1. Describe the influence of culture and diversity in the Communication Age.

The study of culture and diversity helps initiate a more extended conversation about their influence in the Communication Age. In order for you to succeed in any personal, social, or professional context, you must be aware of and sensitive to differences between yourself and others.

2. Identify the importance of understanding cultural context for effective and ethical communication.

Communication and culture are shaped by several important concepts. These include communication competence, high- versus low-context cultures, individualism versus collectivism, and cultural imperatives (peace, economic, technological, self-awareness, and ethical).

4. Describe the importance of cultural competence for communicating in a globalized world.

Positive communication cannot happen in a diverse context without cultural competence, perception checking, and mutual respect. Your ability to communicate effectively when encountering differences of ethnicity, race, language, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation is an essential component to being an educated citizen.

5. Discuss different examples of diversity across communication contexts.

Gender, ethnicity and race, language differences, religion, disability, and sexual orientation exemplify diversity you will experience across communication contexts. You develop positive personal and professional relationships with people who are different than you by coming to understand those differences.

6. Examine how to become more aware of and overcome barriers to communication, culture, and diversity.

Prejudice, discrimination, ethnocentrism, and hate speech all serve as barriers to communication and diversity. You can take on the barriers to communication, culture, and diversity if you practice cultural competence, perception checking, and mutual respect.