Identity and Intercultural Communication

Abstract

Identity has been investigated extensively from a variety of perspectives. The extant literature reveals four main theoretical ideas concerning how an individual's identity orientation influences, and is influenced by, intercultural communication experiences: (a) the collective dimension of identity, or cultural identity, engenders conflict; (b) a unitary identity comprised of both cultural and personal dimensions contributes to conflict as well as affiliation; (c) prolonged experiences of intercultural conflict facilitate identity development beyond the parameters of a single culture; and (d) the resulting complexity of identity fosters intercultural affiliation. Despite differing perspectives and research foci, the existing theories generally converge in suggesting that individuals can help reduce conflict and foster affiliation through an identity orientation that is more individuated and less categorical, more secure and less defensive, more flexible and less resistant to change, and more complex beyond the boundaries of a single culture.

Intercultural identity transformations among Japanese learners of English

“…Although this interculturalness developed to varying degrees, each learner developed a greater orientation towards cultural Otherness as a result of their language study. This underscores what Gao (2007), Kim (1994), andQu (2005) have all indicated, which is that binary understandings of identity are often inefficient to capture the nature personal identities. These works, as well as others from the literature review, explicate how identities become less restricted and increasingly open as they progress in their development.…”

“…Rather than one form of identity replacing another, the learning process allows individuals to incorporate into their sense of being components from a greater range of cultures. This manifests in what Young Yun Kim has defined as an "intercultural" identity (Kim, 1994(Kim, , 2001(Kim, , 2008, which involves grappling with and overcoming challenges in a new cultural milieu. She explains that the challenges experienced from language and culture learning "'pushes' an individual in the direction of greater intercultural learning, perceptual refinement, and a self-other orientation that is at once individuated and universalized" (Kim, 1994, p. 1).…”

“…These works have underscored the fragmented and problematic nature of identity construction and development, as well as how the trajectory of identity is complicated by the acquisition of and exposure to new language and cultural skills (Cook, 2002;Kim, 1994Kim, , 2001Kinginger, 2004;Norton, 2000;Ting-Toomey, 2005). Language learning is said to induce changes to already malleable self-understandings and the identities that emerge from these conditions are seen as more dynamic and more flexible (Gao, 2007;Kim, 1994).…”

“…These works have underscored the fragmented and problematic nature of identity construction and development, as well as how the trajectory of identity is complicated by the acquisition of and exposure to new language and cultural skills (Cook, 2002;Kim, 1994Kim, , 2001Kinginger, 2004;Norton, 2000;Ting-Toomey, 2005). Language learning is said to induce changes to already malleable self-understandings and the identities that emerge from these conditions are seen as more dynamic and more flexible (Gao, 2007;Kim, 1994). Given that there are a large number of factors that influence the acquisition process, such as personal (Brown, 2000), structural/environmental (Norton, 2000), and motivational (Dörnyei & Schmidt, 2001), amongst others, the potential outcomes of language learning induced identity (re)construction are inexhaustive.…”

Μαθαίνοντας Την Ελληνική Ως Δεύτερη Γλώσσα Σε Μη-Τυπικές Μορφές Εκπαίδευσης

“…Μελέτες αναφορικά με μετανάστες/τριες έχουν επανειλημμένα δείξει ότι τα άτομα που είναι πιο δραστήρια στη διαπροσωπική επικοινωνία με τα μέλη της κοινωνίας υποδοχής προσαρμόζονται καλύτερα ψυχολογικά και οικονομικά. Και οι ίδιοι/ες οι μετανάστες/τριες έχουν συνειδητοποιήσει το σημαντικό ρόλο που παίζει η επικοινωνία στη λειτουργία τους στην χώρα υποδοχής (Kim & Gudykunst, 1988• Kim, 2017.…”