Communication
and Culture C122:
Interpersonal Communication
a learning guide
(3 credit hours)
course designed by
Megan G. Fogarty, MA
course edited by
Pamela A. MacLaughlin
Indiana University
School of Continuing Studies
Independent Study Program
Copyright © 2005 by the Trustees of Indiana University
All rights reserved.
No parts of this guide may be reproduced in any form.
Table of Contents: Communication and Culture C122
Important Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
i
Study Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Study Materials Order Form
v
Lessons
1
Introduction to Course Goals and Interpersonal Communication . .
1
2
Language and Communication Reflect Culture, and Vice Versa . .
9
3
The Value, Traits, and Tools of the Ethnographic Perspective . . . . 17
4
Language, Communication Behaviors, and Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5
Tips for the Midterm Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Application for the Midterm Exam
6
Language: Nature and Nurture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
7
Language and Communication in Social Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
8
Language and Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
9
Language and Power in Footing and Face . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
10
Tips for the Final Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Application for the Final Exam
Bulletin Request Form
Selling Your Textbooks
Introduction
Communication
and Culture C122
Interpersonal Communication
The fundamental connection between all human beings, no matter what
differences exist between us, is that we all possess an innate instinct to
communicate with each other. Every culture establishes, maintains, and
adapts rules and symbols which facilitate the human desire to share
information, express emotions, convey needs, and entertain. We learn the
rules and symbols of our own culture from the moment we are brought
into our world, and they become so familiar as to feel “natural” and
“normal.” The rules, symbols, and processes of our communication often
seem to be nothing more than “common sense.”
Since you are becoming a scholar of communication by taking this course,
you are about to discover how inaccurate the idea is of communication
rules as common sense. Interpersonal communication often involves
misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and conflicts because
communication is not as simple or straightforward as mere talking and
listening. Those rules and symbols we take for granted as natural are not
permanent and unchanging—we adapt and personalize them in our
individual lives, and the ways in which we do so are worthy of
examination. In this course, you will be encouraged to investigate the
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interpersonal communication habits you encounter in your own life, and
apply your own unique perspective to the materials we’ll be reading.
Course Goals
The goals and objectives of this course are that, by its completion, you
will be able to
! describe principles and behaviors that contribute to effective
interpersonal communication
! recognize the validity and power of life experiences—your own and
others’—as a source of knowledge
! improve your critical thinking skills by developing strong listening
habits and using ethnographic research tools
! perceive the complexities and subtleties of both verbal and nonverbal
messages
! identify how communication styles vary and explain ways to improve
your own interpersonal communication
! apply interpersonal communication theory and principles in a variety
of evolving communication contexts, especially intercultural
situations, to present information and emotions as clearly as possible
! develop and hone clear, precise, and thorough writing style that is
valuable in and out of the classroom environment
Put simply, when you have completed this course you will have a better
understanding of the complexities of interpersonal communication in your
own culture and in others’; you will have the information necessary to
strengthen your own interpersonal communication skills when sending
and receiving messages; and you will have an excellent foundation for
future projects that involve the human desire to share information, express
emotions, convey needs, and entertain.
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Communication and Culture C122
Prerequisites
C122 has no prerequisites, but you must be willing to invest a significant
amount of effort into examining the established, familiar, “natural”
interpersonal communication patterns and habits you encounter in your
own life. You will have some complex and challenging reading
assignments in this course, and some of the articles you will read would
not be out of place in a graduate-level seminar on this subject. There are a
substantial number of writing assignments, as well. With hard work and a
good organizational plan for approaching this material, you will find it
interesting, illuminating, and manageable, and all of the theories and
concepts included here have some application to your real life.
Assignments
There are three general types of assignment in C122.
! 2 exams, worth 50 percent of your grade (25 percent each)
! 5 lesson assignments, worth 30 percent of your grade (6 percent each)
! 1 project, worth 20 percent of your grade (3 parts: 2 parts each worth 5
percent and a final part worth 10 percent)
Exams are a mixture of multiple-choice and short-answer questions drawn
from the articles you read and the discussions of those articles in this
learning guide. You will take the midterm exam after completing lessons
1–4, and you will take the comprehensive final exam after completing
lessons 5–9.
Lesson assignments are a mixture of study questions that help you
identify and understand the most important concepts from the reading, and
short-answer questions that help you apply those concepts to your own
interpersonal communication.
The project is a three-part writing assignment that casts you in the role of
ethnographer. You will observe interpersonal communication behaviors of
the people around you, and analyze and attempt to explain what you
encounter. Part 1 of the project is the jottings, transcript, and field notes
from one observed interpersonal interaction. Part 2 is the jottings,
transcript, and field notes from a second, separate interpersonal
interaction. Part 3 is the ethnographic paper that compares, connects,
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evaluates, and analyzes the two observed interpersonal interactions from
parts 1 and 2, referencing concepts from articles you read in previous
lessons. This project is designed to help you apply the concepts, terms,
and principles from this course to the interpersonal communication you’re
surrounded with every day. Part 1 (5 percent of your final grade) is due
with lesson 3. Part 2 (5 percent of your final grade) is due with lesson 7.
Part 3 (10 percent of your final grade) is due with lesson 9.
Plagiarism
As an educational institution, IU puts learning first. We want you to learn,
and we think you value learning as well. We also value honesty and trust.
You have every right to expect fair exams, fair assignments, and fair
grades. By the same token, your instructor expects the work you hand in
to be your own. You are welcome to discuss this course with other
students and teachers, but when it comes to writing your assignments, all
the words should come straight from you, unless you are supporting your
assertions with a properly cited quote.
Passing off someone else’s work as your own is plagiarism. As stated in
Indiana University’s Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and
Conduct (Art. III, § A.3), “A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas,
words, or statements of another person without an appropriate
acknowledgment. A student must give due credit to the originality of
others and acknowledge an indebtedness whenever he or she does any of
the following:
a. quotes another person’s actual words, either oral or written;
b. paraphrases another person’s words, either oral or written;
c. uses another person’s idea, opinion, or theory; or
d. borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the
information is common knowledge.”
We take plagiarism very seriously. If you are caught plagiarizing, you
could receive an F for the whole course.
So how can you avoid plagiarizing? When is it appropriate to cite your
sources, and how should you cite them? The answer’s simple. Ask your
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instructor. If you’re unsure whether you’ve cited your sources
appropriately, call or e-mail your instructor before you submit your
assignment. Not only will you get answers to your questions, you’ll reap
the fruit of honesty: trust.
Contacting Your Instructor
With each lesson you are required to submit an assignment cover sheet.
Every assignment cover sheet has a space for your questions and
comments; you are strongly encouraged to use this space. If problems
arise between assignments, you can write to your instructor at the
Independent Study Program. Many instructors can be contacted via e-mail
or reached by telephone during established office hours. To learn your
instructor’s e-mail address and/or office hours, please refer to the contact
information on the back cover of this learning guide.
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