SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
CMNS 205-3

INTRODUCTION TO INTERPERSONAL/NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Prerequisites:

CMNS 110 or CMNS 130

Good interpersonal communication is clear communication. Cultural differences that lead to misunderstandings can be bridged by learning and polishing efficient non-verbal communication skills. Interpersonal communication is important to everyone because it is through “competent” communication that we come to understand each other and the world we live in. More communication means more understanding, so more communication means a better world for us all to live in.

These are just a few things we hear about interpersonal communication; but any serious study of how and why we communicate with each other begins by considering how justified we are in holding fast to our assumptions.

This survey course is designed to introduce students to:
- the range of ways Interpersonal Communication has been studied
- the assumptions those studies have been founded on; and
- the range and limits of what we can “hope to understand” through the study of our own interpersonal communication.

To think carefully about these and other questions is the goal of this course.

Required Text:

Ross, Rupert (1992) Dancing with a Ghost: Exploring Indian Reality Markham, Ont.: Octopus Books
Additional weekly readings will be placed on reserve.

Course Organization:

A two hour weekly lecture, and one hour tutorial.

Grade Distribution:

Midterm exam 20%
Term paper 35%
Final exam 30%
Tutorial participation 15%

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will ear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will follow Policy T10.02 with respect to “Intellectual Honest” and “Academic Discipline” (see the current Calendar, General Regulations section).