Seminar in Intercultural Communication

This course offers students an overview of communication processes in intercultural encounters. The course focuses on both practical and theoretical aspects that will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of why and how culture affects behavior.

All course materials/readings will be posted on Canvas.

The primary goal of this course is to provide an overview of the research in the field of intercultural communication. The course aims to enable you to understand and critically examine intercultural communication processes, whether theoretical or practical. To this end, the course covers several topics, from the conceptualization and study of culture, to specific phenomena that affect how individuals from different cultures behave. After taking this course, you will be able to identify and apply concepts of intercultural communication and come away with new insights about cross-culturally shared and unique behaviors.

Discussion and class participation (40% of your grade)
This course will be conducted at a graduate level; the professor will act more as a facilitator than a lecturer. This means participants are responsible for providing considered, informed, and active contributions to the course. You are expected to have read the assigned course materials before the course begins, attend all classes, be prepared with pertinent comments about our readings, and make significant and substantive contributions to course, whether during Zoom meetings or on the discussion boards.

The first discussion post you will be asked to make is a self-introductory narrative in which you introduce yourself to your classmates and instructor by providing a bit of information about yourself from a cultural standpoint. Please check Canvas for a detailed description of the requirements for this post. The narrative is due before the first day of class, by November 14th 2022, at the latest.

Second, each person is responsible for posting one in-depth discussion post for each class day. The posts should demonstrate your understanding of the readings to be covered during that day, your ability to engage with the material, and apply it beyond this course. Please check Canvas for a detailed description of the requirements for this post. Posts are due 24 hours before the class in question (e.g., posts for the November 15th class readings would be due on November 14th, posts for the November 20th class would be due on November 19th, and so on).

In addition, each person is responsible for posting one discussion question for each reading we cover in class throughout the course. Questions should challenge or critique the reading, highlight inconsistencies, inquire about the practical applications of the material, and, ultimately, demonstrate your understanding of each article. Please check Canvas for a detailed description of the requirements for this post. Posts are due 24 hours before the class in question (e.g., posts for the November 15th class readings would be due on November 14th, posts for the November 20th class would be due on November 19th, and so on).

Finally, each person must comment on classmate’s posts to further our class discussion about the issues we read and to engage in a more in-depth conversation about intercultural communication. Each person is responsible for posting 15 posts throughout the synchronous course meeting days (November 15th – November 20th). Please check Canvas for a detailed description of the requirements for these comments.

Article presentations (15% of your grade)
This assignment asks that you lead discussion and serve as a content expert for one of our course readings that is an article (so, not book chapters). Please e-mail the instructor to sign up for a reading (first come, first served) no later than November 7th 2022. If you have not claimed a reading by this date, the instructor will assign you one.

The presentation has two components:

a.      A 3-4 page handout for the rest of the class that summarizes the main argument(s) of the article, the main implications of the article for the study of intercultural communication, your critique of the article, and 2-3 questions regarding the article that your believe deserve further discussion. This should be uploaded to Canvas 24 hours before the class in question when we will be covering the article. Everyone is expected to review this handout prior to the day in which the presentation is delivered.  The handouts will be graded based on their usefulness, accuracy in summarizing the article, and quality of the discussion questions.

b.      An oral presentation (20-30 minutes) of the reading and facilitation of discussion for this reading on the day that the reading you have chosen is assigned on the schedule. Depending on the number of students enrolled in the course, this may be a pre-recorded presentation that you will upload to Canvas or a “live” presentation during class. The presentation will be graded based on its quality and delivery.

Intercultural experience paper
This paper should be a short essay in which you reflect about a specific intercultural experience. You should choose a specific example from your personal life that you feel comfortable sharing with the instructor. You should describe this observation in detail, focusing specifically on aspects directly related to communication. You should then select and describe one or two concepts from intercultural communication that you believe are applicable to your experience. Finally, use these concepts from the class material to analyze and explain this experience. Please be sure you think in depth about how intercultural concepts apply to your experience.  

The paper should be 4-5 pages (excluding the cover page and references) and follow APA 7th edition in respect to formatting, writing, and citations. The paper should be submitted electronically to Canvas no later than the first day of class, November 15th 2022. Late assignments may incur a grade deduction. Papers will be graded based on their content, structure, and writing.

Analysis paper
The course paper for this class asks that you choose an issue relevant to intercultural communication and analyze it in depth based on the concepts and theories discussed throughout this course. The paper should clearly describe the issue, review relevant literature and research about this issue, explain what theory (theories) are best able to explain this issue, and present an argumentative conclusion that summarizes your view about this issue and its importance for intercultural communication. Note that you will have to obtain the instructor’s approval for your choice of topic.

The paper should be between 8-10 pages (excluding the cover page and references) and follow APA 7th edition in respect to formatting, writing, and citations.

The paper should be submitted electronically to Canvas no later than December 7th 2022. Late assignments will not be accepted. The instructor will return feedback electronically via Canvas.

Papers will be graded based on their content, structure, and writing. Further details about how to write a good analysis paper as well as a detailed evaluation form for the paper will be discussed in class.

This is a letter-graded course: A, B, C, D, or F.

Notice: Failure to meet assignment due dates could result in a grade of I (Incomplete) and may adversely impact Tuition Assistance and/or Financial Aid.

Attendance/Grade Policy

Attendance and participation in interaction, individual assignments, group exercises, simulations, role playing, etc. are valuable aspects of any course because much of the learning comes from discussions in class with other students. It is expected that you attend all classes and be on time except for excused emergencies.

