COMM234

The primary intent of this course is to use a critical lens to examine culture as it influences our selves, our relations, our media, and our understanding of society. Through this course students will become familiar with issues like what constitutes culture, whose culture counts and how these constructions shift over time. Simultaneously, students will be able to examine, evaluate cross-cultural interactions, and ultimately become more effective in their own ability to communicate interculturally/ across cultural differences. The media today is inundated with a multitude of messages that have simplistic explanations tagged along as analyses of the relations between culture, society, and identity. lt is essential therefore; that we equip ourselves with the necessary tools for analysis and a better understanding of multiculturalism in the United States and the global transnational flows of culture. This course explores cultural experience and meaning across a variety of cultural groups, including national cultures, ethnic groups, racial groups, economic classes, subcultures, and genders. We will centralize communication by emphasizing several issues: 1) how communication creates cultures, 2) communication within a variety of cultures, and 3) our own communication about others.

Arts, Humanities and Education