Intercultural Contact Research Articles

What Does It Mean to be a “Citizen of the World”: A Prototype Approach

The superordinate social category “ citizen of the world” is used by laypeople and scholars to embody several constructs (e.g., cosmopolitanism; global identity and citizenship), and prior research suggests that the concept is better represented as a prototype rather than having a clear-cut definition. This research aims to systematically examine the prototypical meaning of this social category, and how it is cognitively processed. Relying on a prototype approach, six studies ( n = 448) showed that certain attributes of this category were communicated more frequently and were regarded as more central (e.g., multiculturalism), and that central (vs. peripheral) attributes were more quickly identified, more often remembered, and more appropriate to identify a group member, as well as the self, as a “ citizen of the world.” These results systematically demonstrated that this category has a prototypical structure and there is a differentiated cognitive automatic processing for central and peripheral attributes. We propose that the specific content activated by the attributes regarded as central to the prototype of “citizens of the world” (e.g., intercultural contact; diversity), and the fact that these are more accessible in memory to form a mental representation, are important aspects to understand identity processes and their impact on intergroup outcomes.

Conditions influencing conservation of students’ ethno-cultural competency in the polyethnic environment of the university

The article discusses the aim of polyethnic education to form students' sensitivity to cultural differences.The aim of the study is to identify, define and justify the pedagogical possibilities of ethno-cultural education of students in a multiethnic educational environment. As a consequence of understanding cultural differences, the student must first understand their own culture, and only then other cultures. The peculiarity of the tested course is that the conditions are considered not only localization, as the preservation of an ethnos, but also the geographical environment from which the formation of an ethnos began, as a direct condition for the emergence of an ethnos and culture.  Because the climate affects the style of clothing and housing, modes of transport. Geographical conditions also affect the weapons of work and life; climate affects customs and rituals. Language plays an important role in the formation of each culture, a common language supports the cohesion of an ethnic group. Culture, customs and historical memory are mediated in the language. Within the framework of historical culture, ethnic self-cognition and historical memory are formed. Every culture strives to preserve its world through a system of traditions. And thus, the specificity and diversity of ethnic cultures of students are determined by a variety of factors. It is established that the dynamics of intercultural contact will depend on the quality of relationships (communication) between representatives of different cultures. The research uses methods of analysis of scientific literature, experimental work. A curriculum for the development of ethno-cultural competence of students was developed, which was tested at the Gumilyov Eurasian National University and Toraighyrov University. 159 students took part in the experiment Keywords: ethnos, ethnic culture, ethnic self-awareness, ethnic identification, identity, student.

Philosophical and Hermeneutic Analysis of the Symbolic Worldview in the Context of the Aestetic Culture of China

The subject of the study is the aesthetic cultural tradition of China, a symbol and a symbolic worldview, which are considered in the context of the processes of globalization, dialogue of cultures. The relevance of the topic of research is due, firstly, to the dynamics of the development of the modern world, integration processes, the strengthening of the principles of the open world, and the expansion of the information and communication space; secondly, the increased interest of socio-humanitarian knowledge in the analysis of various models of understanding the symbol and symbolic perception of the world within the framework of China's aesthetic culture, both in theoretical terms and in its specific reflections; thirdly, increased intercultural contacts with the business community of modern China, the effective implementation of which is impossible without taking into account a wide range of ideas about the characteristics of national culture. The value of the study is determined by the justification of the methodological role of Chinese philosophy, which serves as the foundation of the symbol and symbolic worldview.

Intra-cultural and Inter-cultural Contact Orientation of International Students in Japan: Uncertainty Management by Cultural Identification

The lack of exchange between international students and host nationals in Japan has long been a pressing issue, yet very little progress has been made to rectify this situation. This study examined this issue by focusing on how international students in Japan perceive intercultural contact with their host and home culture members during their sojourn. The study applied a qualitative approach based on grounded theory, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 41 international students from China, the UK, and the USA, and tenets of Social Identity Theory and Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory were adopted. We analyzed the data on a framework of how international students manage uncertainty in the Japanese environment by identifying with the host and their own home cultures, which we distinguished as inter-cultural or intra-cultural contact orientation. International students demonstrated an intra-cultural rather than inter-cultural contact orientation due to the host nationals reacting to them as “foreigners.”

