CMN 232: Intro to Cultural Communications

Anissa Rodriguez

In advertising, one of our main goals is to effectively promote a product without offending any person or groups of persons. In order to successfully do this, we must first acknowledge the differences between cultures and learn to be open to them despite those differences. We must learn to use our language to bridge cultural gaps so that we can appeal to a larger audience. We must learn that our culture is not the elite culture and to be respectful of the views of others and how they may receive our message.

A great way to gain this knowledge is by taking CMN 232: Introduction to Cultural Communication. In this class you will learn these cultural skills by reading and discussing scholarly texts regarding linguistics and culture and how they are intertwined. Within this class you are able to meet with other individuals with various cultural/religious/socioeconomic backgrounds and get a first-hand account of how the media has portrayed and reported on things in ways that have been offensive to them. In the classroom you will learn about the discrepancies between the way in which senders and receivers interpret the same message differently.

Having this deeper understanding of spoken language, body language, and textual language gives an individual a unique skill to bring to the workforce. An individual that can successfully create an ad that appeals to most groups without insulting any is an asset that any ad agency will be looking for. Not only will this class benefit advertising majors but any other media student will benefit as well. We live in a world where everything is globalized and it has become a necessity for any person who communicates with the media or the public, to understand how to do this effectively with all types of people no matter the medium.