To complete this assignment, follow these steps: 1. Select an individual who bel

To complete this assignment, follow these steps:
1. Select an individual who belongs to a different cultural group from yourself as the basis for the assignment. This difference can be that he/she/they are from a different culture (e.g., ethnicity, race, religion, age, or sexual orientation, disability, weight etc.) than yourself. This individual must be someone you do not know well (OPLA students, family members, close friends or close colleagues should be excluded from this assignment). The goal is to learn about a new culture that you are not familiar with.
2. Submit your selection to your instructor Make sure to get the instructor’s approval on this individual via email before moving onto the next step.
3. Once you obtain approval from your instructor, develop at least 3 in-person interactions with your selected person that address at least one of the following:
• Provide opportunities for learning about each other’s cultures;
• Provide opportunities for understanding cultural as well as individual differences;
• Provide opportunities for shared experiences such as meals, cultural events, and visits in each other’s homes and with each other’s families;
• Are responsive to specific needs in specific circumstances (e.g., information, experiential learning, specific problems with agencies or customs);
• Allow them to serve as intercultural informants for each other;
These interactions are not interviews or Q&A sessions. They are intended to help you develop a relationship with your selected individual and learn about their culture.
4. Keep a detailed journal of your experiences with your selected individual. This journal will be in strict privacy and read only by your instructor. Your journal entries should document every interaction with your selected individual and should analyze/deal with personal reactions related to your own feelings, the situation, and the specific factors you have learned and can relate to your classroom learning experiences. These entries can be hand-written or typed, in any format you like.
The journal entries should include the following elements:
• Information about the individual, but ensure the anonymity of the individual
• Details about at least three of the developed interactions with the individual including the experiences and activities engaged in with the individual
• An analysis of each journal entry including the situation, personal feelings, and specific learnings from each interaction
5. Prepare a written and an oral report that summarizes your journal entries by assuring anonymity of specific persons. In this report, information about specific ethnic, racial, and cultural factors should be provided. This report should include your insights, general cultural and communication-related information, and relevant relationships to the material covered in this course. The most important part of this paper is the new things you’ve learned about this culture that you did not know before, and your culture shock experiences. Tell us how this experience changed you. It should center around the following themes:
A. Culture shock
B. Perceptions, expectations, stereotyping, prejudice and attributions
C. The role of culture, cultural and individual differences,
D. Intercultural communication experiences
E. Applicability of models learned in this course like those developed by Triandis and Hofstede
F. Principles, concepts, and techniques learned in this course must be related in your report
This paper, consisting of the journal entries as well as your report, should be typed, 10-15 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, with page numbers. It needs to be in APA format. It must be submitted to Canvas by February 16th noon. Late papers will be subject to point deductions (See late assignments policy below).
This is the evaluation rubrics for this project:
Points Score
Part I. Diary (5 pts.)
I. Selection of the encounter Partner
 Clearly and adequately describes the selected partner, including information about specific ethnic, racial and other cultural information (but maintaining anonymity)
 Provides strong rationale for why this individual was selected
 Specifies intercultural encounter learning objectives
1
II. Number and Level of Detail of Entries in Diary
 Documents at least three interactions with the “partner”, preferably more, if feasible
 For each encounter, describes in detail the kinds of experiences and activities engaged in with the “partner”
2
III. Short Analysis Per Diary Entry
 Each diary entry includes a short analysis of the situation, personal feelings, and specific learnings
2
Part II. General Reflection and Integration with Theory (20 pts.)
I.
General Learnings about Culture and Communication-Related
Information
 Background Information about the individual selected Highlights key learnings about the other culture, and communicating and relating effectively with this culture
6
II. Personal Reflection
 Demonstrates depth of insight and honesty about self (including confronting vague and uncomfortable situations, doubts, biases, etc.)
 Summarizes what you learned about yourself through this project, that you may not have been aware of.
 Demonstrates increased capacity to view things from another perspective.

6
III. Integration with Cultural Diversity Concepts, Models and
Research
 Makes linkages between personal experiences and relevant cultural diversity theory and research
 Discusses themes such as culture shock, perceptions, expectations, stereotyping, prejudice, attributions, the role of culture, cultural and individual differences, intercultural communication, and other relevant models like those of Cox, Hofstede, Triandis, etc. (not all themes need to be discussed, but address 2 or more relevant themes.)
 Paper shows an in-depth analysis with a firm understanding of the concepts. Evidence is relevant with a strong connection to the main point
8
Paper Grammar, Structure, and Spelling
– Paper follows proper sentence structure, grammar and spelling. Little or no errors throughout the entire paper. 5
TOTAL 30
During the zoom class on February 16 and 17th, each student will present his/her paper in about 10-15 minutes following the rubric below. These are informal presentations and don’t require slides or handouts.
Transferability of Knowledge Presentation (9 points)
POINTS 3 2 1 0
Presentation provided background Information about the individual selected Presentation addresses the key elements required and goes beyond the parameters of the assignment. Completed but deficient in some significant way; below graduate level; demonstrated little preparedness or little understanding Completed but deficient in some significant way; well below graduate level; demonstrated very little preparedness or very little understanding Not completed or completed insufficiently; demonstrated no preparedness or no understanding
POINTS 3 2 1 0
Presentation provided general learnings about the culture selected Presentation addresses the key elements required and goes beyond the parameters of the assignment. Completed but deficient in some significant way; below graduate level; demonstrated little preparedness or little understanding Completed but deficient in some significant way; well below graduate level; demonstrated very little preparedness or very little understanding Not completed or completed insufficiently; demonstrated no preparedness or no understanding
3 2 1 0
Presentation summarizes what you learned about yourself through this project, and demonstrates increased capacity to view things from another perspective Presentation addresses the key elements required and goes beyond the parameters of the assignment. Completed but deficient in some significant way; below graduate level; demonstrated little preparedness or little understanding Completed but deficient in some significant way; well below graduate level; demonstrated very little preparedness or very little understanding Not completed or completed insufficiently; demonstrated no preparedneluvss or no understanding
POINTS 9 6 3 0