International experiences and the development of intercultural sensitivity among university students

International cultural immersion experiences are deemed one of the most effective ways to prepare multicultural and global citizens. The purpose of the study was to determine: (1) first-year and final-year university students’ levels of Intercultural Sensitivity (henceforth IS); (2) if there was a relationship between IS and experiences of intercultural contact; and (3) the variables that might predict the development of IS. A longitudinal method and a correlational-predictive design was used. The sample comprised 1645 (52.5% women and 47.5% men) undergraduate students from 8 public universities and one private university in Andalusia (Spain) with a mean age of 23.29 (SD = 4.99). The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was used to measure IS, and the Intercultural Experiences Inventory (IEI) was administered to explore students' intercultural experiences. Findings highlighted that there is little change in the IDI scores among first-year and final-year students, and most students were found to be in the intermediate stages of intercultural development (the minimization stage according to Bennett’s model, characterized by the widespread belief that everyone is quite similar). The lack of development found in the students’ IS could have something to do with the lack of opportunity to reflect and think about cultural differences. Positive correlations were found between IS and mobility experiences and intercultural friendships, and negative correlations were found with the number of intercultural interactions and language knowledge. Having mobility experiences, being female, and having friends from other cultures were predictive variables of IS. Finally, the educational implications are discussed.

International experiences and the development of intercultural sensitivity among university students

International cultural immersion experiences are deemed one of the most effective ways to prepare multicultural and global citizens. The purpose of the study was to determine: (1) first-year and final-year university students’ levels of Intercultural Sensitivity (henceforth IS); (2) if there was a relationship between IS and experiences of intercultural contact; and (3) the variables that might predict the development of IS. A longitudinal method and a correlational-predictive design was used. The sample comprised 1645 (52.5% women and 47.5% men) undergraduate students from 8 public universities and one private university in Andalusia (Spain) with a mean age of 23.29 (SD = 4.99). The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was used to measure IS, and the Intercultural Experiences Inventory (IEI) was administered to explore students' intercultural experiences. Findings highlighted that there is little change in the IDI scores among first-year and final-year students, and most students were found to be in the intermediate stages of intercultural development (the minimization stage according to Bennett’s model, characterized by the widespread belief that everyone is quite similar). The lack of development found in the students’ IS could have something to do with the lack of opportunity to reflect and think about cultural differences. Positive correlations were found between IS and mobility experiences and intercultural friendships, and negative correlations were found with the number of intercultural interactions and language knowledge. Having mobility experiences, being female, and having friends from other cultures were predictive variables of IS. Finally, the educational implications are discussed.

On Walls, Bridges, and Temporal Folds: Epic, Empire, and Neoclassicism Revisited

This essay focuses on Daniel O’Quinn’s argument that Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s letter book can be read as a “counter-epic.” Comparing O’Quinn’s approach to other influential accounts of the role of epic in eighteenth-century literature, it explores how translations of and allusions to Virgil’s Aeneid shape the ways in which intercultural contact can be represented and understood.

ОСНОВНІ ПРИНЦИПИ ПЕРЕКЛАДУ ТЕКСТІВ ОФІЦІЙНО-ДІЛОВОГО СТИЛЮ

oday, in the age of scientific and technological progress, official business language plays an increasingly important role in human life: exchange of information, business correspondence between enterprises and institutions, Professional contacts of specialists of different countries became an integral part of production, political, scientific and socio-cultural activitiesOfficial-business style is used in the sphere of inter-state official-business relations in the field of politics, economy, culture. It regulates the official-business relations of international organizations, structures, individuals through conventions (international agreements), notes (communications), protocols, memoranda, treaties, declarations, etc. That is, documents with a high level of standardization. Due to the extreme importance of diplomatic discourse for ensuring successful international, intercultural contacts, the problem of equivalence and adequacy of translation of international documents is an urgent research task.

