Overview of Course

The study of communication is the study of how human beings make meaning through symbolic action, rituals, and behaviors. Communication practices are how we create, disseminate, reproduce, and maintain culture, and there are many different kinds of culture. From the customs and characteristics of peoples in particular nations, ethnic groups, and religious communities to identity-based groups, athletic teams, and fan communities, culture is in and around us at all times! How we navigate between and among different cultures is a source of endless learning and adaptation. This class will help you grasp the fundamentals of culture so you can identify elements of your own culture(s) and help you understand and interact with others that we encounter among our peers and community on the ship and with people we meet along the way.
Intercultural communication will help you acquire greater awareness of how culture develops, and how to engage cultures with curiosity and wonder. Differences in human communities are a fact of life, and our increasingly interconnected global world demands that we learn to engage and build relationships with people across it. We will do this through critical exploration of cultural similarities and differences, examination of cultural development and dissemination, and interrogation of power relationships that contribute to cultural hierarchies. Expect to engage in deep reflection and self-assessment as well as participate in a field experience and compose a creative comparative cultural project. All of which will help you develop the skills, dispositions, and empathy to engage with others across cultures.