Communication in Global Settings

The central focus of the course is on the social and cultural outcomes of globalization both for the mainstream communities and for minority groups. Broadly defined, globalization refers to a process of interaction and integration among the peoples, companies, and institutions from various ethnolinguistic backgrounds. With the advancement of globalization, people in industrialized societies have experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of exposure to individuals coming from different cultural backgrounds. Increased cultural contact leads to both exclusionary and integrative reactions of mainstream communities to nonindigenous ‘cultures’. In many western societies, inflows of ‘new’ cultures caused reactionary movements to reduce ethnic and religious diversity in the name of social cohesion and societal unity. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the processes and outcomes of interethnic contact between majority and minority groups, the students need to be informed about various aspects of intercultural communication, ethnic identity and identity construction in multicultural settings.