Intercultural personhood: Globalization and a way of being

Abstract

Abstract This theoretical essay makes a case for “intercultural personhood” as a viable model for human development in today's increasingly integrated world. Critiquing the largely static, monolithic, and value-laden perspective on cultural identity prevalent in social science literature, the author emphasizes the complex and evolving nature of identity. The term, intercultural identity, is employed as a counterpoint to, and as an extension of, cultural identity, and as a concept that represents the phenomenon of identity adaptation and transformation beyond the perimeters of the conventional, categorical conception of cultural identity. The stress–adaptation–growth dynamic in the author's integrative theory of cross-cultural adaptation provides a systemic account for the identity development process as the interplay of acculturation and deculturation. The author argues that, through prolonged and cumulative intercultural communication experiences, individuals around the world can, and do, undergo a gradual process of intercultural evolution. The emerging intercultural personhood is characterized by two interrelated key patterns in self-other orientation: individuation and universalization. Empirical evidence for this theoretical argument is offered through some of the pertinent research findings as well as case illustrations based on publicly available personal testimonials and biographic narratives.