Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Intercultural communication--Study and teaching (Continuing education); Lay missionaries--Education (Continuing education); Academic theses;
Abstract
Whether for business or personal pleasure, service projects or military service, each year millions travel to destinations very different from their own culture. The preparation of the sojourner for effective interaction in their host culture will largely determine success or failure in meeting the mutual objectives all parties involved. My experiences both as a participant and leader of seven different teams of volunteers with Christian agencies led me to investigate what training is given to equip sojourners for the challenges they will face in navigating the unfamiliar territory of cultural differences in the course of performing their mission. How is that training delivered and over what time frame? What are the components of an adequate training program? What theoretical underpinning are the volunteers given to frame their experiences? These and other questions intrigued me. This study unfolded from a review of literature on intercultural communication theory, the training of sojourners for intercultural assignments, and the cognitive, affective, and behavioral approaches to instruction. The literature review was followed by observing the training of volunteers for short-term sojourns by four Christian agencies in the Midwest through a case study method. The groups ranged in size from 6 to 3 5, including teens to working-age adults, for destinations to several continents which would last over a period of 10 days to three months. Some groups were being trained for a specific task such as teaching English in a camp setting, while others were being prepared for a diverse range of tasks in the target location. Data was gathered through field notes and video recordings during the training sessions with pem1ission of the respective agencies, along with the collection of materials given to the participants. Findings revealed that while all agencies employed some behavioral approaches to training, even more extensive use of behavioral activities would enhance the volunteers' skill development. Another significant finding was the very limited reference by the trainers to any theory of intercultural communication or cultural adaptation. Seven suggestions are given for improving the training programs in Chapter 5, and resources are listed in Appendix E for use by volunteers and trainers.
Year of Submission
2008
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Communication Studies
First Advisor
April Chatham-Carpenter
Second Advisor
Victoria Pruin DeFrancisco
Third Advisor
Jayne Morgan Witte
Date Original
2008
Object Description
1 PDF file (179 leaves)
Copyright
©2008 Stuart L. Holsing
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Holsing, Stuart L., "An Examination of Intercultural Communication Training Programs for U.S. Sojourners in Denominational and Non-Denominational Organizations" (2008). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2956.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2956
Comments
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