Excused absences are given for professor mandated activities or legally required activities such as emergencies or military assignments. It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays. Unavoidable personal emergencies, including (but not limited to) serious illness; delays in getting to class because of accidents, etc.; deaths and funerals, and hazardous road conditions will be excused.

If you are obtaining financial assistance (TA, STAP, FA, VA, Scholarship, etc.) to pay all or part of your tuition cost, you must follow your funding agency/institution’s policy regarding “I” (Incomplete) grades unless the timeline is longer than what the University policy allows then you must adhere to the University policy. Students who receive Financial Aid must resolve/complete any “I” (Incomplete) grades by the end of the term or he/she may be placed on “financial aid probation.” If the “I” grade is not resolved/completed by the end of the following term, the student’s Financial Aid may be suspended make the student ineligible for further Financial Aid.

Students are responsible for meeting the guidelines of Tuition Assistance and Veterans Assistance. See the education counselor at your local education center for a complete description of your TA or VA requirements.

OU faculty will submit grades online through ONE not later than 30 days after the course end date. Course end dates are approximately one calendar month after the final seminar date on this syllabus and are provided on the official scheduling website for reference.

Academic Integrity and Student Conduct 

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. Academic assignments exist to help students learn; grades exist to show how fully this goal is attained. Therefore all work and all grades should result from the student's own understanding and effort.

Academic misconduct is any act which improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement. Misconduct occurs when the student either knows or reasonably should know that the act constitutes misconduct. Academic misconduct includes: cheating and using unauthorized materials on examinations and other assignments; improper collaboration, submitting the same assignment for different classes (self-plagiarism); fabrication, forgery, alteration of documents, lying, etc…in order to obtain an academic advantage; assisting others in academic misconduct; attempting to commit academic misconduct; destruction of property, hacking, etc…; intimidation and interference with integrity process; and plagiarism. All students should review the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html 

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. All students should review policies regarding student conduct at http://studentconduct.ou.edu/ 

Accommodation Statement

The University of Oklahoma is committed to making its activities as accessible as possible. For accommodations on the basis of disability, please contact your local OU Site Director.

Adjustment for Pregnancy/Childbirth-Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact the professor as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html. 

Title IX Resources

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at [email protected] or (405) 325-2215 (8-5), or the Sexual Assault Response Team at (405) 615 -0013 (24/7) to report an incident. To learn more about Title IX, please visit the Institutional Equity Office’s website at http://www.ou.edu/content/eoo.html 

Course Policies

Extended Campus (also and formerly known as Advanced Programs) policy is to order books in paperback if available. Courses, dates, and professors are subject to change. Please check with your OU Site Director. Students should retain a copy of any assignments that are e/mailed to the professor for the course. Neither duplicating services nor office supplies are provided.

Any and all course materials, syllabus, lessons, lectures, etc. are the property of professor teaching the course and the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and are protected under applicable copyright.

For more information about OU Extended Campus, visit our website at: http://www.goou.ou.edu/

Statement on Respect

The classroom should provide a safe learning environment where students can express their views without fear of reprisal. That freedom of expression must be balanced by demonstrated respect for other’s viewpoints and appropriate and reasonable sensitivity, especially within the context of scholarly disagreement.  Disrespectful or uncivil dialogue (including, but not limited to, personal attacks, insults, or harassment) will not be tolerated.

Recording Devices/Phones/Computers

It is important for students to be fully present during class to fully benefit from lectures, discussions, and experiential assignments. Class sessions may not be tape-recorded. All telephones and pagers should be turned off or placed on silent mode. Computers may not be used during class. Students who require an exception to this policy should discuss exceptional circumstances with the professor.

Ioana A. Cionea

Education

• 2013: Ph.D. in Communication, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
• 2006: M. A. in Communication Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
• 2004: LL. B., Dimitrie Cantemir University College of Law, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Current Position

Associate professor, Department of Communication, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK

Major Areas of Teaching and Research Interest

• Argumentation
• Intercultural communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Quantitative research methods

Representative Publications and Presentations

• Acheme, D., & Cionea, I. A. (2022). “Oh, I like your accent!”: Perceptions and evaluations of standard and non-standard accented English speakers. Communication Reports, 35(2), 92-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2022.2037679
• Machette, A. T., & Cionea, I. A. (2022). What predicts relational satisfaction in intercultural relationships? A culture and relational models perspective. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 51(4), 400-416. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2021.2020880
• Cionea, I. A., Piercy, C. W., Bostwick, E. N., & Wilson Mumpower, S. (2019). Argumentative competence in friend and stranger dyadic exchanges. Argumentation, 33, 465-487. doi:10.1007/s10503-019-09487-x
• Cionea, I. A., Van Gilder, B., Hoelscher, C. S., & Anagondahalli, D. (2018). A cross-cultural comparison of expectations in romantic relationships: India and the United States. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication. (Advanced online publication). doi:10.1080/17513057.2018.1542019
• Cionea, I. A. (2017). Interpersonal argumentation across cultures. In Y. Y. Kim (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication (pp. 1-12). Malden, MA: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0249
• Guo, Y., & Cionea, I. A. (2017). “Do it this way, not that way:” An exploration of Chinese workplace conflicts. International Journal of Conflict Management, 28(2), 202-221. doi:10.1108/IJCMA-10-2015-0073

Representative Honors and Awards Received

• University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences, Irene Rothbaum Award for Outstanding Assistant Professor, 2016
• University of Oklahoma, Office of the Vice President for Research, Junior Faculty Fellowship, 2014
• University of Oklahoma, Department of Communication, Faculty/Staff Service and Support Award, 2014, 2017, 2019

Major Professional Affiliations

National Communication Association, 2004-present.