Intercultural Dialogue

Abstract

Intercultural dialogue (ICD) as a concept and a focal point of discussion has appeared in a limited number of research areas since in the 1980s when multiculturalism was introduced as an alternative to assimilation-oriented policies in many societies. In the 2000s, interculturalism emerged as a response to challenges induced by globalization and transnational migration, and transculturality has (re)appeared to address the complexity in the formation of cultures. ICD was framed as an alternative cultural policy to address increasing cultural diversity. Several international organizations, including UNESCO, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations, have set intercultural dialogue as a key priority for cultural diversity management reflecting increasing interest in intercultural dialogue in policymaking contexts. For example, The Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue: Living Together As Equals in Dignity was released in 2008 and the year 2008 was announced as the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. While ICD is often perceived as a practical tool of interculturalism, a significant effort has taken place during the last decade to characterize it as a significant transdisciplinary research area. Several edited collections and special journal issues reflect these efforts. While a lack of clarity about the theoretical contributions of ICD continues, growing debates over multiculturalism, interculturalism, and transculturality in recent years have created a significant space within which the theoretical and conceptual contributions of ICD can be re-evaluated, and its definitions expanded. Critical perspectives on the adaptation of ICD into a cultural policy framework brings its instrumentalization process into discussion. While the etymological roots of dialogue back in Greek, Latin, and Plato point to the fluidity and the complexity of the concept, the literature on the meta-analysis of ICD research maps out theoretical and conceptual terrain of the field. The research emphasizing the multilayered and complex dynamics of ICD (e.g., intractable conflict cases and peacebuilding efforts) introduces new lines of inquiry and analytical frameworks in the reconceptualization of ICD. ICD is an expanding transdisciplinary research area with significant potential contributions to communication studies. While research on variety of concepts, such as intercultural competence, mediation, and interaction, contributes to the field of intercultural dialogue, they are not included in this section.