Interdisciplinary Approaches in Concept Based Learning and Teaching English

The period of intensive development of globalization processes in society, including the globalization of the language and the extensive growth of interethnic and intercultural contacts, the role of a foreign language in the modern world is important, since the success of speech communication depends on the ability to use correctly the means of language. This article deals with the role of English in teaching and the high importance of the English language in the modern world. Particularly in the field of professional development of teachers of medical universities, develop the ability to find high-quality data and information about the latest scientific discoveries and research, as well as replenish the stock of knowledge with high-quality information.

Діалектна основа перекладу Михайла Атаманюка німецькомовного роману К.Е. Францоза «Боротьба за право»

The article focuses on the first Ukrainian translation of the novel Ein Kampf um’s Recht by the Austrian writer Karl Emil Francoz of the mid-19th century, which tells about the struggle of Galician peasants - Rusins - for their land. The translation was made in Chernivtsi in 1910 by Mykhailo Atamanyuk, a Ukrainian writer and translator, whose creative legacy has been unfairly overlooked by researchers. Mykhailo Atamanyuk grew up and got education in Austro-Hungary, where he witnessed the interethnic dialogue and intercuLturaL contacts and mastered the local dialect from his childhood. These factors, together with Atamanyuk's consonance with Franzos in the perpception of reality, formed a reliable basis for a high-quality translation into the native language of its heroes. The authors argue that the translation under analysis accurately conveys all the typical features of the local dialect. The article analyses the translation in terms of the dialectal facts on different language levels and identifies phonetic, morphological, lexical, and syntactic dialectal phenomena, typical for the Transnistrian dialect of the Galician-Bukovinian dialects within the South-Western dialect of the Ukrainian language. Basing on the two toponyms mentioned in the novel, the authors determine its linguo-spatial background - Kolomyisky, Tlumatsky, Horodenkivsky, and Snyatinsky districts of Ivano-Frankivsk Region of modern Ukraine, which represent the Transnistrian dialect at the Ukrainian dialect map. These dialects formed the basis of the Western Ukrainian variety of the literary language, which contributed to the popularity of the novel among Ukrainian readers. Thus, for the first time, the dialect basis of Atamanyuk's Ukrainian translation of the novel Ein Kampf um’s Recht by K.E. Franzos has been established.

Russia and Ibero-America: in search of new paradigms of international cultural cooperation

The article is devoted to the problem of international cultural cooperation in the modern era, when the process of intercultural contacts has intensified and, along with traditional forms of interaction, it has become necessary to search for new paradigms. The problem is considered on the example of cultural ties between Russia and Ibero-American countries in the context of growing cultural diversity. The article analyzes the phenomenon of dialogue as the main mechanism of intercultural communication that arose at the early stages of human history, as well as the conditions necessary for its successful implementation. A brief description of the Russian cultural policy is given. Special attention is paid to new models of interaction, among which the main place belongs to the «cross years of culture». The important role of cooperation in the context of virtual space, contributing to the expansion and deepening of cultural ties between Russia and the Ibero-American states, is emphasized.

A Failed Acculturation-by-Naturalisation Experiment. The néo-français in Tunisia under the French Protectorate

This article addresses the issues of intercultural contacts and presents historical experiences that relate to contemporary phenomena of the increased flow of migration. The relationship between acculturation and naturalisation and the concepts of integration of colonial peoples with France during the Third French Republic and the colonial empire have been examined. These concepts assumed integration through acculturation and assimilation, and the instrument conducive to this process was to be naturalisation. The article refers to archival material and explores individual cases of naturalisation in Tunisia during the period of the French protectorate. The documents prove that the act of naturalisation itself did not lead to greater acculturation. The main obstacle to acculturation expected by the French authorities was the constant identification of naturalised indigènes with native culture through socialization with the native environment.

