Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Intercultural Contact (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Leeds,
Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Intercultural Contact (FutureLearn)

Learn how the principles of intercultural contact may challenge the way in which you think about social interaction. On this course you will examine the idea of intercultural contact and the effects of cultural interactions from historical and global perspectives. Through videos and articles, you will discover how intercultural contact is experienced in our everyday lives, and learn about the ways in which people develop intercultural competence.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

As the course progresses, you’ll consider terms such as ‘globalisation’ and ‘acculturation’, explore the relationship between nationality and culture, and compare different experiences of returning ‘home’ following periods of absence.

Syllabus

Week 1: Approaching intercultural contact
Week 2: Reflecting on intercultural contact

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explore intercultural contact from historical and global perspectives.
  • Investigate the ways in which people develop intercultural competence using the KASA model.
  • Compare different experiences of returning to “home” cultures following periods of absence.
  • Assess the usefulness of Holliday’s notion of blocks and threads to evaluate intercultural contact.
  • Perform an ethnographic study to investigate cultural environments.
  • Investigate an example of intercultural contact using the ideas of critical incidents and rich points.

Who is the course for?
The course is for anyone with an interest in the concepts of culture and interculturality, you don’t need any previous experience.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Negocios Internacionales I (Coursera) Coursera
University of New Mexico

Negocios Internacionales I (Coursera)

Vivimos en un mundo cada vez mas globalizado, en el cual el éxito en los negocios internacionales se ha convertido en el factor determinante del desarrollo económico y la prosperidad. Esta materia, Entorno Global de Negocios, Parte I, introduce al alumno a una comprensión fundamental del entorno político, cultural, lingüística y socio-económico en el cual opera una empresa internacional.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks
International Business I (Coursera) Coursera
University of New Mexico

International Business I (Coursera)

We live in a world of intensifying global relationships, one in which international business has become the key determinant of economic development and prosperity. This course, Global Business Environment, Part I, introduces students to a fundamental understanding of the socioeconomic political, cultural, and linguistic environment in which international businesses operate.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Defining the Concept of Culture (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Introduction to Intercultural Studies: Defining the Concept of Culture (FutureLearn)

Understand intercultural communication by learning about the concepts of culture and interculturality. On this course, you’ll explore some of the meanings associated with the term ‘culture’ and examine their problematic nature. You’ll understand the effects of the interaction between cultures, explore the notion of interculturality and problematise the way in which social interaction between people from different backgrounds has been considered.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Globalisation in Business: International Business and Global Market Entry Strategies (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Coventry University

Globalisation in Business: International Business and Global Market Entry Strategies (FutureLearn)

Discover the challenges and benefits of international business and learn how businesses identify and enter new foreign markets. Find out what to consider when expanding a business internationally. This short, 2-week course offers you the opportunity to explore why companies expand internationally and discover effective global market entry strategies.

No sessions available
2 Weeks
Global Marketing: Cultural Frameworks (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Global Marketing: Cultural Frameworks (Coursera)

This course reviews the dramatic changes that Globalization has brought to businesses. Markets are growing culturally diverse and companies face the challenge of managing an increasing culturally diverse workforce. It is then increasingly important for managers to incorporate cultural variables into their decision making models.

Nov 16th 2026
4 Weeks
Global Strategy I: How The Global Economy Works (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Global Strategy I: How The Global Economy Works (Coursera)

This course seeks to help you understand the forces of globalization and how cross-cultural management and the relationship of a multinational organization to various host countries is becoming more and more critical in today’s global economy. This course begins with the discussion of these issues and global relationships and delves into a deeper understanding of business strategy in today’s global business marketplace.

Nov 9th 2026
4 Weeks
Cities are back in town : sociología urbana para un mundo globalizado (Coursera) Coursera
Sciences Po

Cities are back in town : sociología urbana para un mundo globalizado (Coursera)

Los procesos de globalización y europeización respaldan el rápido desarrollo de las ciudades en distintas partes del mundo. En el mundo contemporáneo, el proceso de urbanización está alcanzando un nuevo pico con el incremento de las megalópolis (más de 15 millones de habitantes) como Calcuta, Los Ángeles, Daca, El Cairo, Tokio, Nueva York, Shanghái, Ciudad de México. o Seúl. Más allá de las metrópolis modernas, los investigadores intentan entender estas grandes zonas urbanas con el uso de distintos conceptos, tales como "posmetrópolis", "ciudades globales" y "ciudades-regiones globales".

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
International migrations: a global issue (Coursera) Coursera
Sciences Po

International migrations: a global issue (Coursera)

The world is moving, but not all opinions and governments are willing to accept this poorly understood reality. The issue affects both states and the planet, in a process of globalization and of regionalization of migrations, and raises new questions for international relations, now including the South. This course aims at improving knowledge of the subject, addressing the key issues raised by international migration, and assessing the trends of tomorrow.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Working Supportively With Refugees: Principles, Skills and Perspectives (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow

Working Supportively With Refugees: Principles, Skills and Perspectives (FutureLearn)

Learn how the principals of psychological well-being, communication and interpretation can benefit your work with refugees. Explore interdisciplinary approaches to working with refugees. Refugees are a diverse group, speaking many languages and of varied religions and ethnicities. This course acknowledges that skills requirements are changing rapidly and offers training for those working in this area.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
America Through Foreign Eyes (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

America Through Foreign Eyes (Coursera)

The United States has always been a source of fascination — both attraction and repulsion — for the people of France, Mexico, China, and African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Sudan. "America Through Foreign Eyes" is a rich, interdisciplinary, international course that features Rice University faculty from a variety of disciplines and area studies. Focused on perceptions of America abroad, the course is a cross between World Cultures and American Studies. The course features five core modules, each covering the perceptions and interactions of particular regions with America, Americans and Americanization.

Nov 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Global Business Environment: Evolution and Dynamics (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Coventry University

The Global Business Environment: Evolution and Dynamics (FutureLearn)

Get an introduction to the changing landscape of the global economy and its implications for international commerce. Understand the impact of globalisation on international business. Recent decades have witnessed the globalisation of the business environment. This development has sponsored enormous opportunities but complicated the risks associated with business operations. This course will cover how changing realities transform companies.

No sessions available
2 Weeks