Assistant Professor of Communication Lauren Mark publishes resource for students on navigating intercultural conversations

Lauren Mark, assistant professor of communication, published findings from an experiential activity titled “Mind–body connections during intercultural conversations” with Arizona State University professor Elena Steiner for Communication Teacher, published by Taylor & Francis.

Based on the theory of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) which measures how well one adapts to cultural differences, the activity is derived from research conducted among students in southern U.S. classrooms. The goal was to examine how common ground is generated and extended when someone navigates unfamiliar conversational terrain.

With this learning guide, Mark hopes to inspire future learning activities on developing intercultural competence through embodied attunement.

“This is an experiential activity that invites students to investigate the mental, affective, and behavioral effects of personal investment and authenticity during intercultural conversation,” said Mark. “This is the fruit of multiple brainstorms that took place between my co-author and me.”

Students are encouraged to remain open to their feelings and embodied sensations in this conversation when interacting with someone from a different background and with unfamiliar topic material.

The work is a continuation of Mark’s research in this field. Before coming to New Paltz this academic year, Mark taught and conducted research around the world, including in Israel and Taiwan.

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