OER  / ZTC COURSE DESCRIPTION [scroll to the end]

This course has been designated as an OER / ZTC. The instructor will provide the learning materials. A list of recommended texts have been provided for students wishing to obtain them for their personal libraries and research purchase. The course will be taught as a synchronous online course in a virtual classroom setting. Students must be available online during the days and hours listed in the schedule of classes for the course. After registering, students should access Blackboard to view course requirements. This is a Writing Intensive (WI) course. You will have several class discussion assignment, reflection or reaction discussions, a midterm, a response paper and a final essay/summary and presentation. Students will start from the beginning of the semester by working on contents for their final exam. I will guide you along the way to make your time in this class useful. Please check the BB discussion pages. I have posted a lot of resources to help you with your writing. 

Brief Outline of the Overlapping Themes (Modules) in Cultural Diversity 100  

• What Is Culture? 
• What Are Cultural Values? 
• How Do We Learn Our Culture?  
• Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism 
• Does Our Culture Affect What We Notice and How We See It? 
• Gender and Sexuality from Culture to Culture 
• Prejudice, Race and Ethnicity 
• Culture and Technology  
• Diversity and multi – cultural education 

Course Narrative 

Adapted from: Ch. 3 Introduction to Culture – Introduction to Sociology 2e | OpenStax 

What are the rules when you pass an acquaintance at school, work, in the grocery store, or in the mall? Generally, we do not consider all of the intricacies of the rules of behavior. We may simply say, “Hello!” and ask, “How was your weekend?” or some other trivial question meant to be a friendly greeting. Rarely do we physically embrace or even touch the individual. In fact, doing so may be viewed with scorn or distaste, since as people in the United States we have fairly rigid rules about personal space. However, we all adhere to various rules and standards that are created and maintained in culture.

These rules and expectations have meaning, and there are ways in which you may violate this negotiation. Consider what would happen if you stopped and informed everyone who said, “Hi, how are you?” exactly how you were doing that day, and in detail. You would more than likely violate rules of culture and specifically greeting. Perhaps in a different culture the question would be more literal, and it may require a response. Or if you are having coffee with a good friend, perhaps that question warrants a more detailed response.

These examples are all aspects of culture, which is shared beliefs, values, and practices, that participants must learn. Sociologically, we examine in what situation and context certain behavior is expected, and in which situations perhaps it is not. These rules are created and enforced by people who interact and share “culture” and live together as part of a society where they interact with each other. 

Learning Objectives 

Through class discussion, short writing assignments, group work, presentations, exams, papers, involving research and documentation, students will: 

• Gather, interpret, and assess information from a variety of sources and points of view.
• Evaluate evidence and arguments critically or analytically.
• Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions. 
• Identify and apply the fundamental concepts and methods of a discipline or interdisciplinary field exploring the relationship between the individual and society, including, but not limited to, anthropology, communications, cultural studies, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion and sociology. 
• Examine how an individual’s place in society affects experiences, values and choices. 
• Articulate and assess ethical views and their underlying premises. 
• Identify and engage with local, national, or global trends or ideologies, and analyze their impact on individual or collective decision-making. 

Course Description 

A study of what “culture” is; how we see it based on several factors, how it influences the choices and decision we make; how to deal positively with conflicts that inevitably arise in working/living situations with people of diverse cultures. This is a course structured to raise multicultural awareness and fortify students’ social skills in dealing with cultural differences.  It includes ethnographic study of cultural groups in the U.S.A and responses to shared values, observations or experiences based on student’s ancestry, heritage, travels. Students will learn about culture “do and donts” around the world and provide the class with their own culture shock experience and how they overcame them.  Through the study of cultural concepts, this course develops skills in critical thinking, writing and scholarly documentation.   

Ancillary Learning Objectives 

In addition, students will demonstrate increased competencies in:  

• Understanding what culture is, how it is acquired and how it shapes our values, attitudes and behaviors;  
• Articulating and assessing ethical views and their underlying behaviors related to ethnocentricity and prejudices of all kinds; 
• Assessing social problems from within a cultural context; 
• Developing the analytical skills and knowledge that will enable us to engage constructively with ideologies and issues of cultural diversity in the local, regional and global communities; 
• Working cooperatively with persons of diverse backgrounds; and  
• Appreciating the contributions of our own and other cultural groups to our global community.