Teaching intercultural communication presents many challenges, particularly at predominantly white institutions (PWI). Individuals who hold majority identities may have difficulty seeing their own culture or race and, relatedly, the value of intercultural communication for their lives. Additionally, students who hold marginalized or minoritized identities can feel the burden of being cultural ambassadors in classroom discussions, creating an inequitable labor burden. Moreover, students of all identities may experience discomfort related to conversations about culture. This semester-long assignment seeks to address those challenges by contextualizing culture in a way that can be applied to all students, regardless of the identities they hold. The Food for Thought assignment is a third-culture-building exercise designed to teach students about culture and intercultural communication through a communal dining experience.

Courses

Any full-semester intercultural communication course of approximately 40 students, but can be adapted for any course with a cultural component (e.g. interpersonal communication or the basic/foundational course) by limiting dining to one or two class periods.

Objectives

The activity aims to help students learn about and foster community through third-culture building, to develop intercultural sensitivity and respect for cultural differences, to recognize and introspect on one’s own culture, and to connect lived experience to theory.

中文翻译：

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深思熟虑：第三文化建设的练习

跨文化交流教学面临许多挑战，尤其是在以白人为主的机构 (PWI)。拥有多数身份的个人可能难以看到自己的文化或种族，以及相关的跨文化交流对他们生活的价值。此外，持有边缘化或少数化身份的学生可能会在课堂讨论中感受到成为文化大使的负担，从而造成不公平的劳动负担。此外，所有身份的学生都可能会因文化对话而感到不适。这个为期一学期的作业旨在通过以一种适用于所有学生的方式将文化背景化来应对这些挑战，无论他们持有何种身份。

培训班

任何大约 40 名学生的全学期跨文化交流课程，但可以通过将用餐限制在一个或两个班级的时间来适应任何具有文化成分的课程（例如人际交流或基础/基础课程）。

目标

该活动旨在帮助学生通过第三文化建设了解和培养社区，培养跨文化敏感性和对文化差异的尊重，认识和反思自己的文化，并将生活经验与理论联系起来。