Queens University COMM 660G: Special Topics Communication and Diverse Cultures Summer 2012

Contact Information: Janet McPherson, Ph.D. E-mail: mcphersonj@queens.edu Phone: (336) 970-7371 (cell) (feel free to text, but please include your name) Twitter: JanetMcPherson1, #comm660 Office Hours: By Appointment (please call or e-mail for appointment) Course Meetings: Wednesday, 6:00pm-8:45pm Dana 110 Course Objective: This course seeks to investigate the role that culture, specifically gender and generational identity, plays in communication and the life of the organization. The course will provide students with a theoretical overview of the topics as well as opportunities for personal reflection and discussion. At the conclusion of the course, students will have acquired the background and practical skills necessary to recognize the barriers to effective communication, and a variety of tools and strategies with which to manage interactions between members of differing cultural groups. Required Materials: Tannen, Deborah. (1994). Talking From 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work. New York: Harper. DelCampo, R. G., Haggerty, L. A., Haney, M.J. & Knippel, L. A. (2011). Managing the Multi-generational Workforce: From the GI Generation to the Millennials. Burlington, VT: Gower. Supplemental Readings as assigned. Available in class or online.

Guest Speakers: In order to expose students to viewpoints and experiences beyond those of the course participants, several guest speakers have been invited to address our class. The speakers represent a variety of industries and will plan to share how gender and/or inter-generational communication impacts the work they do. The guest speakers will share various perspectives on our course topics and be prepared to answer questions from students. Please make an extra effort to be

in class on the nights where we have invited guest speakers and be prepared with thoughtful questions and topics for discussion. Assignments and Grading: Keeping in mind that most participants in this course are full-time, working adults, I have designed the course to be as straightforward as possible. Assignments: All assignments are due at 6:00pm on the date provided in the syllabus. Assignments submitted after that date and time will be accepted at the discretion of the professor and, if accepted, will be penalized by a minimum of one letter grade for each class meeting the assignment is late. Assignments must be typed and should be double-spaced in 12-point font (Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar) with one-inch margins. All assignments must adhere to APA Guidelines and include appropriate citations. APA reference manuals can be found in most bookstores and several useful writing guides can also be located online. As this is a graduate level course, I expect all work submitted to be wellwritten. That includes writing that is clear, succinct, and free of grammatical errors. If you feel like you need additional help with writing, please contact the Queens University Center for Academic Success Writing Center located on the lower level of Dana. Please contact Jenn Goddu at godduj@queens.edu or 704.688.2765 if you have additional questions. Please note that I will not necessarily correct all assignments for grammatical errors. I will, however, make comments regarding the content of the paper. If a paper includes numerous grammatical errors or is difficult to read, your grade will reflect the need for improvement in this area. Grading: The following grading scale will be used to evaluate all course assignments. A numerical grade will be given for each assignment and all grades will be totaled at the end of the semester to determine the final course grade. A 100-90 Outstanding work. Paper includes a strong, well-supported argument, is clear and concise, free of grammatical errors, and appropriately cited. Demonstrates a working understanding of the theory presented in class and in the reading materials. Good work. Includes most of the elements listed above, but could improve in one of these areas: ideas, argument, grammar, or documentation. Acceptable work. Includes some of the elements listed above,

B 89-80

C 79-70

but could improve in two of these areas: ideas, argument, grammar, or documentation. F 69 and below Unacceptable work. Does not demonstrate an understanding of the course content and/or reflects a lack of commitment to the assignment. Late Work Acceptance Policy Late work is accepted at the discretion of the professor. Please note that some deadlines are based on requirements outside of my control (for example, IRB proposals), so late submission of these assignments may compromise your ability to complete other projects. Confidentiality: At times, you will be asked to reflect upon your personal experience and write about actual people, organizations and events. While confidentiality on all papers and projects will be highly respected, students are encouraged to change the names of individuals and organizations in their coursework. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Class Attendance: While I recognize the numerous personal and professional demands placed on working graduate students, class attendance is critical to your success in this course. Much of your learning will come from our class discussions and activities, and you will also be working with your classmates in groups and teams on a regular basis. Therefore, your attendance not only affects your learning, but that of your classmates as well. You may miss 1 class meeting over the course of the summer with no penalty. However, for each additional absence you will receive a 5-point deduction from your final participation grade. Over the course of the summer, any student who misses more that 3 classes will receive a failing grade for the course. Most importantly, I ask that you communicate with me if you are going to miss class or need to arrive late or leave early. You can reach me by cell phone or through e-mail. I may need to re-arrange the order in which we do things in class based upon the number of students present for any given course meeting. University Closings or Cancelled Classes: Queens University offers QAlert, which will provide you with campus emergency notifications via voicemail, text message, and/or e-mail message. Please sign up for this service at www.queens.edu/alert. You must register as a new user for each academic year. For more information about this service, please e-mail alert@queens.edu.

Additionally, students can call the Student Information HotLine at (704) 3372567. Should I need to cancel class for any reason, I will notify you by e-mail as soon as possible. Please check your e-mail prior to coming to campus each week. In addition, I will tweet the announcement using the hashtag #660culture. Honor Code and Plagiarism: The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three fundamental principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the property of others, and c)are honest on tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic assignments. Plagiarism is representing anothers words or thoughts as ones own, and it is a clear violation of Queens Honor Code. It can take many forms including wordfor-word (global) plagiarism, or paraphrasing without providing proper citation of the source (patchwork). To learn more, please visit the Queens Center for Academic Success located on the lower level of Dana (http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/academicresourcecenter.asp) or the following website http://www.plagiarism.org. Please contact me if you have any questions about plagiarism or if you believe a violation of the Honor Code has occurred. Intellectual Property Policy: Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to the Queens Intellectual Property Policy. See the Faculty Handbook at http://moodle.queens.edu and the Queens University of Charlotte website at http://www.queens.edu for more information. Electronic Media Use Policy: Students are permitted to use laptop computers in class, but are asked to close them during class discussions and presentations unless they are being used for note taking. Cell phones should be turned to silent during class and, in the case of an emergency, students should exit the classroom before taking a call. Use of Twitter is acceptable on a limited basis. If electronic devices of any kind become a distraction during class, students will be asked to put them away for the duration of the class. Disability Accommodations: If you are a student with a documented disability and you require accommodations, please provide me with the necessary memorandum given to you by Student Disability Services. If you have additional questions or concerns about Disability Services at Queens University, please contact Sandy Rogelberg, Coordinator of Disability Services, at 704.337.2508.

