Open AccessCase Study: Partnering Intercultural Communication Students with Campus Co-Cultural Student Groups to Develop Intercultural Competence, Allyship, and Curiosity
Author(s) -
Rebecca A. Kuehl
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
the journal of scholarship of teaching and learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1527-9316
DOI - 10.14434/josotl.v21i4.32673
Subject(s) - intercultural competence , intercultural communication , curiosity , cultural competence , general partnership , pedagogy , psychology , intercultural relations , competence (human resources) , cultural humility , cultural diversity , interpersonal communication , sociology , social psychology , political science , anthropology , law
The question I analyze in this case study is how might one use civic engagement to foster campus/community relationships in this polarized era? I describe a teaching challenge in intercultural communication. Students have consistently reported that they arrive to this university from rural, majority-White communities where they have not experienced opportunities to communicate with culturally diverse groups. To address this challenge, I developed a semester-long assignment that provides a structured partnership between students in my Intercultural Communication course and campus co-cultural student groups. To assess this assignment’s benefit to the pedagogy surrounding polarization across cultural differences, I qualitatively analyzed themes in students’ reflection papers (N = 128 papers) from the last five sections of the course (2016–2020). Students addressed how these partnerships helped them develop (1) intercultural competence, (2) acceptance or appreciation through allyship, and (3) curiosity about other cultures. I conclude with implications, including how colleagues might use this assignment in other rural, land-grant public university settings.