Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Intercultural Contact

On this course you will examine the idea of intercultural contact and the effects of cultural interactions from historical and global perspectives. Through videos and articles, you will discover how intercultural contact is experienced in our everyday lives, and learn about the ways in which people develop intercultural competence.

As the course progresses, you’ll consider terms such as ‘globalisation’ and ‘acculturation’, explore the relationship between nationality and culture, and compare different experiences of returning ‘home’ following periods of absence.

The course is for anyone with an interest in the concepts of culture and interculturality, you don’t need any previous experience.

This course is also ideal if you are preparing to move to a different country for work or study or you work with groups of people from different cultures to yours. By completing all aspects of the course you will have achieved 14 hours of CPD time.

The course is for anyone with an interest in the concepts of culture and interculturality, you don’t need any previous experience.

This course is also ideal if you are preparing to move to a different country for work or study or you work with groups of people from different cultures to yours. By completing all aspects of the course you will have achieved 14 hours of CPD time.

• Explore intercultural contact from historical and global perspectives.
• Investigate the ways in which people develop intercultural competence using the KASA model.
• Compare different experiences of returning to “home” cultures following periods of absence.
• Assess the usefulness of Holliday’s notion of blocks and threads to evaluate intercultural contact.
• Explain how ethnographic study supports the investigation of cultural environments.
• Investigate an example of intercultural contact using the ideas of critical incidents and rich points.
• Describe two different models to explain how the process of adapting to a new culture works.
• Use key concepts of homophily, in and out groups, othering and race to explain how connections and divisions are formed between cultures.