use the critical approach to examine course concepts such as identity, language, non-verbal codes, cultural adaptation and/or intercultural relationships through cross-cultural film. You will select and watch a film that features intercultural relationships and topics.
Guidelines
The goal of this short paper is to use the critical approach to examine course concepts such as identity, language, non-verbal codes, cultural adaptation and/or intercultural relationships through cross-cultural film. You will select and watch a film that features intercultural relationships and topics.
For this assignment, you will:
Select and watch any one film from the list below, or another cross-cultural film of your choice that you can easily access (please ask if you’d like other recommendations; do not select the assigned films – In My Country or Just Mercy – or the film described in the example below – Gran Torino).
Analyze and interpret that film from an intercultural communication research perspective, using at least two relevant theories and/or concepts from the course (paying special attention to chapters 5-10).
The selected concepts should be specific and not too general.
“Nonverbal communication” is too vague to serve as a concept for this paper; instead, focus on a specific aspect of nonverbal communication, like proxemics or chronemics.
“Verbal communication” is too vague, but co-cultural communication theory or code switching would be appropriate course concepts.
“Identity” is too general, but minority identity development is suitable.
“Migration” is general, but a specific type of migrant-host relationship would be appropriate.
Locate and use two scholarly sources (scholarly journal article or scholarly book chapter) – the textbook does not count. The scholarly sources should be related to the selected course concepts – one source per primary course concept. The assigned scholarly readings are also excellent to cite, but they will not count. The point is for you to do research on concepts that interest you, and to use the sources you find to help you develop a deeper understanding of the selected course concepts. If the sources also happen to discuss the film you’re analyzing, that’s great, but do not search for scholarly sources on the film – use keywords to search for scholarly sources on your concepts. You may refer to and cite the textbook and assigned scholarly readings, but those citations will not count towards the two scholarly sources you are assigned to locate and use for the film analysis.
Identify and describe macro-contexts and power relations depicted in the film.
Evaluate how the film reinforces or challenges forces of power and oppression. Make an argument for how these representations could be improved or how they are represented appropriately in the film.
Include in this analysis a brief summary of the selected scholarly source and use the source to support your critical analysis. Focus on the key findings from the source rather than on explaining how the author(s) did their study. We need to know what the findings were from that research and how that helps us better understand the concept in relation to the film. Prioritize paraphrasing and avoid direct quotes from the scholarly source, except for a phrase or two where relevant. Always use APA style for both in text citations as well as reference section at the end.
Taking a critical approach, analyze the film in relation to the two selected course concepts that you believe best explain the intercultural ideas, relationships, and complexities highlighted in the film. The strongest papers connect the concepts to show how they impact each other rather than just talking about two different concepts without relating them to each other in the context of the film.
Example 1: You might write about multicultural identity development and theories of adaptation as depicted in the selected film.
Example 2: You might write about co-cultural communication theory and post-colonialism as depicted in the selected film.
Example 3: You might analyze a migrant’s movement along the U-curve or W-curve models of intercultural adaptation and how a migrant’s changing nonverbal behavior like proxemics and/or kinesics reflects their movement along that curve.
Example 4: You may decide to focus on cultural spaces depicted in the film and their meanings for the characters, and cultural variations in communication style among the characters.
Example 5: You may decide to focus on a type of migrant-host relationship and prejudice represented in the film.
Identify and describe macro-contexts and power relations depicted in the film.
Evaluate how the film reinforces or challenges forces of power and oppression. Make an argument for how these representations could be improved or how they are represented appropriately in the film.
