to
turn in this paper is May 16. (A detailed
description of this paper is available in the folder that contains pdfs for
this class.)
All
papers must be typed, double-spaced throughout the entire essay, and use a
consistent style (e.g., Chicago, MLA, or APA). Use one-inch margins and
12-point font. Do not send me electronic copies of your work. A full description of this assignment is in the folder
where you find course readings. Also, see the syllabus addendum (available in
the folder that contains pdfs for this class) for a description of my grading
policies and expectations as well as further details about written assignments.
Contact
or visit the Writing Center for assistance with your writing: Lincoln Park at
802 W. Belden, 150 McGaw Hall, 773-325-4272. The Loop at 25 E. Jackson, 1620
Lewis Center, 312-362-6726. wcenter@depaul.edu.
Pop Quizzes
Quizzes
will be short answer and will allow me to gauge how well you understand the
arguments made in the readings. Unlike your papers and class discussion, where
I am interested in your opinions about the issues and the strength of the
writer's argument(s), the quizzes are designed for you to state the author's
argument only. In other words, I am not striving to understand what you think
about the issues; rather, I am interested in how well you understand the
construction of the author's argument. If we do not understand what s/he's
saying then our critique of her/his work will not be properly grounded.
Possible points for each quiz question will be listed after the question
(usually 10 or 20 points per question and usually 1-3 questions per quiz).
Answers will be graded based on your ability to clearly summarize the author's
argument(s) and use examples from the reading to support your answer(s).
Final Paper
For
this paper you are asked to select three readings from the quarter from three
different sections and discuss the ways in which these three readings have
facilitated your increased understanding of intercultural communication. Your
essay should be 4-6 double-spaced pages in length. Papers are due June
5th by Noon. (A full description of the
assignment is available in the folder that contains pdfs for this class.)
Intercultural Context
The
goal of this assignment is to offer material examples of intercultural
practices and artifacts, allowing us to make connections between the realm of
theory and our everyday lives. Each class member will share one (1) cultural
artifact (song, clip from a film or TV show, excerpt from a newspaper, comic,
documentary sound recording, piece of clothing, etc.) during a class session.
Your presentation should explicitly address why and how the artifact connects
to intercultural communication. The presentation shouldn't take more than 2-3
minutes. Your artifact can connect directly to a course reading or you can
share something that reflects an intercultural context that is not covered in
class. Also note that the presentation is part of your class participation
grade. If you do not present then you cannot earn an "A" for your participation
grade. I will grade your presentation on a credit/no credit basis.
Course Policies
Attendance and Active
Participation are expected and required. Participation grades are
factored by considering how often you participate in class discussion and
how that discussion advances our overall learning (i.e., I will consider how
your questions help us understand difficult passages, how your contributions
further discussion rather than hinder discussion, how your comments foster
lively debate, how your participation grows from an engagement with the reading
and college experience rather than functioning to advance an autobiographical
tale only). If you miss very few classes and your participation level is excellent,
you can expect an "A" for this portion of your grade. If you miss
very few classes and your participation level is above average (i.e., you
participate every other class rather than every class session), you can expect
a "B" for this portion of your grade. If you miss very few classes
and your participation level is average, you can expect a "C" for
this portion of your grade. If you miss the most possible classes you can
miss without failing the class and your participation level is average, you
can expect a "D" for this portion of your grade.
Promptness is expected as a general rule. If you are consistently
late to class, your grade will be negatively affected.
If you miss more than two consecutive days of class because of an illness
or family emergency, you will need to contact the Dean of Students Office
and have them send me a note that includes all dates for the excused absences.
I will only coordinate missed work if I receive this documentation. Additionally,
if you miss more than four class sessions, you will receive an "F’
in the class (even if the absences are excused). Missing this many class sessions
(1/5 of the term) undermines the integrity of the classroom experience. If
you miss this much class because of illness or a family emergency, you should
meet with the Dean of Students to discuss withdrawal options.
All assignments are due on assigned days. There will be NO MAKE UPS.
Documented illnesses or documented emergencies are the only exception to this
policy. Changes in work schedules, personal celebrations (e.g., birthdays),
or vacations are NOT considered to be legitimate reasons for missing assignment
deadlines or class meetings. If you miss a quiz and have documentation for
your absence then you will take the quiz on the next date you attend class.
Similarly, if you have an excused absence for a class session when you would
turn in a paper then you can give me the paper on the next date you attend
class. (Note: If you will be missing a class because of a religious holiday,
let me know in writing at least two weeks before the holiday so we can make
arrangements to make up missed work.)
Students
with disabilities should provide me with documentation from the Office of
Students with Disabilities.
If you
have a cellular phone or pager, turn it off or set it to vibrate. Plagiarism
will be discussed below but for now you should note that all cell phones must
be put away during quizzes and you should not be sending or reading text
messages during class sessions.
Plagiarism
I have often found that plagiarism
becomes tempting if students are feeling pressured. Remember, when in doubt
quote. If you are quoting somebody directly then you need to list the
information within quotation marks and cite a page number. If you are
paraphrasing then you need to cite the person and a page number. Never copy and
paste entire documents into your paper and do not quote others to the point where
your ideas become indistinguishable from your source's ideas. There is no
reason to plagiarize given the resources available to you (e.g., opportunities
to meet with me; coaches in the writing center; my handout on writing for the
class; and DePaul's policy on academic integrity, which can be found at
http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/handbook/code16.html). If you do plagiarize,
you will automatically receive a grade of "F" in this class. Moreover, the
Academic Affairs office will be contacted.
Grade Scale
93-100 A 78-79 C+
90-92 A-
73-77 C
88-89 B+ 70-72
C-
83-87 B 60-69
D
80-82 B- 0-59 F