This course is designed to interrogate different aspects of cross-cultural communication and cultural differences: family life, social relationships, the workplace, government, education, gender, romance, and religion. Throughout exploring these topics, we will strive to engage in personal self-reflection, hands-on experience, and to understand the connections to larger social structures. The cornerstone of the course is being involved in a cultural subgroup that you are not familiar with in or around the East Bay (e.g. student group, church, volunteer organization, internship, etc.). You will be expected to join this co-culture regularly (weekly or biweekly) throughout the term and write a final paper on the experience.

This course interrogates various aspects of cross-cultural communication, cultural difference, and identity: ethnocentric nationalism and globalization; social, corporate, and governmental responses to the pandemic; abortion; competition and cooperation; sexual harassment; sexuality; firearms, among others. While exploring these topics, we engage in personal self-reflection, get some hands-on experience, and analyze connections between culture, personal experience, and social structure. This includes ethnographic participation in an online "cultural group" that challenges a fundamental aspect of your identity and value system (e.g. a religious or atheist organization; a gun club; a pro-life group; a left-wing or right-wing political organization; a vegan or animal-rights group, etc.). Students are free to choose their cultural group, within given parameters, and are expected to participate regularly throughout the session. The course culminates in a final paper about one's experience of cross-cultural communication, including a deeper understanding the group's culture and development of reflexive subjectivity.

This course will be taught via synchronous remote instruction.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.