ШВЕДСЬКА СПІЛЬНОТА У НАЦІОНАЛЬНОМУ НАРАТИВІ: СПІЛЬНА СПАДЩИНА ТА КУЛЬТУРНА ПАМ’ЯТЬ

The article is devoted to the problem of actualizing the role of historical heritage and cultural memory of the Swedish community of Kherson region in the national narrative of Ukraine. The study is based on the analysis of modern Swedish English and Ukrainian historiography, application of interdisciplinary discourse and methodological approaches to colonial studies, micro-history, cultural memory and identity studies. It aimed to clarify the factors determining sociocultural processes of adaptation and preservation of Swedish colonists’ identity during the long period of their settlement in the south of Ukraine and later reintegration into Swedish society. As a result of scientific analysis, the cornerstones of the historical past of the Swedish colonists are reproduced. The cultural heritage and identity of the Swedes after migrating to the Russian Empire underwent significant changes and evolution in a specific natural and social environment. Changes in political regimes and historical events in the late XVIII–XX centuries. had a direct impact on the processes of self-identification of Swedish colonists. At the same time, the ability of Old Swedes to maintain contact with their homeland helped to preserve their identity, cultural and mental characteristics, which enabled them to return to their homeland and reintegrate into Swedish society. The article presents forms of preservation and presentation of the cultural memory of the Swedish community in modern public discourse. One of the important channels of modern cultural communication and popularization of the historical heritage of the Swedish community is its presentation in museum expositions and places of remembrance in Ukraine and Sweden. The European dimension gives special relevance to the research topic. The image of the village and the preservation of the identity of the Swedish community have been significantly influenced by its constant contacts with Sweden and the Swedes of Finland in the past and present. Visit of the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia of village Zmiivka in Ukraine in 2008 and the meeting with the descendants of the Old Swedes became the object of great attention of the wide public discourse in Ukraine and Sweden. It contributes to the strengthening and development of intercultural contacts and relations. My visit Roma in Gotland, Sweden in the framework of the European educational program in autumn of 2021, personal acquaintance with the museum exposition of Svenskbygården about the fate of Swedish colonists in Ukraine, direct communication with their descendants, contributed to the the research. Therefore, the article has a direct entry into the plane of public history.

The perception and attitude towards cultural differences and the effects they have on hospitality and tourism industry

The decision of an organization to be active in the field of hospitality and tourism should include correct perceptions and attitudes that are related to the diversity of people both individually and through the examination of the social culture in which they live. The consequences of a positive social change include the ability to identify benefits for both the organization and its employees (Nwankpa, Ijomah, Gachagan, & Marshall, 2018). The understanding and respecting of cultural differences have significant effects in achieving the goals of an organization that is operating in the hospitality and tourism industry. As tourism is the main source of intercultural contacts, any cultural differences can effect on staff dealing with current and future challenges of tourism in the country (Miličević, Mihalič, & Sever, 2017). The purpose of this article is to present the design and methodology that has been used to examine this topic, and describe the findings and implications of the results in order to support the organizations and their staff employed in the hospitality and tourism industry, and therefore, regarding the perceptions and attitudes towards cultural differences and the effects they have on tourists as human beings. The article presents a real empirical study of research related to the local industry in the Republic of Cyprus

The intercultural encounter as a communicative event subject to mediation

The aim of this article is to discuss the place and role of the intercultural encounter (IE) in communication and education, including in foreign language teaching. Firstly, I present the IE as a communicative event and define it using terms developed by ethnographers of speech (communication). Secondly, I discuss the concepts contained in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Companion Volume with New Descriptors (CEFR 2018) relating to the mediation of text, concepts, and communication, and present the original definition of mediation in intercultural contacts. That section emphasises that mediation does not only act as an intermediary facilitating the course of a communication event but also as an “understanding interview with oneself.” Next, I discuss theoretical concepts related to the IE, I describe it as a tool used in teaching and intercultural education, and I present a description of the IE by a student of the Teaching Polish as a Foreign/Second Language course at the University of Lodz. Finally, I analyse an example description of an IE and present preliminary conclusions on how to use IE descriptions in various educational contexts.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AS A COMPONENT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF TOURISM SPECIALISTS

