Intercultural communication studies: the policy background Michael Kelly

Issues in intercultural communication

• Strengths and weaknesses of Bricolage
• High level of adaptability
• Difficulties of coherence
• Pragmatic, solution-oriented
• Limited cognitive power

Issues in intercultural communication

• Disciplines offer many different theoretical approaches
• Approaches may disregard or emphasise:
• Language
• Culture
• Power
• National identity

Issues in intercultural communication

• Different theoretical approaches related to different countries or areas
• European
• American
• Post-colonial
• Issue of cultural domination
• Issue of national identity
• Binary oppositions

Third Space approaches to intercultural communication

• The Third Space as an alternative
• Homi Bhaba
• Cultures are not unitary
• Meaning requires a third space
• Between the self and the other
• Between the signifier and the signified

Third Space approaches to intercultural communication

• Third space formed by:
• General conditions of intelligibility
• Structure of language, communication
• Specific implication of utterance/action
• Non-conscious strategy of performance, institution

Third Space approaches to intercultural communication

• Constructing the Third Space
• Pierre Bourdieu
• Interactions are constructed
• Within a social context of relationships
• Which is a coherent field
• By participants (agents)
• Each has their own habitus

Third Space approaches to intercultural communication

• Each interaction or set of interactions
• Modifies the habitus of participants
• Modifies the field
• It may reinforce or transform existing relationships
• It may create new relationships