Master 2019/2020

Research Seminar "Cross-Cultural Communication in Asia"

Type: Compulsory course (Business and Politics in Modern Asia)

Area of studies: Asian and African Studies

Delivered by: Institute of Asian and African Studies

Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences

When: 1 year, 3, 4 module

Mode of studies: offline

Instructors: Valentina Morozova, Ksenia Andreevna Prokofieva

Master’s programme: Business and Politics in Modern Asia

Language: English

ECTS credits: 5

Contact hours: 40

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Title of the course: Research Seminar “Cross-cultural Communication in Asia”. The course provides students with fundamentals of intercultural context together with complex knowledge of modern development of Asia. It is also devoted to communication between different cultures and includes the study of theoretical aspects of intercultural communication, covering the key-concepts with a wide variety of examples, supported by a comprehensive reading list. The course will focus on: differences between “interaction” and “communication”, “intercultural”, “multicultural” and “cross-cultural”; basic categories of Asian traditional cultures and their modern interpretations; stereotyping in the process of Intercultural Communication in Asia; national character and main features of Asian business etiquette; intercultural communication and dialogue of cultures in the sociocultural space of modern Asia.

Learning Objectives

• The course “Cross-cultural Communication in Asia” is designed for two-year master’s program students and prepares them for solving research problems, forms knowledge and practical skills of independent research work related to professional activities, including research work in foreign language.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Develop independently new methods of research
• Improve and develop intellectual and cultural level, build a trajectory of professional development and career
• Analyze, verify, evaluate the completeness of information in the process of professional activity
• Organize multilateral communication and manage it
• Conduct professional activities (including research activity)
• Solve problems in professional and social activities, taking into account social, socio-cultural, socio-political, ethnocultural and religious differences of the peoples of Asia and Africa
• Choose consciously interpersonal interaction strategies with representatives of countries and cultural bearers of Asia and Africa
• Build professional activities, business and make choices, guided by the principles of social responsibility
• Organize the work of a group (collective, team), including a mixed type, consisting of representatives of eastern and western professional communities, to study international political, economic, social and cultural processes in the countries of Asia and Africa
• Conduct written and oral communication in Russian and foreign languages as a part of the professional and scientific communication
• Search for information on topical issues in Asia and Africa (including the use of an advanced level of modern information and communications technologies) and process it with the help of modern methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Determine independently the problem field of research activities in various aspects of Asian and African research
• Prepare in one Eastern and English languages official business, scientific and informal documents in accordance with the norms of speech etiquette
• Formulate and justify proposals for joint oriental activity (research, applied research and research-analytical)
• Present the results of professional activities publicly in one oriental and English languages directly in front of the audience and indirectly in the media, in the Internet space
• Conduct business negotiations in foreign languages (one oriental and English)
• Advise individuals, departments and organizations on the development problems of the countries of Asia and Africa, using modern methods of direct and remote (using information and communications technologies) consulting; develop specific proposals for optimizing various types of practical activities

Course Contents

• Lecture 1. The problem of subject definition in cross-cultural communication. Differences between “interaction” and “communication”, “Intercultural”, “Multicultural” or “Cross-cultural”
  Seminar 1. Why do cultures affect the way we communicate? Culture shock.
• Lecture 2. Basic categories of Chinese traditional culture and their modern interpretations in the context of cross-cultural communication.
  Seminar 2. Modern transformation of Chinese traditional culture: building of Chinese contemporary culture.
• Lecture 3. National character and main features of Chinese business etiquette.
  Seminar 3. Chinese meeting etiquette / gifts etiquette / chatting etiquette.
• Lecture 4. Chinese business world (关系 – “guanxi” system).
  Seminar 4. The most misunderstood business concept in China. The future of “guanxi” networks in China.
• Lecture 5. Stereotyping in the process of Intercultural Communication with Chinese (discourse of East and West cultures in the sociocultural space of China).
  Seminar 5. Top 10 incorrect Chinese stereotypes. Chinese stereotypes of various nationalities.
• Lecture 6. Common stereotypes about Japan, their origin and veracity.
  Seminar 6. History of Japan and it's influence on the formation of Japanese mentality.
• Lecture 7. Key Concepts of Japanese Culture.
  Seminar 7. Concepts «uti / soto», «aimai», concept of «face».
• Lecture 8. Japan in the modern world.
  Seminar 8. Image of Japan in the 21 century.
• Lecture 9. Japanese communication culture.
  Seminar 9. Culture of communication inside different social groups.
• Lecture 10. Business communication in Japan.
  Seminar 10. Concept of «kaisia» and ways of communication inside Japanese companies.

Assessment Elements

• Presentation
• Test
• Written exam
  The final exam will take the form of written exam, that includes 10 questions in a form of a test and 2 open questions. На время дистанционного обучения: экзамен проводится в онлайн формате (тест на знание пройденного материала в LMS в папке дисциплины в количестве 20 вопросов, в т.ч. вопросы с открытым вариантом ответа). Студенту необходимо войти в свою учетную запись на платформе LMS за 5 минут до начала экзамена. Тест необходимо выполнить согласно расписанию в РУЗ 16.06.2020 в период с 15:20 до 16:40. Время на выполнение теста - 20 минут. Количество попыток - 1. Во время экзамена студентам запрещено: пользоваться конспектами и подсказками. В случае кратковременного нарушения связи (до 3 минут) у студента и/или сбоев в работе LMS, студент должен сделать скриншот/фото возникшей проблемы и отправить куратору курса. При незамедлительном оповещении и наличии скриншота, студенту будет предоставлена возможность заново выполнить тест в тот же день. При долговременном нарушении связи (более 3 минут) студент не может продолжить участие в экзамене. Процедура пересдачи будет подразумевать усложнённое и увеличенное по объёму задание. Технические требования: наличие качественной интернет связи со стороны студента.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (4 module)
  0.3 * Presentation + 0.2 * Test + 0.5 * Written exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Evrard, A. Y., & Appadurai, A. (2017). Modernity at Large : Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation. London: Macat Library. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1564340

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Schweitzer, S., & Alexander, L. (2015). Access to Asia : Your Multicultural Guide to Building Trust, Inspiring Respect, and Creating Long-Lasting Business Relationships. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=978132
• Sergey Mikhnevich. (2016). The Glory of Intelligence: China’s Smart Power and the Implications for Security in the Asia-Pacific Region. https://doi.org/10.17323/1996-7845/2016-01-92