Intercultural Communication Paper

Intercultural Communication Research Application and Critique – This project is designed to give you the opportunity to apply course material to a mediated example of intercultural communication and come to appreciate the practical nature of our course material. Each student will engage in an in-depth analysis and written critique of a mediated example of intercultural communication. All research papers/ case studies must be typed, double-spaced, 15 pages maximum in length, written in standard paragraph form, submitted in hardcopy form, include an introduction and conclusion, and follow APA 6th edition guidelines in and citation style.

The final paper can include case studies, real world examples, and analyses and critiques of some current issues that are not included in the textbook or in our lenses of cultural examination, such as Affirmative Action, Doctors Without Borders, the work of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jim Crow laws and their persistent effects, colonialism, and other topics of your choice. You should use critical thought, and respect as you write. There is almost always more than one side to any story.

Writing Expectations: All written assignments are expected to be written in a formal APA writing style. A formal writing style requires careful thought and consideration. In general, it is inappropriate to write as you would speak. Conversations are more dynamic than written communication meaning that the sender and receiver can ask for clarification or elaboration easily, and thus the sender can use imprecise language, ramble from topic to topic freely, and so on. Formal writing stands on its own. Language use is also different in written communication. While we regularly use slang or colloquial phrases in conversation, formal writing does not include the use of slang or imprecise phrases. For example, avoid the use of “and stuff” or “all that” or “kind of”. Remember that writing impacts perceptions of credibility. Writing that includes informal language/phrases, slang and errors detracts from credibility and professionalism. Write as though you are already a professional in the workplace!

The paper includes an introduction that includes a thesis statement and preview of the paper content, transition sentences between each topic, conclusion that summarizes the paper and reference page that provides the APA style citation for our textbook and scholarly sources. Don’t forget to organize your scholarly paper with subtitles as you transition between each topic.

Citation of Outside Sources: Citation of external sources (including research articles and course texts) is required when you paraphrase or quote directly from a source. Direct quotations require: quotation marks, name of the author, year, and page number. Paraphrases (ideas or concepts discussed by an author expressed in your own words) require: name of the author and year. A reference entry/page is required when you use external sources for an assignment. Citations must conform to APA style guidelines.

Following the guidelines of formal writing and using course terminology and text from different scholarly resources (book, scholarly journals, newspapers, etc.), you will provide a general thesis statement, select the best interpersonal communication theory, which will best be applied to your research methodology whether qualitative such discourse analysis or rhetorical discourse or quantitative such as content analysis or surveys, in order to support your research findings of conversations about the nature of change, and apply it to your critique of the way we conceive of and practice interpersonal communication– not to mention errands, socializing, and communal rites – was changed irrevocably since the arrival of the pandemic.

Assume the position of an intercultural communication consultant. Based on what you have learned this semester, make specific and thoughtful recommendations for how one change might improve/impede intercultural communication competence in the pandemic era. Include this as your final point of discussion.