Intercultural Communication & Ideology

Evelien van Asperen

Summary Nederlandse versie Website author The Diavers Method

What is the cause of the frequently ineffective communication strategies in intercultural situations? This question has been dealt with in different studies already, for example, from the perspective of cultural factors, social categorisation and cultural identity. This study deals with the question of communication strategies from the meta-level of connotations and assumptions of the basic concepts culture, communication and power. These concepts come together in intercultural communication, which forms a recurring theme in the book. By studying many cases, it becomes clear that assumptions about intercultural communication are under the influence of universalistic and cultural relativistic interpretation.

Cultural philosophers have described critical opinions to these ideologies since the seventies, but in spite of this, the assumptions around intercultural communication remain uncritical.

Van Asperen comes to the conclusion that the intercultural ideology evidently leads to absurdities and contradictions. This creates friction, particularly in the normative field. Cultural freedom of values, the right to one's own culture, cultural loyalty, ethnocentrism, tolerance and intolerance apparently originate from the same source, the ideological culture concept.

In the end the writer works out the divisive effect of the intercultural ideology and she formulates an alternative, in which human rights play a central role.

Evelien van Asperen (PhD) (1957) is a researcher, consultant and trainer at Pharos, a centre of expertise on refugees, migrants and health. This book was first published as her thesis at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands. She is continuing her research and consultancies in the field of culturalism and conflict.

Table of contents

Inspiration
Methodology

Exploration: the Dutch Scenario
Exploration of problems surrounding intercultural communication
Intellectual relationship between intercultural communication and science
Empirical research into the notions of professionals in the field
Experts of intercultural communication: a critical review

Analysis
A model for analysis of the intercultural ideology
The 'use' of the culture concept: a critical analysis
The influence of intercultural ideology on specific opinions and behaviour
Analysis from the perspective of communication

Evaluation and alternative
Evaluation of the intercultural ideology: influence and effect in empiricism
Conclusions and start towards an alternative

References
Analytical framework

2005, ISBN 90 75955 51 0, paperback, 151 p., ordernr. 9P2005.07, € 25,-

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