Non-Western Perspectives on Human Communication : Implications for Theory and Practice

by Min-Sun Kim

• ISBN13: 9780761923510
• ISBN10: 0761923519
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-23
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

What it means to be a self - and a self communicating and being in a particular culture - are key issues interwoven throughout Min-Sun Kim's impressive text, Non-Western Perspectives on Human Communication. Going beyond cultural descriptions or instructions on adapting to specific cultures, the author interrogates the very core assumptions underlying the study of human communication and challenges longstanding individualistic, Western models on which much intercultural research is based. Kim proposes a non-western way of conceptualizing identity, or the "self" - the cornerstone of cultural research -- illuminating how traditional western and non-western views can be blended into a broader, more realistic understanding of cultures and communication. Grounding her work in a thorough knowledge of the literature, she challenges students and researchers alike to reexamine their approach to intercultural study.

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION

1. "Who am I?": Cultural Variations in Self-Systems

Evolution of Western Self-Construction: "America's Civil Religion"

Interdependent Self-Construals-An Alternative Framework

2. Independent and Interdependent Models of the Self as Cultural Frame

3. Why Self-Construals are Useful

Parismony of Explanation: Impact of Culture

Cultural Relativity of Communication Theories

ii. CULTURAL RELATIVITY OF COMMINCATION CONSTRUCTS AND THEORIES: "U.S.- CENTRISM"

4. "Communication Apprehension": "Deficiency" or "Politeness"?

Motivation to "Avoid" Verbal Communication

Traditional View: Communication "Avoidance" as a Deficiency

Communication Avoidance Stemming from a Sensitivity to Social Contexts

Implications

5. Motivation to "Approach" Verbal Communication: Is Communication Approach Always Healthy?

Assertiveness: "Standing up for your own Rights"

Argumentativeness: A Subset of Assertiveness

Critique and Summary

6. Conflict Management Styles: Is Avoidance Really a "Lose-Lose"?

Prior Conflict Management Typologies

Individualistic Bias in Past Conceptualizations of Conflict Styles

7. Cognitive Consistency: A Cultural Assumption?

Fundamental Assumptions of Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Is Cognitive Dissonance a Culture-Bound Concept?

8. Attitude-Behavior Consistency: Cultural Ideal of the Individualistic Society

Predicting Behaviors: Deemphasizing Situations Over Attitudes

Emphasizing Other Sources of Behavior

9. Susceptibility to Social Influence: Conformity or "Tact"?

An Eco-Cultural Explanation of Conformity

Conformity as "Social Sensitivity," Independence as "Insensitivity"

10. Internal Control Ideology and Communication: Are Internals "Good Guys" and Externals "Bad Guys"?

Internal Control Ideology

Relationship between Locus of Control and Communication Ideology

11. Deceptive Communication: Moral Choice or Social Necessity?

Deception as a Moral Issue: Independent Perspective

Deception as a Social Necessity: Interdependent Perspective

12. Self-Disclosure: Bragging vs. Negative Self-Disclosure

Motivational Influences on Styles of Self-Disclosure

13. Silence: "Is It Really Golden?"

Silence as Malfunctioning of (Human) Machines

Neglected Component of Human Communication: Silence

14. Acculturative Communication Competence: Who Bears the Burden of Adjustment?

Assimilation Model: "Marginal Man [sic]" Perspective

Alternation Model: Bicultural Perspective

Host Communication Competence: One-Way Assimilation

Bicultural Communication Competence: Alternation Model

III. TOWARDS A BI-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

15. The Sources of Dualism: Mechanistic Cartesian Worldview

Bias Toward "Yang" Communication Behaviors

Particle/Wave Paradox: Implications of Personhood for Human Communication

16. Dimensionality of Cultural Identity

Unidimensional Model of Self-Construals

Bi-dimensional Model of Self-Construals

Support for the Bi-dimensional Model

Formation of Bicultural Identity

IV. CONCLUSION-TOWARDS MODELS OF MATURITY

17. Into the Future: Implications for Future Inquiry

Postscript

References