Transcultural communication

Department

Bachelor's program Social Work

Course unit code

SOA-B-5-MT3-IKO-SE

Number of ECTS credits allocated

3.0

Name of lecturer(s)

Guibert Isabelle, MA MA

Mode of delivery

face-to-face

Recommended optional program components

none

Recommended or required reading

Required pre-course reading with guiding questions, available on Sakai/Resources:
- ESTEVA, GUSTAVO (2011). "Intercultural Inspiration: The Life and Work of Raimon Panikkar". In Dietrich, Wolfgang and Others (Eds.): The Palgrave International Handbook of Peace Studies: A Cultural Perspective. New York, Palgrave Macmillan. 570-585
- ROGERS, CARL R. & RICHARD E. FARSON (1987). "Active Listening". In R.G. Newman, M.A. Danzinger, M. Cohen (eds). Communicating in Business Today. D.C. Heath & Company
- SATIR, VIRGINIA (1988). The new peoplemaking. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books
- TROMPENAARS FONS & CHARLES HAMDEN-TURNER (2012). Riding the Waves of Culture. Understanding Diversity in Global Business. London: Nicholas Brealey PublishingRecommended reading, partly available on Sakai/Resources:
- BENNETT, MILTON J. (1993). "Towards Ethnorelativism: A Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity." Education for the Intercultural Experience. Ed. R.M. Paige. 2nd edition. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. 21-71
- EUROPEAN COMMISSION (1998). What? Me? A Racist? Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
- RINGS, GUIDO AND SEBASTIAN RASINGER (EDS.) (2020). The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural Communication, Cambridge University Press
- ROSENBERG, MARSHALL (2003). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. PuddleDancer Press
- ZAKI, JAMIL (2019). The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Crown

Assessment methods and criteria

Course immanent examination

Level of course unit

Bachelor

Year of study

Fall 2025

Semester when the course unit is delivered

5

Language of instruction

English

Learning outcomes of the course unit

CULTURE, INTERCULTURALITY:
- Students gain awareness of the meaning of culture: What does it imply and trigger? What is visible and invisible?
- They are introduced to important aspects such as points of view, perceptions, assumed normality, unmet expectations.
- They gain insight into some cultural dimensions.
- They are sensitised to what intercultural competence involves and requires. They become acquainted with diverse perceptions of cultural difference and how the latter is experienced depending on one's cultural background.
- Throughout the course, students are continuously invited to self-reflect, to learn by "experiencing", to take distance from their (cultural) worldview and mindset, to better cope with unexpected and “weird” situations.
COMMUNICATION:
- Students get an overview of various meanings of communication.
- They are introduced to communication styles (coping stances) to gain awareness of how they communicate, as well as people around them. Thereby, they identify the mechanisms that may lead to dysfunctional interactions and generate misunderstandings, distrust, conflicts.
- They improve their listening, empathetic and expressing skills for better interactions in their personal, professional, and social sphere. - They learn to give and take constructive feedback.
- They learn how to recognise and express non-violently their needs and feelings in order to enhance self-awareness and congruent communication. They reflect on a personal conflict.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

- Interactive teaching and participatory learning
- Unconventional teaching approaches involving mind, body, spirit, heart
- Inputs and open discussion
- Individual and collective work
- To enhance interaction and participatory learning, the sessions will be completely free from devices (smartphones, computers, tablets).

Work placement(s)

none