Unit title: Unit number: Unit version number: Level: Credit value: ECTS equivalent credit value: Effective from:
Social and Intercultural Communication MS-CMCUG-6-XXXX 1 6 (H) 20 credits 10 credits September 2018
PRE-REQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES None. AIMS This unit is designed to help students gain understanding of pertinent social and intercultural issues (both in the UK and internationally) and their impact upon contemporary professional communication practices. ‘Communication practices’ can include any form of interaction between individuals, groups, ‘communities’ and / or organisations that take place within an increasingly complex, diverse and interconnected world. Students choosing this unit will be encouraged to develop the critical, analytical and, importantly, 'soft' (interpersonal) skills crucial to working effectively cross-culturally and with diverse groups. Together, we will consider how communication shapes socio-culture, as well as communication within and across varied socio-cultural contexts. We will explore how the communication produced by the promotional communication and media professions connects with values, attitudes and world views of individuals and groups; in turn, influencing perceptions, representations and behaviours. The kinds of issues we might talk about include: - the meaning(s) of ‘inclusive communication’ in a post-Brexit Britain; - the ethics of representation in promotional campaigns; - migration and acculturation; - the influence of communication practices upon social, cultural and group identity; - the nature of promotional communication in the ‘global city’; - the role of the arts in human rights and intercultural dialogue. You will have the opportunity to apply what you learn to your particular disciplinary / professional and personal interests, and consider how the issues considered impact upon the ways in which communication programmes and practices are performed, applied, interpreted and consumed.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES Having completed this unit the student is expected to: 1. engage critically with the major perspectives and theoretical paradigms in the social and intercultural communication literature and be able to relate these to varied communication issues and practices; 2. appreciate the connections, tensions and negotiations between communication, socio-culture and identity in varied contexts of daily life; 3. analyse in depth a range of communication practices relevant to organisations and / or sociocultural groups considering implications for contemporary professional communication practice; 4. develop the skills and empathy required to be able to offer appropriate social and intercultural communication strategies. LEARNING AND TEACHING METHODS The unit will typically comprise a series of lectures and ‘workshops’ over of 12-13 weeks, together with required readings introducing key theories and conceptual issues. The workshops will enable students
to explore the relevance and application of key theory, issues and concepts to varied communication practices through discussion, small group activities and practical tasks. 'Soft skills' workshops and tutorials linked to the assessment will also be integrated into the learning and teaching programme. We will use films, where appropriate, to discuss the sociocultural insights they offer and, where possible, there will be opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration and sharing of experiences with students overseas via webinar and wiki technology. ASSESSMENT Summative Assessment ILOs 1-4 will be assessed by 100% coursework equivalent to 5.000 words. Indicative Assessment Information The unit will typically be assessed through two pieces of coursework. An example of the assessment might be: 1) 20% Group work in response to given brief typically relating to a particular organisational issue, which will address ILOs 1, 2 & 3. and will be equivalent to 1000 words. 2) 80%: Individual portfolio of varied tasks, which should meet ILOs 1, 2 & 4, equivalent to 4000 words. INDICATIVE CONTENT This is a subject of study characterised by interdisciplinarity, including: - Social Communication, Intercultural Communication, Media & Communication Studies, Cultural Studies, Political Communication, Sociology, Social Psychology, Anthropology and so on. The following themes are a selection of those typically considered as part of the unit: • • • • • • • • • • • • •
the principles of social communication; the fundamentals of intercultural communication; the future(s) of globalisation; identity: citizenship, consumption & transcultural influences; stereotypes, generalisations & representation: How media shapes our views of others; language and paralanguage; voice, voicelessness, marginality and ‘othering’ hybridity and appropriation in relation to communication practices, forms and identities; migration, acculturation and culture shock; ‘diasporic’, ‘ethnic’ and ‘community’ / ‘alternative’ media; sociocultural interaction online – digital technologies and social networking practices; participatory communication – ethics and practice; barriers to effective social and intercultural communication practice.
INDICATIVE KEY LEARNING RESOURCES Due to the nature of the subject there is no one definitive ‘core text’ for the unit. Instead, we will be consulting the following sources regularly: Baldwin, J. R., Means Coleman, R. R., Gonzalez, A., Shenoy-Packer, S. (2014) Intercultural Communication for Everyday Life, London: Wiley-Blackwell. Burton, D (2009) Cross-cultural Marketing, London: Routledge Couldry, N. (2010) Why Voice Matters: Culture and Politics after Neoliberalism. London: Sage Delaney, C. (2011) Investigating Culture (2nd Edition). London, Wiley-Blackwell. Fielder, K. (2007) Social Communication. Psychology Press.
Georgiou, M. (2006) Diaspora, Identity and the Media: Diasporic Transnationalism and Mediated Spatialities (Urban Communication), London: Hampton Press. Goffman, E., 1963. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. London: Simon and Schuster Inc. Moores, S. (2012) Media, Place and Mobility, London: Palgrave Macmillan. Pitcher, B. (2014) Consuming Race. London: Routledge. Planalp, S. (1999) Communicating Emotion. Social, Moral, and Cultural Processes. Cambridge University Press Rice, R. and Atkin, C (2001) Public Communication Campaigns. Sage. Rymes, B (2014) Communicating Beyond Language. Everyday encounters with diversity. London: Routledge. Servaes, J. eds., (2008) Communication for Development and Social Change. London: Sage. Thompson, J. B. (2013). Ideology and Modern Culture: Critical social theory in the era of mass communication. John Wiley & Sons. Journals Communications Monographs Consumption, Markets & Culture Culture, Media and Society Cultural Critique Ethnography European Journal of Cultural Studies Global Networks Human Relations Intercultural Communication International Journal of Cross Cultural Management International Journal of Cultural Studies International Journal of Intercultural Relations Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology Journal of Intercultural Communication Research Journal of personality and social psychology Migration, Mobility & Displacement Journal New Media & Society Social Identities Theory, Culture and Society