ICGPSH 2023-On the Social Nature of Intercultural Communication

The International Conference on Global Politics and Socio-Humanities (ICGPSH 2023)
Title: On the Social Nature of Intercultural Communication
Presented by: Cristinel Munteanu, PhD
Professor, Faculty of Communication and International Relations, Danubius University of Galati

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Here are the questions we collected and the answers replied by the presenter:
Q1: Does the social nature of Intercultural Communication have some specific differences between different regions?
A1: In this case, I focused on the very “common core” of intercultural communication, which goes beyond cultural differences, since even this special type of communication still is (or remains) communication (that is, having to do with something shared, something “in common”). Eugenio Coseriu identified three primary (or primal) universals of language: semanticity (which needs no explanation here), creativity and alterity. Creativity (which characterizes culture as a whole) leads to the variety or diversity of languages and of human communication in general, while alterity (specific to human language only; the term comes from the Latin term alter ʽotherʼ) explains (or justifies), on the contrary, the homogeneity of language, the importance of linguistic traditions and the unitary nature of human communication in general (including that of intercultural communication). Obviously, we take “alterity” (ʽothernessʼ) in its linguistic (and not imagological) meaning; and precisely this concept explains our desire (and the efforts we make) to be understood by the others (even when they belong to other/different cultures and speak foreign languages), constituting the fundament of sociality/socialness. Actually, in the absence of alterity, the concept of “intercultural communication” would be a non-sense. On the other hand, intercultural communication (as a discipline/science) focuses on cultural differences, as well, since - in order to attain the desired mutual understanding - one needs to take into account those specific cultural differences which, otherwise, when neglected, may jeopardize the (intercultural) communication in itself.
Q2: Can you provide specific examples of how the principles of your research can be practically applied to enhance intercultural communication in diverse settings, such as businesses, educational institutions, or international diplomacy?
A2: There are some fact(or)s and elements we should take care of in order to improve or enhance the process of intercultural communication in different fields (such as businesses, educational institutions, or international diplomacy); that is, first of all, to avoid anything that could lead to misunderstanding(s) in the aforementioned settings. In this regard, certainly, aberrant decoding (a concept theorized and exemplified by Umberto Eco in semiotics, and later developed by John Fiske in cultural studies) is a case in point. When speaking, we make use not only of a (historical) language in itself, but also of ideas/beliefs or opinions about “things”; we operate with a special type of competence, that is a kind of “knowledge of «things»”, too. That is why, we need to know the cultural background (including the religious differences, too) of our interlocutors, to be aware of the different contexts and circumstances in which we communicate. Apart from these, there are certain principles to be followed if one wishes to attain the mutual understanding; some of them are specific to hermeneutics, too (for instance, the so-called “principle of charity” or the “principle of trust”). Before rejecting someone’s discourse (and considering it, in haste, a meaningless one), we should try patiently, first of all, to understand his/her point of view. For example, in international diplomacy, even if both parts (as non-English speakers) use the English language as a means of (international) communication, they should still take into consideration the intercultural communication, since verbal communication (important as it is) is not sufficient.