Overview of Course

The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to maximize their Semester at Sea experience. It will introduce them to cultural intelligence and intercultural communication. A critical approach will be taken to explore cultural theoretical frameworks, emphasizing the role and significance of interpersonal relationships and communication in diverse cultural contexts at individual, organizational, and societal levels. Students will gain an understanding of their own culture, its personal significance, and the various sub-cultures they belong to. They will also develop self-awareness regarding the factors that shape their identity and how their culture influences their interactions with others. The module will address intercultural challenges, communication failures, misinterpretations, and misunderstandings, while providing strategies and tools to face them and develop capabilities to operate globally. Additionally, the course will examine social and cultural environments in the countries visited, focusing on culture-specific power dynamics, privilege, colonization and decolonization narratives, and critical historical perspectives. The course will utilize readings, movies, cultural immersion experiences, and storytelling, requiring students to demonstrate their comprehension of the material through papers, presentations, discussions, exams, and applied fieldwork.