During my sophomore year, I participated in the COM 263: Elements of International Communication course. This course focused on developing interpersonal skills when being involved in intercultural interactions. By analyzing context socially, culturally, and historically, more meaningful and respectful conversations can be made when members of different cultures interact. This information was discussed largely through reading the textbook and interaxting with classmates to receive and understand their individual perspectives on intercultural interactions.
In this class, we participated in several assignments to assist our understanding of culturally accepted forms of communication. This includes tests and online discussion posts to interact with other students. The discussion boards yielded the most fruition of the course, as it enabled me to gather perspectives of how others approach intercultural conversations, but also gave me some direction as to how to approach conversations more inclusively. For example, one topic discussed was how conversation topics can sometimes inherently exclude others, as they may not understand certain references due to them based on cultural trends. This meant the ideal method to intercultural conversation was to promote inclusive conversation topics, by identifying common themes amongst each person.
This course connects to the Grand Challenge theme of Security, as most international diplomacy is conducted through understanding the context of different cultures. Peace treaties and war resolutions have historically been established through understanding the needs and historical and social backgrounds of the other culture, allowing proper and open-minded compromises to be created. Without a proper understanding of other cultures, these peace agreements likely would never exist, as conversations would rarely, if ever, lead to compromise.
This class will aid my professional career, as I plan on pursuing consulting as a career; truly understanding the needs of context of both local and international clients is vital to the health of business relationships. By knowing how to approach problems from their unique context, I will be better equipped to develop tailored solutions that properly addresses the concerns of clients. This skill will not only enhance my ability to provide effective solutions, but also the ability to develop trust with clients and showing a deep understanding of their concerns.