The linguistic shift in cross-cultural studies: culture in discourse

Abstract

Conceptions of cultural communication vary according to how broadly 'culture' is defined and how much explanatory power it is attributed. The majority of research into intercultural communication is conducted in the framework of behavioural interests and empiricist philosophy. This approach looks at culture as a source of misunderstandings and conflicts, which then have to be 'managed'. Over time, researcher focused more on the context of the communication and attempted to understand how mutual understanding is achieved, how 'common ground' is brought about and interculture shaped. In this article, I will examine how the conception of intercultural communication shifted beyond misunderstanding over time, from being shaped by culture to shaping culture.