- Inter-faculty Studies in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Computer Science
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Mathematics
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Computer Science
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Mathematics
Exploring cultures and intercultural experiences 3223-BKDM-OG
This course bridges theory and practice through a series of exercises that help the student to develop an understanding of major conceptual frameworks of culture. In theoretical terms, the student will acquire new knowledge about major cultural paradigms and concepts related to cultural success (such as cultural awareness, competence, sensitivity, intelligence, etc.). In practical terms, the student will develop their understanding of the concepts as well as abilities through stories, examples, exercises, simulations, and their own research.
The student will acquire knowledge in the following areas:
(1) Definitions and approaches to (exploring) culture.
(2) Determinants of successful intercultural encounters (intercultural vs. cross-cultural communication, the concepts of cultural awareness, sensitivity, intelligence, learning, adjustment, etc.)
(3) Exploring intercultural experiences through narrative inquiry (examples from studies of business expatriates and international students).
Course workload:
Classroom activities – 30 hrs
Self-study – 30 hrs, including:
- homework assignments – 20 hrs
- preparation for the final exam – 10 hrs
Total: 60 hrs (2 ECTS)
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: K_W05, K_W07.
Skills: K_U02, K_U03, K_U05, K_U06, K_U09.
Socio-cultural competencies: K_K01, K_K03, K_K04.
Assessment criteria
Assessment of student performance:
- performing in-class assignments (completing homework assignments) (up to 50% of the final grade);
- a written final exam checking the student’s theoretical knowledge (50-100% of the final grade).
Assessment criteria:
At the end of the course, the student takes a final exam. The student needs to reach at least 60% of the total score to pass the exam.
The final exam will evaluate:
• theoretical knowledge produced during the course.
The overall result is established in accordance with the following scale:
• over 90% – 5.0
• 85%-89% – 4.5
• 80%-84% – 4.0
• 70%-79% – 3.5
• 60%-69% – 3.0
Practical placement
N/A
Bibliography
(1) Barna, L. M. (1994). Stumbling blocks in intercultural communication. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader (7th ed) (pp. 337–346). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2
(2) Bennett, M. J. (2009). Defining, measuring, and facilitating intercultural learning: A conceptual introduction to the Intercultural Education double supplement. Intercultural Education, 20(sup1), S1–S13. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675980903370763
(3) Beugelsdijk, S., & Welzel, C. (2018). Dimensions and dynamics of national culture: Synthesizing Hofstede with Inglehart. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(10), 1469–1505. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022118798505
(4) Chen, G.-M., & Starosta, W. J. (1996). Intercultural communication competence: A synthesis. Annals of the International Communication Association, 19(1), 353–383. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.1996.11678935
(5) Chen, G.-M., & Starosta, W. J. (1997). Review of the concept of intercultural sensitivity. Human Communication, (1), 1–13. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED408634.pdf
(6) Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Press/Doubleday.
(7) Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
(8) Hua, Z. (2016). Identifying research paradigms. In Z. Hua (Ed.), Research methods in intercultural communication. A practical guide. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
(9) Inglehart, R., & Baker, W. E. (2000). Modernization, cultural change, and the persistence of traditional values. American Sociological Review, 65(1), 19–51.
(10) Kaasa, A. (2021). Merging Hofstede, Schwartz, and Inglehart into a single system. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 52(4), 339–353. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221211011244
(11) Kaasa, A., & Minkov, M. (2020). Are the world’s national cultures becoming more similar? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 51(7–8), 531–550. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022120933677
(12) Kim, Y. Y. (2001). Becoming intercultural: An integrative theory of communication and cross-cultural adaptation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
(13) Lewis, R. D. (2006). When cultures collide: Leading across cultures. In Harvard Law Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb059499
(14) Minkov, M., & Kaasa, A. (2021). A test of the revised Minkov-Hofstede model of culture: Mirror images of subjective and objective culture across nations and the 50 US States. Cross-Cultural Research, [In Press].
(15) Morris, M. W., Savani, K., Mor, S., & Cho, J. (2014). When in Rome: Intercultural learning and implications for training. Research in Organizational Behavior, 34, 189–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2014.09.003
(16) Piller, I. (2007). Linguistics and Intercultural Communication. Language and Linguistics Compass, 1(3), 208–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2007.00012.x
(17) Ronen, S., & Shenkar, O. (2013). Mapping world cultures: Cluster formation, sources and implications. Journal of International Business Studies, 44, 867–897. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2013.42
(18) Schwartz, S. H. (2006). A theory of cultural value orientations: Explication and applications. Comparative Sociology, 5(2–3), 137–182. https://doi.org/10.1163/156913306778667357
(19) Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012) What is culture? A compilation of quotations. GlobalPAD Core Concepts. Available at https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/globalpad-rip/openhouse/interculturalskills_old/core_concept_compilations/global_pad_-_what_is_culture.pdf
(20) Trompenaars, F. & Hampden-Turner, C. (1998). Riding the waves of culture. McGraw-Hill.
(21) Thomas, D. C., Elron, E., Stahl, G., Ekelund, B. Z., Ravlin, E. C., Cerdin, J.-L., … Lazarova, M. B. (2008). Cultural intelligence: Domain and assessment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 8(2), 123–143. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595808091787
(22) Wilczewski, M. (2019). Intercultural experience in narrative. Expatriate stories from a multicultural workplace. https://doi.org/10.1075/sin.26
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
- Inter-faculty Studies in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Computer Science
- Bachelor's degree, first cycle programme, Mathematics
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Computer Science
- Master's degree, second cycle programme, Mathematics
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: