Assignment: Intercultural Communication
1) What is the difference between "standard objectivity" and Sandra Harding's concept of "Strong Objectivity? Give evidence from her essay to make your case.
2) What is the conceptual difference, if any, between Harding's "Standpoint Theory" and "relativism?" REFER TO THE HARDING TEXT for evidence for your answer.
3) Give examples of some components of "social location" and explain how these "locators" can impact a person's access to knowledge.
4) How might a person from a marginalized social location experience the "problem" of multiculturalism differently from a person from a dominant social location?
5) What is meant by "gendered knowledge" and "gendered culture" and why do these things exist?
6) In his essay, "The Gulf War Did Not Happen," does Jean Baudrillard's use of the word "war" conform more to a "formative" use of language or a "figurative" use of language? Explain your position.
7) Words are the "means with which we create meaning" through a process that is symbolic, interpretive and transactional, and dependent on context. Explain these components, and how they interact with one another, in the process of knowledge production.
8) The Indian "caste system," the British "class system" (as observed by Marx), and the European system of "race science" are all distinct from one another, but share underlying similarities, too. What distinguishes these institutions from one another, and what do they share in common?
9) How are the concepts of "race," "nation," and "ethnicity" related to one another, and what does it mean to say that these concepts are "historical artifacts" that have been "socially constructed?"
10) "Globalization" has been described as "Americanization writ large" and has been identified as a socio-cultural challenge unique to the Information Age. However, "globalization/Americanization" and "multiculturalism" are not equivalent concepts. What is the difference between the contemporary phenomenon of "globalization/Americanization," and the historical reality of "multiculturalism" in places like the Mediterranean World, the Indian Subcontinent, Persia, Africa, and the (pre-colonial) Caribbean? Are there similarities between, and among, these contexts that are relevant to the contemporary reality of "globalization?"
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.