CONV 1031: Celebrating Community and Culture
Students explore how communities and cultures within these communities can be attracted to and successfully included in special events. Consideration is given to cross cultural issues and challenges of creating "authentic" experiences while respecting the local environment and traditions of the people who live there.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course, students should be able to:
- Assess the environment in which community events take place.
- Define communities as cultures, groups with similar interests and geographical places.
- Identify how communities can be assets to special events.
- Understand the terminology of cultural tourism as a global phenomenon.
- Identify benefits and costs of tourism from a cultural perspective.
- Understand authenticity as part of the visitor experience.
- Describe some cross-cultural communication skills that would assist in linking a special event to a community.
- Demonstrate the value (economic, social, and environmental) of adding traditions to a special event.
- Understand how tourism images that are not authentic can affect host and guest relationships.
- Add a cultural element to an existing special event.
Course topics
- Module 1: What Is Culture?
- Module 2: What Is Cultural Tourism?
- Module 3: Issues and Themes in Cultural Tourism
- Module 4: Celebrating Culture in Canada
- Module 5: Indigenous Tourism as an Emerging Opportunity in Cultural Tourism
Required text and materials
There is no textbook for this course.
Assessments
In order to successfully complete this course, students must obtain at least 50% on the mandatory final project and 50% on the course overall.
| Assignment 1: Cultural and Celebration Event Framework – Mapping Your Community’s Cultural Assets | 20% |
| Assignment 2: Promoting a Festival to Cultural Tourists | 20% |
| Assignment 3: Events – Impacts and Outcomes | 15% |
| Assignment 4: To See or Not to See – The Impact of Indigenous Tourism | 15% |
| Final Project: Learning Journal (mandatory) | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
