Cultural Complexity and Intelligence

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hrs per semester

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

How do we adapt to new cultural settings and function effectively in situations characterized by cultural diversity? How do we orient ourselves to knowledge that accounts for cultural complexity? This subject addresses these questions by examining cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is concerned not only with producing social and institutional sustainability but the frameworks and practices which enable people to thrive in, belong to and enhance the communities in which they live and work. This subject will examine: management approaches to cultural intelligence, cultural complexity theory, everyday multiculturalism and cultural diversity planning, across a range of sites and case studies including the multi-ethnic workplace, the cross-cultural marketplace, social contract learning, cultural statistics, creative industries, social media and open source intelligence. Introducing the cultural dimensions of organisational strategy, governance and competency, students will learn how cultural intelligence can potentially mitigate cultural complexity.

Students who complete this subject will be able to:

• Understand key theoretical and methodological issues in cultural intelligence studies;
• Evaluate academic and professional literature in the development and practice of cultural intelligence;
• Apply cultural intelligence theories to a range of case studies;
• Develop the capacity for skills-set and translate cultural intelligence into programs and actions that promote the respect and understanding of diverse cultures.

A short essay 1,500 words (30%), research essay 2,500 words (50%), project group-based LMS based blogging exercise equivalent to 1,000 words (20%) and a multimedia class exercise hurdle requirement.

Subject reader

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.