IL1100 Intercultural Competences

To define culture and explore various metaphors used to represent it.

To learn and practise the skills of observing, describing and interpreting the behavior of people who are culturally different from ourselves.

To practise communication techniques that allow us  to overcome the barriers involved in intercultural communication, including:       
    - suspension of judgment
    - managing stereotypes
    - reflecting on and interpreting behavior
    - development of empathy and perspective taking

To increase self-cultural awareness and awareness of other cultures by learning a framework of cultural difference.

To study the effect of culture on international negotiation and team work

To analyze your own intercultural experience using the framework of cultural difference and the other concepts learned during the semester.

Module I: The Basics of Intercultural Communication

- Define the concept of culture; learn basic definitions and terms.

- Start keeping an analytical notebook of your experience during the semester in order to develop the skills of observation, description, reflection and analysis.

- Participate in exercises designed to explore the concepts of perception, stereotyping and suspension of judgement.

Block 2 Assignment:

- Research one aspect of cultural difference in teams, prepare and deliver a presentation

Module II: Understanding cultural differences

- Learn a Framework of Cultural Difference with the goal of knowing yourself and others and being able to interpret behaviour in intercultural interactions.

- Map the cultures in the classroom in order to identify the key differences and also similarities that exist.

- Apply the Framework of Cultural Difference to an intercultural case to practise identifying the values that underlie the behaviour.

Block 2/3 Assignment:

- Read article on Sympathy and Empathy.

Module III:

- Explore the concept of empathy and practise seeing situations from more than one cultural perspective.

- Explore how culture influences the specific business activity of negotiation

- Explore the concept of trust as a culturally relative construct: understand why it is more difficult to establish trust across cultures and how this impacts international business interactions.

- Learn how to write a critical incident based on your personal experience and analyse it using the frameworks we have studied in class.