Intercultural Communication/ICC-overview

Intercultural Communication is sometimes used synonymously with cross-cultural communication. In this sense it seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them. As a separate notion, it studies situations where people from different cultural backgrounds interact. Intercultural communication has played a role in anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics, psychology and communication studies.

Theories

The following types of theories can be distinguished in different strands: focus on effective outcomes, on accomadation or adaption, on identity negotiation and managment, on communication networks, on acculturation and adjustment.

Theories focusing on effective outcomes

• Cultural Convergence
• Anxiety/Uncertainty Management
• Effective Group Decision Making

Theories focusing on accomodation or adaption

• Communication Accommodation
• Intercultural Adaption
• Co-cultural Theory

Theories focusing on identity negotiation or management

• Identity Management

The Identity Management Theory is based in interpersonal communication competence as identities provide exceptions for individuals' behavior. Especially identities within specific relationships are central to identity management. The maintenance of face is very important for human interactions but often stereotypes are used. Furthermore, there are three phases in developing intercultural relationships.

• Identity Negotiation

This theory says that intercultural communication competence is the effective identity negotiation process between two interactions in a novel communication episode. The theory is moreover based on eight assumptions. Besides, there are 20 further propositions forming identity negotiation theory, e.g. that individuals' motivation to communicate with strangers influences the degree to which they seek out communication resources.

• Cultural Identity

This theory is an interpretive one concerning cultural identities in intercultural interactions. The theory consists of six assumptions, five axioms and one theorem. One of the axioms e.g. says that the more individuals have intercultural communication competence, the better they are able to develop and maintain intercultural relationships.

Theories focusing on communicatino networks

• Networks and Outgroup Communication Competence

The theory states that personal networks emphasize the links between individuals. Ego's conscious and unconscious reliance on the network members in order to perceive and interprete various attributes is very important. There are many theorems, e.g. the closer the ties individuals have with outgroup members, the more their outgroup communication competence.

• Intracultural Versus Intercultural Networks

This theory explains the difference between individuals' intracultural and intercultural networks as the theory claims that there is more variance in behavior between cultures than within cultures. Furthermore, the theory consits of six theorems which e.g. say that intracultural networks are more dense. Additionally, there is also less transivity (that is when my friend's friends are my friends) in intercultural networks than in intracultural networks.

• Networks and Acculturation

This theory links social networks to immigrant acculeration. The theory consists of seven assumptions and seven propositions. Immigrants e.g. tend to be linked to those individuals who define their identities. A further proposition is that as immigrants become integrated into host communities their social networks change.

Theories focusing on acculturation and adjustment

• Communication Acculturation
• Anxiety/Uncertainty Management
• Assimilation, Deviance, and Alienation States

Intercultural Communication Competence

Intercultural Communicative Competence has been said to combine three components:

• knowledge (= information necessary to interact appropriately and effectively)
• motivation (e.g. positive affect toward the other culture, empathy)
• skills (= behavior necessary to interact appropriately and effectively

References

• Gudykunst, William B. (2003), "Intercultural Communication Theories", in: Gudykunst, William B (ed.), Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication, 167-189, Thousand Oaks: Sage.
• Wiseman, Richard L. (2003), "Intercultural Communication Competence", in: Gudykunst, William B (ed.), Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication, 191-208, Thousand Oaks: Sage.