Submission Requirements
400 to about 650 words, but certainly no more than 800 words.
Include the word count at the end of your response, like this: Words: 582
Submit to the relevant dropbox as a Word Document (doc or docx) or a PDF file.
Write the response in Standard American English. This includes using full sentences, indented paragraphs, and proper spelling and punctuation. be sure to double space your submission.
Place course concepts you use in bold. Example: Early on our group developed an unusual norm about taking turns in conversation… (Note that your goal is still to demonstrate a rich understanding of the course material, though, and not merely to spam vocabulary.)
If the only source you use is the textbook, you do not need to submit a works cited list.
Prompt
Think of a specific instance (either one-on-one or in a group) in which you felt that you were not communicating very well with the someone due to differing expectations of appropriateness.
Part 1: Discuss how differences in one or two of the five cultural dimensions helps explain this breakdown in communication: individualism/collectivism, power distance, gender expectations, time orientations, or high context/low context cultural dimensions. This should comprise the longest portion of your writing response, and it should clearly demonstrate your understanding of the concept as explored in the readings.
Part 2: Briefly explain how one or two additional factors of diversity might also have contributed to this particular miscommunication. Many people use a specific type or trait of personality, such as the sensor type, or agreeableness. But you also can use gender, generation, or religion if one of those is a primary factor explaining the miscommunication. Again, your response should clearly demonstrate your understanding of the concept (either personality, gender, generation, or religion) as explored in the readings.
Part 3: Discuss how you could have behaved and communicated differently to encourage a better result. You should draw upon one or more of the techniques for adapting to diversity discussed near the end of the reading to support your answer. (Since you cant control or change others actions, how might you have invited a more productive response from the other person, now that youve considered what might have motivated them?)
Note: While a language barrier may in some instances have been a contributing factor, I encourage you to focus only on the dimensions of diversity and culture discussed in the readings.
Evaluation
Overall, you are being evaluated on your ability to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the course material covered in both the reading and this lesson, and to apply it to a specific communication event. Specific criteria are as follows:
Accurate use of course concepts, including selecting the most appropriate term for the situation you describe: 10 points
Explanation depth, demonstrating an awareness of the complexity of group interaction: 15 points
Writing quality is consistent with Standard American English, and attends to clarity, mechanics, and proofreading: 5 points
Please review the rubric below prior to completing the assignment so you are aware of the grading criteria.
