This thesis examines a special kind of intercultural communication called interability communication, the interactions between the disabled and the abled. In-depth interviews were conducted with six Japanese men (average age 44.3 years), all of whom experienced the transition from being a member of the nondisabled majority to becoming a member of the disabled minority when they received spinal cord injuries in traffic accidents. The average length of time since the initial acquisition of disability was 25.7 years, and all of the men are now gainfully employed, living in the community, and report high levels of quality of life. This study shows that following their sudden acquisition of disability, the subjects developed new ways of interacting with both their physical and social environments. Their relationships with family and friends were altered. They developed new communication strategies for dealing with nondisabled people, especially centered on asking for help, and accepting or rejecting offers of help. Their cultural value orientations with regard to power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, and masculinity-femininity also underwent changes. This study shows that an understanding of these changes can help nondisabled people, including family members, friends, medical and rehabilitation specialists, etc. to interact more smoothly with disabled people. Although the sudden acquisition of disability is usually regarded as an extremely negative event, this study concludes that the six men have experienced positive growth. They have developed more ethnorelative worldviews, and they have successfully adapted to their disabilities. From the 164 pages of interview transcriptions, more than I 0 pages of direct quotations appear in this thesis in an attempt to accurately retell the stories of these six men.

Public health nurses are required to communicate important communicable disease and preventative health information to an increasing number of immigrants and refugees accessing the American public health system. They must also obtain information on a broad scope of topics about clients and/or their children. Little attention has been paid to the study of intercultural communication between public health nurses and their diverse clientele. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers affecting communication between public health nurses and their immigrant and refugee clients. The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity developed by Milton Bennett provided a conceptual framework for review and analysis of study results. Data were collected using semi-structured formal interviews with a network sample of 17 nurses. Analysis of the data indicated four major themes: (1) common use of a Western- European, ethnocentric communication style; (2) insufficient recognition of how the dominant culture's values, beliefs, and behaviors affect those from non-dominant cultures; (3) inadequate or irrelevant prior diversity training; and ( 4) lack of available and competent interpreters necessary for translation of information during interviews. These categories capture the essential barriers preventing effective communication with culturally diverse clients. From the perspective of the nurses, communication barriers due to cultural or language differences result in difficulty obtaining compliance with public health mandates such as childhood immunization and medication regimens, and limit understanding of preventative healthcare practices. The results of this study provide information and insight for the development of intercultural sensitivity training for public health nurses. A training program that demonstrates cultural training theory, methods, and suggested sequencing is included. An additional sample training outline follows that offers public health nurses culture specific information regarding Hmong refugees.

During the span of 27 months, Peace Corps volunteers live and work in different countries and cultures all over the globe. The various projects that Peace Corps volunteers work on together with their host country nationals can prove extremely challenging due to many cultural differences. This research assessed the influences of cultural differences on Peace Corps projects that volunteers experienced while working with Guatemalan nationals. The literature review examined the issues of cultural differences and the effects 6 and influences that they could have on projects of host country nationals and Peace Corps volunteers. I have examined literature focusing on intercultural communication, cultural group membership differences, cultural identities, value orientations, and organizational value dimensions. I have also looked deeply into many of the differences between the collectivist culture of Guatemala and the individualistic culture of the United States. I have compiled data from interviews with Peace Corps volunteers that I served with in Guatemala from August 2007 until November 2009. During their service, the volunteers worked in the programs of Municipal Development and Agricultural Development. I hope for this research to provide detail into the influences of cultural differences between Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala and Guatemalan nationals. I hope that this study can better prepare Guatemalan nationals and Peace Corps volunteers to have a superior understanding of each other's cultural identities to ensure that positive communication can lead to good outcomes for projects in the future. I also hope that Peace Corps facilitators and trainers can use the findings in this study for workshops and training sessions on intercultural relations not only in the Peace Corps Guatemala program, but for all other countries where volunteers are currently serving.

Modern Nigeria is a creation of the British who because of economic interest, ignored the existing political, racial, historical, religious and language differences. The task of developing a concept of nationalism from among such diverse elements who inhabit Nigeria and speak about 280 tribal languages was immense if not impossible. The traditionalists did their best in opposing the British who took away their privileges and traditional rights, but their policy did not countenance nationalism. The rise and growth of nationalism was only possible through educated Africans. Colonialism brought Nigeria in contact with the West and western culture, but the impact of it was felt differently in different parts of Nigeria. By debarring Christian Missions, lawyers and merchants the North, the British deliberately allowed Northern Nigeria to retain its customs and social structure. This further increased and complicated the problems of modernization, nationalism and unity, as Nigerians were influenced by two opposing outside cultures, .one Western, the other Oriental. The basic problems: social, racial and political were the result of the superstructure creation of Nigeria and they unmistakingly affect nationalism, as some of the ethnic groupings which make up Nigeria were large enough to constitute nations in themselves. Because of strong ethnocentrism existing in Nigeria, it has sometimes been argued that Nigeria bas not one nationalism but many nationalisms. The educated elite have succeeded in winning statehood for Nigeria, but they have yet to succeed in bringing about cultural and political nationalism in Nigeria.

