Food for thought: An exercise in third-culture building

Abstract

Teaching intercultural communication presents many challenges, particularly at predominantly white institutions (PWI). Individuals who hold majority identities may have difficulty seeing their own culture or race and, relatedly, the value of intercultural communication for their lives. Additionally, students who hold marginalized or minoritized identities can feel the burden of being cultural ambassadors in classroom discussions, creating an inequitable labor burden. Moreover, students of all identities may experience discomfort related to conversations about culture. This semester-long assignment seeks to address those challenges by contextualizing culture in a way that can be applied to all students, regardless of the identities they hold. The Food for Thought assignment is a third-culture-building exercise designed to teach students about culture and intercultural communication through a communal dining experience.

Courses

Any full-semester intercultural communication course of approximately 40 students, but can be adapted for any course with a cultural component (e.g. interpersonal communication or the basic/foundational course) by limiting dining to one or two class periods.

Objectives

The activity aims to help students learn about and foster community through third-culture building, to develop intercultural sensitivity and respect for cultural differences, to recognize and introspect on one’s own culture, and to connect lived experience to theory.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to all of the students who participated in this assignment, and especially to Nick Davidson and Dante Worth for the brilliant project name and inspiration, as well as to Jenny Reyes and Karim Goforth for their collaborative work sharing the connections between food and intercultural communication.

Disclaimer

The author does not recommend attempting this assignment during the COVID-19 pandemic due to concerns about health and safety. Please check with your institution and public health authorities for guidance.