Intercultural Communication: Building a Global Community

Competence in communicating across cultures is a prerequisite for success in today′s fast-changing global community. In Intercultural Communication, Patel, Li and Sooknanan draw on their deep intercultural experience to show us how to build successful communication bridges across diverse cultures. The book explores various theoretical positions on global communication ethics and norms by providing an overview of the contemporary socio-cultural situation and seeking ways in which common ground may be found between these different positions. The authors raise points of critical reflection on intercultural events and issues in various areas of communication including health, work, environment and education. The book also covers a range of issues, from the interactions of various cultures to the expansion of social organizations and the growing global infrastructure. By integrating ′glocal′ perspectives in intercultural communication, the book addresses the long-term strategy of developing a global community without sacrificing indigenous local values.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Frank Sligo Preface I: CONCEPTS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Building a Global Community - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan Overview of Intercultural Communication - Mingsheng Li and Fay Patel Exploring Surface and Deep Levels of Intercultural Communication - Fay Patel Global Community Engagement - Fay Patel and Prahalad Sooknanan Education for the Global Citizen - Mingsheng Li Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace - Prahalad Sooknanan Cultural Perceptions on Environment and Global Contexts - Mingsheng Li and Fay Patel Technology as Cultural Power and its Social Impact - Fay Patel Critical Issues in Intercultural Communication - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan Intercultural Communication in Practice: Challenges and Barriers - Mingsheng Li , Prahalad Sooknanan and Fay Patel II: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION EVENTS Family - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan Religion - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan History - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan Culture, Gender and Race - Fay Patel, Mingsheng Li and Prahalad Sooknanan References Index

About the Author :
Dr Fay Patel is a lecturer in Higher Education and academic developer at the Centre for University Teaching. Fay received her doctoral degree in mass communication and communication studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. She is involved in a number of regional and local higher education projects in curriculum development and assessment, leadership in higher education, internationalization of the curriculum and cultural diversity. Fay has over 25 years of experience as a professor, researcher, academic developer, programme and project coordinator, and leader in higher education in five countries (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States of America and South Africa). Fay is South African by birth, a Canadian immigrant and a migrant worker in Australia. Her research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning, enhancing student learning through teaching development, internationalizing the curriculum, international development and global cultural communication perspectives, diffusion of new media technology, and online research methods and communication. She is the co-editor of Working Women: Stories of Struggle, Strife and Survival published by SAGE India in 2009. Fay is also author of Role of Attitudes and Perceptions in Diffusion of Innovations: Implementation of the Internet and Email in South Africa. Her forthcoming publication is a co-edited book titled Diffusion of Innovations and International Development: Critical Perspectives in the 21st Century. Dr Mingsheng Li is a Senior Lecturer in intercultural communication and business communication at the College of Business, Massey University, New Zealand. His doctorate is in the areas of intercultural communication and English language teaching. Prior to his arrival in Australia in 1995, he was an Associate Professor in English language and literature. He was Vice Dean and Acting Dean of Foreign Language School, Yunnan Normal University, China, for over four years. His current research interests relate to international education, migrant studies and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Dr Prahalad Sooknanan is an Associate Professor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago where he is responsible for the basic communication course. He also teaches at the Arthur Lok Jack, the Graduate School of Business, University of the West Indies, where he teaches the core course in communications to students in the Executive MBA programme. More recently, he has been serving as the local tutor in Trinidad and Tobago for the MA degree in Mass Communication for the University of Leicester’s distance education programme. Dr Sooknanan formerly served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo and Assistant Professor at SUNY College at Potsdam. His research interests include topics in intercultural and mass communication.