First, review Chapters 5 and 6 of the textbook, as well as the article “Becoming Interculturally Competent.”

Next, select an episode of a popular television sitcom (past or present) and look for examples of cultural dimensions. (Some great examples would be “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” “Black-ish,” “Will and Grace,” etc.). Check to make sure that another classmate has not already used the same episode and applied the same dimension.

In your initial post, identify which sitcom and episode you have selected and address the following:

• Identify a specific communication behavior and the cultural dimension that it demonstrates. (Hint: Use your chapter readings to define your dimension and then apply that definition to the example by showing us the connection.)
• How would a person from a culture that experiences this dimension differently interpret this behavior (e.g., a collectivistic culture observing and individualistic behavior), and what implications might that interpretation have on perception of the displayed culture’s values?
• How might evaluating cultural dimensions and considering interpretation from a comparative culture’s perspective help you develop your ethnorelative perspective?

In your responses to your classmates, consider what other cultural dimensions might be visible in their examples (if you are familiar with the sitcom), or offer your own thoughts about your peer’s interpretation.