The purpose of this dissertation is to present an historical analysis of t he diplomatic relations between the United States and Morocco. A survey of such items as the cultural, commercial, and military intercourse between the two nations will not be attempted except as these are directly involved in the diplomatic interchange. Following a brief description of Morocco from a physical and historical perspective and an indication as to the importance of the North African area in Western history, this paper will survey the pattern of American diplomatic interest in Morocco from the latter decades of the eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century.

This study aimed to identify the family communication patterns that were typical of Mexican immigrant'schildhood and parenthood, along with the influence that resources and the distribution of power and dependency have within the family structure. In doing so, this study demonstrated how a change in the family communication pattern occurs after migration to the United States. Moreover, this study uncovered some of the reasons behind the change in communication. Fifteen conversational interviews were conducted in the homes of Mexican immigrants to address the following three research questions: (1) How do parents of Mexican immigrant families describe the family communication patterns that typified their communication with their parents, in terms of (a) socio-orientation versus concept orientation, (b) resources, and (c) power dependency? (2) How do parents of Mexican immigrant families describe the family communication patterns that typify their communication with their children, in terms of(a) socio-orientation versus concept orientation, (b) resources, and (c) power dependency? And (3) what suggestions do the parents of Mexican immigrant families have for improving family communication with their children? The answers provided by the participants elicited thirteen key themes that provided interesting insights about this wide and critical population. The thirteen themes indicated that Mexican immigrant parents of pre adolescent children have constructed a hybrid communication pattern, which combines traditional characteristics with open and expressive characteristics. Mexican immigrant parents of young adult and adult children have developed an open and expressive communication pattern. This study also found that resources, acquired by U.S. born children, did not affect the distribution of relational power and dependency within their families nor did they create a shift in their family's communication power. A resource that did influence both relational power and the family's communication pattern was peer dependency.

Crisis negotiators in Arizona work with very diverse populations. In addition to large populations of Whites, Hispanics, Native-Americans, and Asians, there are growing refugee populations from over twenty nations. Considering this, there is a surprising lack of information on negotiating with people from different cultures in the literature written for the field. The purpose of this thesis is to determine the attitudes of crisis negotiators in Arizona on the role of culture in negotiating with people who are different from themselves. It seeks to answer this by interviewing crisis negotiators from diverse law enforcement agencies in Arizona. The following questions will be answered: 1) Do crisis negotiators perceive that culture effects their negotiations? 2) Do they currently receive cultural competency training? 3) Do they have a desire for/ or need for cultural competency training? 4) What kind of cultural competency training would be beneficial for them? Based on the responses from the negotiators, I will make recommendations on future training or research that meets their needs and desires in the area of negotiating with those who are culturally different from themselves.

With the onset of tourism growth in the Dominican Republic, particularly in the province of Samana, a unique opportunity for exploration into intercultural interactions between Dominicans and tourists exists. This thesis brings together some of the current studies on intercultural communication in regards to the tourism industry, perceived community attitudes towards tourism, and host-guest relationships in the tourism context. Two groups of Dominicans were studied, those who worked in the tourism industry and those who did not, teachers, respectively. Data was extracted from collected questionnaires and interviews which revealed positive attitudes towards tourism, interest in expanding tourism, and various positive stereotypes towards tourists and about Dominicans themselves. In conclusion, the results were consistent with past research and include present recommendations on how to make the Dominican tourism sector even more receptive to the importance of intercultural communication.

The purpose of this dissertation is to present en analysis of the American contributions to democracy in the Arab Middle East. Research will be confined, for the most part, to the American impact upon the United Arab Republic, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Iraq between 1819 and 1958. Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Trucial Sheikdoms will be treated incidentally because the American impact was so slight as to be virtually non-existent; while Turkey, although not an Arab country, will be studied in some detail in the chapter on Education primarily because of Robert College and the part it played in the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire.

This study investigates the diversification plans and goals of four university or college campuses in California examining the insight and perspectives of their respective administrators. Diversification of the institution has been adopted as a strategic plan or mission goal. The investigation analyzes the strides made toward the goal by investigating the efforts of the institutions in the intercultural training of current staff and faculty. Where best practices for diversification of the institution at every level exist, I will review what is being done and contrast those findings with institutions where a diversification goal exists, but training programs for staff members fall short of industry and scholarly recommendations. An initial literature review shows few works dedicated to staff training in the intercultural arena for such institutions. My final goal is to identify best practices when they exist and examine the gaps in training that institutions may face.