Moving Experience: Dialogues between Personal Cultural Positions

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to study the dialogical dynamics of people with multicultural experiences, a response to the call voiced by Hermans (2001a) to explore the self on the contact zones of culture. Using the theory of the dialogical self as a starting point, I explore in my empirical research the hypothesis that a dialogue between personal cultural positions allows new meanings to arise in the personal meaning system. Acculturation can thus be seen as a continuing process of self-innovation propelled by dialogues between personal cultural positions. Thirteen multicultural individuals (global nomads) were asked if they could identify personal cultural positions and conduct a dialogue between them. Each step in the dialogue was rated on a five-point scale measuring novelty, importance and authenticity. Results show that in the majority of cases novelty ratings increased, confirming the hypothesis. Stable novelty ratings occurred when initial statements were rated high on importance and/or authenticity, indicating that acculturation occurs within the field of tension created by the desire to maintain personal continuity, on the one hand, and self-innovation to facilitate integration into a new environment, on the other. This research is aimed at devising a suitable methodology for assessment and coaching of multicultural individuals.