Introducing Intercultural Communication

Shuang Liu is Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Arts at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is an internationally recognised intercultural communication expert, specialising in the areas of immigration, acculturation, identity negotiation, particularly in relation to older migrants ageing in a foreign land. Zala Volcic is Senior Lecturer in the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash University, Australia. She is an expert in researching in media, digital cultures, nationalism, class, and gender. She has taught at different universities around the world, including Franklin University, Switzerland and Pomona College, USA.  Cindy Gallo is is Emeritus Professor in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland, Australia. She is an internationally renowned senior researcher in intercultural communication, with a special focus on intergroup communication in health context, impact of communication on quality of care, health service delivery, and health promotion.

Introduction: Communicating in a Culturally Diverse Society
Part 1: Challenges of Living in a Global Society
Contributors to cultural diversity
Necessity and benefits of intercultural communication
Join the debate: Will globalization result in the disappearance of local cultures?
Case study: Migration and diversity in Australia
Part 2: Understanding Communication
The multifaceted nature of communication
Models of communication
Current issues theorizing communication
Communication and culture
Join the debate: Universal or culture-specific theories of communication?
Case study: hanging out in the public square
Part 3: Understanding Culture
Definitions and components of culture
Characteristics of culture
Subcultures
Join the debate: Are we what we eat?
Case study: mobile banking in rural Papua New Guinea
Part 4: The Influence of Culture on Perception
Stages of the perception process
The influence of culture on perception
Perception and intercultural communication
Join the debate: Is ageism the fear of our future self?
Case study: How are eastern Europeans perceived by the West?
Part 5: Cultural and Value Orientations
Hofstede′s cultural dimensions
Hall′s high-and-low-context cultural dimension
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck′s value orientations
Schwartz′s cultural value theory
Intercultural communication ethics
Join the debate: Should same-sex marriage be accepted across the world?
Case study: Museums as a site of culture
Part 6: Categorization, Subgroups and Identities
Social categorization and identities
Subgroup memberships and identities
Identities and intercultural communication
Join the debate: Is identity what we have or what we perform?
Case stuy: South African identity and apartheid in South Africa
Part 7: Verbal Communication and Culture
The components and characteristics of verbal codes
Language, culture, and discourse
Cultural variations in verbal communication
Language and identity
Join the debate: ′Do the limits of my language mean the limits of my world?′
Case study: How is politeness expressed across cultures
Part 8: Nonverbal Communication and Culture
Characteristics and functions of nonverbal codes
Types of nonverbal communication
Influence of culture on nonverbal communication
Join the debate: How can we lie with our body language?
Case study: Nonverbal expressions in politcis - the case of Vladimir Putin
Part 9: Immigration and Acculturation
Migration and cultural diversity
Diversity and multiculturalism
Culture shock and acculturation orientations
Cross-cultural adaptation
Join the debate: to what extent should migrants be encouraged to maintain their heritage culture?
Case study: the cronulla riots
Part 10: Developing Relationships with Culturally Different Others
Dimensions and characteristics of human relationships
Stages of human relationship development
Culture and human relationship development
Developing intercultural relationships
Join the debate: Does communication technology bring us closer or set us further apart?
Case study: Love by arrangement in India
Part 11: Managing Intercultural Conflicts
Potential sources of intercultural conflict
Conflict stages and conflict management approaches and styles
Influence of culture on conflict management
Join the debate: When can conflict lead to productive and positive outcomes in workplaces?
Case study: Hollywood celebrity activism in war-torn societies
Part 12: Mass Media, Technology, and Cultural Change
Globalization, technology, and mass media
Mass media and symbolic social reality
Mass media and cultural change
Join the debate: Will the print media still maintain a place in the digital age?
Case study: OhmyNews in South Korea
Part 13: Becoming an Effective Intercultural Communicator
Homogenization and fragmentation
Globalization and localization
Developing intercultural competence
Join the debate: Will our attitudes become more ′provincial′ in the global economy?
Case study: Doctors without borders