Is past prologue, or just passed and lacking presence?

Abstract

This essay revisits the context and arguments presented by the author in IJIR in 1989, entitled “Issues in the development of a theory of interpersonal competence in the intercultural context.” Several propositions are posited and elaborated. First, culture is a product of interpersonal interaction, not intercultural interaction. Second, people are far more similar in their communication than they are different across cultures. Third, interpersonal communication competence is therefore the foundational framework from which to understand intercultural competence. Fourth, culture is therefore more of a moderator variable than an ontological or epistemological lens. Fifth, culture therefore needs to be conceptualised and operationalised in ways that parallel the micro- and macro-level ways in which interpersonal competence is manifest and translated. Sixth, extant intercultural competence research has paid too little attention to the lessons learned in interpersonal competence research. In response to these concerns, a set of axioms of interpersonal communicative competence is specified.