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"How do people understand one another when they do not share a common cultural experience?"
This is the first fundamental question posed in editor Milton J. Bennett's Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. The ideas contained in this collection have been assembled from time-tested classics and more contemporary viewpoints. Bennett has selected and ordered the articles in developmental sequence to generate a coherent conceptual picture of how to successfully communicate with other cultures. The names of some of these articles speak for themselves:
- Communication in a Global Village, Dean Barnlund
- The Power of Hidden Differences, Edward T. Hall
- Black and White Cultural Styles in Pluralistic Perspective, Thomas Kochman
- Cultural Assumptions and Values, Edward C. Stewart, Jack Danielian and Robert J. Foster
- Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication, LaRay M. Barna
- Transition Shock: Putting Culture Shock in Perspective, Janet M. Bennett
- Beyond Cultural Identity: Reflections on Multiculturalism, Peter S. Adler
These articles bring home the concepts of intercultural communication in a breadth of perspective that anyone interested in the subject will find both intellectually stimulating and relevant to his or her personal, educational or professional concerns.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Communication in a Global Village
2 The Power of Hidden Differences
3 Multicultural Education
4 Science and Linguistics
5 Culture: A Perceptual Approach
6 Interactions Between North Americans and Japanese: Considerations of Communication Style
7 Black and White Cultural Styles in Pluralistic Perspective
8 Cultural Assumptions and Values
9 Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication
10 Overcoming the Golden Rule: Sympathy and Empathy
11 Transition Shock: Putting Culture Shock in Perspective
12 Beyond Cultural Identity: Reflections on Multiculturalism
Additional Readings
Author Index
Subject Index
Milton J. Bennett served in the Peace Corps in Micronesia, received his doctorate in communication from the University of Minnesota, and has taught communication at Portland State University. He is currently a co-director of The Intercultural Communication Institute in Portland, Oregon. He is also the co-author of American Cultural Patterns, with Edward C. Stewart.
"This innovate collection, with its developmental learning focus, explores the core building blocks of intercultural communication. The introductory chapter lays out a coherent, theory-to-practice foundation in explaining everyday intercultural interactions. This timely volume, with its provocative set of essays, illuminates the complexities of intercultural relations. The book will be widely read by educators, trainers, counselors, managers and anyone who is curious about the field of intercultural communication."
- Stella Ting-Toomey, International Journal of Intercultural Relations
