SUBJECT

Intercultural and Intergroup Relations

SOCM17-122

lecture

Master

Faculty of Education and Psychology

Social Integration MA

4

Semester 3

Autumn semester

Aim of the course

The course aims to understand the mechanisms and influencing factors of intergroup and intercultural relations. It focuses on investigating the functioning of and the methods to reduce prejudice, stereotypes, discrimication and stigmatization. In this part, the course partly builds on the previous topics of the Programme and at the same time, raises new dimensions. Another focus is placed on questions such as cultural characteristics of communication, psychological mechanisms of intercultural interations and relationships, pontentials of and conflics and conflict resolutions in such relationships. Special attention is paid to intercultural competence, its definitions, measurement attempts, development of intercultural competence. Furthermore, the concept and framework as well as research in acculturation are discussed.

Learning outcome, competences
knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and applicational aspects of social integration and acculturation.
• Knowledge of the characteristics of and the ways to change intergroup and intercultural relations.
• Knowledge of the historical and cultural aspects of the relationship between majority & minority groups
• Knowledge of the basic processes of intercultural communication and of methods which promote the development of intercultural competences. attitude:

attitudes:

• Openness to accepting the values of others and other cultures.
• Acceptance of the fact that the co-existence of cultures may lead to conflicts in every field of social life, which can be peacefully solved by mutually constructive process of negotiations.in pluralistic societies.
• Seeing cultural diversity an opportunity with valuable assets that can be used for the purpose of social integration and development.

skills:

• ability to understand and to bring about changes in intergroup and intercultural relations.
• ability to understand the characteristics of intercultural communication, to apply this understanding in practice to successfully organize the work of coworkers and to solve the conflicts emerging during this process.
• ability to take advantage of cultural diversity for the purpose of social integration.
• ability to reflect on the hidden assumptions of one’s own culture, to identify and critically relate to one’s own prejudices and to help others to develop this self-reflection.

Content of the course
Topics of the course

• Overview of main theories in steraotyping, prejudices, and discrimination
• Emotions in intergroup and intercultural relations
• Intergroup threat theory and the contribution/enrichment approach
• The developmental approach of intergroup relations and prejudces. Identity development and intergroup relations.
• Stigma and stigmatized groups – minority and majority perspectives in the interaction between majority and minority groups.
• Prejudice readuction, social change, and intergroup relations.
• Main theories of intergroup relations
• Main theories in intercultural relations.
• Cultural characteristics of communication
• Intercultural communication
• Power, status differences on communication
• Intercultural conflicts and resolutions
• Definitions, measurement and development of intercultural competence

Learning activities, learning methods

• interactive lectures, individual preparations for classes based on reading materials, work in groups.

Evaluation of outcomes
Learning requirements, mode of evaluation, criteria of evaluation:

requirements

• active participation in the class
• following materials of the course, reading literature

mode of evaluation:

• written tests and written assignments to be uploaded on the elearning platform of the course during the semester, (50%) (dates to be designated at the beginning of the course)
• oral or written exam (50%): based on lecture materials and readings

criteria of evaluation:

• understanding the topics and connections between different topics, concepts discussed in the course, the capacity to place them in a broader background.
• capacity to apply the knowledge acquired in the course

Compulsory reading list

• Deardorff, D.K. (Ed.) (2009): The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
• Demoulin, S.– Leyens, J.P. – Dovidio, J.F. (Eds.) (2009): Intergroup misunderstandings: Impact of divergent social realities. New York, NY: Psychology Press.
• Dovidio, J. F. (2010). The SAGE handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Sage Publications.
• Matsumoto, D. (Ed.) (2010): APA Handbook of Intercultural Communication. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC (egyes fejezetek)
• Matsumoto, D.– Hwang, H. C. (2013): Assessing cross-cultural competence: A review of available tests. Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 44(6) 849–873.
• Tartakovsky, E.– Walsh, S. (2016): Testing a New Theoretical Model for Attitudes Toward Immigrants The Case of Social Workers’ Attitudes Toward Asylum Seekers in Israel. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47, 72-96.
• Ting-Toomey, S.– Oetzel, J.G. (2001): Managing intercultural conflict effectively. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks.
• Ward, C. (2004): Psychological theories of culture contact and their implications for intercultural training and interventions. In D.Landis–J.M.Bennett– M.J.Bennett (eds.)
• Handbook of intercultural training. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications. 185-216.