Look Who's Talking!
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Entry Event
You are a staff member at the community recreation center. The director of the center has approached your supervisor with his concerns about the staff's lack of knowledge of the people ("guests") who use the center. The guests represent several ethnic/culture groups, and the director wants to make sure all the staff is comfortable and knowledgeable so that healthy relationships are developed and all guests feel welcome.
In order to accomplish this, the director has given you the task of researching a particular group's communication patterns across cultures. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g., gestures, eye contact, dress/apparel), message sending and receiving skills, and the/any effect of technology in relationships.
You will be working in cooperative groups of two and will blind-select an ethnic or cultural group to explore. The challenge involves researching the lifestyles and communication patterns of your assigned ethnic group, as well as informing the other community recreation center personnel about the culture.
In addition to research, you will interview an individual from a particular culture via some form of technology (email, IM, text messaging, webcam) as well as in person. You will learn common phrases used in the culture's lifestyle and communication patterns. You will create a visual aide that accurately represents the chosen ethnic/cultural group. All information will be presented to the recreation center personnel and your class in an organized format (e.g. PowerPoint, video, podcast, or portfolio).