Course Assignments: Below is a description of the course assignments. Further direction will be provided in class. 1) Reflection Paper (10%)- Students will complete a personal reflection paper after our first class meeting. The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to think about your identity and how that identity will influence your experience in this course. Because we all bring a unique and valuable perspective to our class discussions, it is important that we spend some time understanding how, when, and by what means our individual perspective developed. I will provide you with some detailed questions that you may address in your paper. This paper will be due at the start of our second class meeting. 2) Book Review and Discussion Facilitations (20% each, 40% total) With a partner or a small group of classmates, you will facilitate two class discussions on a particular aspect of gender (first discussion) and inter-generational communication (second discussion). We will brainstorm and assign topics in class and they will be based on your interests as a class. During your one-hour presentation, you and your group members are responsible for introducing the class to your topic and leading a meaningful discussion on the related issues. In addition, you should review a book or major piece of literature related to your topic including the author(s) strengths and weaknesses and a discussion of what, if any, value you feel this work might provide for an individual in todays workforce. Also, you should consider tying in other readings, research, media, case studies, activities, etc. that relate to and illustrate the assigned topic. Please distribute your groups selected readings to the class at least one week prior to your presentation so your classmates can come to class prepared and contribute to the discussion in a meaningful way. While this is not a formal presentation, you will be graded on your preparedness and how well you manage the discussion among your classmates. All group members are not required to facilitate the same amount of the discussion, but each member must contribute to the class discussion in a direct way. Be creative, be thoughtful, and be relevant! You have the freedom to teach your classmates in the same manner you like to learn, so make the most of the opportunity! 3) Industry Study (40%)- For your term assignment, you are asked to investigate the relevance, impact, and use of gender and inter-generational communication on a particular field or industry. You may choose the industry in which you already work or perhaps a field in which you would like to work one day. While I hope that you will include case studies and specific examples, please remember that this is an overview of an entire field, not a single organization. Depending on your field of choice, your paper may include more information on gender communication than inter-generational communication or vice-versa, but both areas of diversity must be addressed. Your study should include a review of the literature, an analysis of the industrys strengths and areas of improvement, and your recommendations for how industry leaders might work to improve the communication among these diverse cultures in their field. Your paper should be 15 pages including works cited and should be written in APA format.

5) Participation (10%) -You are asked to come to each class meeting on time, prepared and contribute to the class discussions and activities. In addition, you are expected to participate in all site visits and complete all projects that are assigned. Remember that the quality of your comments and questions is just as important as the quantity!

Course Calendar
Please note that the course calendar is subject to change at the discretion of the professor or due to changes by guest speakers or other conflicts.

Date May 9

Topic/Activity Class Introductions Review Syllabus Assign Reflection Paper and Student Facilitation Dates and Topics Gender Communication: Background and Theoretical Approaches

Readings Due

Assignments Due

May 16

Hopkins, W. Hunter vs. Reflection Paper Due Gatherer: Gender Differences on the Mind. Retrieved April 2012 from http://www.fastcompany.co m/blog/whitneyhopkins/femmeden/hunter-vs-gatherergender-differences Herring, S. A Difference of Communication Styles. Retrieved April 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/r oomfordebate/2011/02/02/ where-are-the-women-inwikipedia/communicationstyles-make-a-difference Brescoll, V. (2012). Who Takes the Floor and Why: Gender, Power, and Volubility in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly. XX (X) 1-20. Retrieved May 2012 from http://mba.yale.edu/faculty /pdf/brescollv_who_takes_ the_floor.pdf

May 23

Guest Speaker: Mark Munson, HM Properties Gender and Negotiation

Read Mark Munsons Bio at http://hmproperties.com/c harlotte-nc-realtors/MarkMunson.html Schau,J.F. & Meierding, N. Negotiating Like A Woman- How Gender Impacts Communication Between the Sexes. Retrieved April 30, 2012 from http://www.mediate.com/a rticles/SchauMeierding.cfm Discussion #1 and #2

May 30

June 6

June 13

Student-led Discussion and Book Review #1 and #2 Student-led Discussion and Book Review #3 and #4 Gender and the Workplace

Discussion #3 and #4

Talking 9 to 5, Tannen AAUW. The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.aauw.org/learn /research/upload/simpletru thaboutpaygap1.pdf Managing the MultiGenerational Workforce, Del Campo, Haggerty, Haney, Knippel.

June 20

Introduction to Inter-generational Communication Guest Speaker: Dr. John Downey, Dean of Student Affairs, Queens University of Charlotte No Class Happy Independence Day! No Class Work on Term Projects

June 27

July 4 July 11

July 18

July 25

August 1 August 8

Student-led Discussion and Book Review #1 and #2 Student-led Discussion and Book Review #3 and #4 Class Dinner at the McPhersons Home Informal Presentation of Term Project Findings Wrap-Up

Discussion #1 and #2

Discussion#3 and #4

Final Projects DueBring it with you to the dinner!