Objective. The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of intercultural communication in the field of tourism education, to the formation of skills of intercultural contacts and types of intercultural interaction as components of professional training of tourism specialists. It is substantiated the necessity of a systematic approach to the problem of organization of intercultural communication in the process of professional training of specialists in the field of tourism through the development and implementation of structural and functional model of intercultural communication activities. Methods. To achieve this goal, a set of theoretical and empirical methods is used to determine that the field of tourism is a means of enriching cultures and a form of intercultural contacts. The main methods of researching the essence of the content of intercultural communication of professional training of tourism specialists were: abstract-logical method — in determining the main problematic issues of communication activities in the process of professional training of tourism specialists; modeling method — in the development of structural and functional model of intercultural communication activities, determining its multifaceted and multidimensional. Results. In the context of the study, the essence of the concepts of «intercultural interaction» and «intercultural competence» is defined and clarified, the forms and types of the intercultural communication activities as integrative components of tourism education are analyzed. The article considers the conceptual interpretation of tourism as a dialogical form of interaction of cultures, reveals the role of intercultural communication in tourism, identifies intercultural communication as the main condition and priority principle of professional training in tourism. The purpose of the study is to identify innovative aspects of intercultural communication and develop ways to implement them in the training of tourism specialists. The authors clarify the concept of «intercultural interaction», give the author’s definition of intercultural communication competence of tourism specialists as an integrated personal entity that reflects readiness for intercultural interaction, active participation in various forms of intercultural contacts. It is determined that intercultural communication, introduction of new forms and types of communication on the basis of the formed skills of intercultural contacts in the process of effective communication should become a priority in the process of professional training of specialists in the field of tourism. The authors have developed a structural and functional model of intercultural communication activities. The structural components of the model and their contents are determined.

Intercultural Competence Development Through Cocurricular and Extracurricular At-Home Programs in Japan

The rapid development of international education has occurred alongside a growing demand for higher education institutions to educate globally competent graduates. Yet, mobility remains a distant opportunity for most students, and Japanese undergraduate students often cite financial, safety, and job-hunting concerns as obstacles to studying abroad. Internationalisation-at-home has emerged as a viable alternative to mobility in Japan through government-funded internationalisation programs. This article will discuss the impact of cocurricular and extracurricular programs on the development of intercultural competence among 164 first-year Japanese students at two Top Global universities in Japan. Results from a one-year longitudinal, mixed methods study reveal that while formal programs positively affect intercultural competence development, informal intercultural contact on campus negatively affects students’ intercultural attitudes. Findings also indicate that student perceptions of intercultural competence at the pre-intervention stage affect engagement with intercultural opportunities on campus, suggesting the importance of introducing interventions prior to higher education.

Innovative Trends in the System of Language Education in the XXIst Century

The article analyzes the problem associated with the quality improvement of professional training of foreign language teachers in the conditions of digitalization of Language Education. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to train competitive specialists in the field of intercultural contacts who are fluent in their profession at the level of international standards. The quality and level of foreign language training in higher education are determined by the teaching staff, who are the carriers of the ideology of updating language education. Today, the digitalization of language education has brought the foreign language training of students to a qualitatively new level, which allows not only to raise the culture of teaching foreign languages, but also to ensure the development and social adaptation of the student, and contributes to the formation of an appropriate environment for social and personal development. The quality improvement of foreign language training in higher education presupposes both the widespread use of digital teaching technologies and the mandatory consideration of the general patterns of the personality formation and individual characteristics of students, as well as the development of each student’s abilities and interests. The formation of creative thinking, flexibility, initiative and versatility, the ability to quickly respond to changes, as well as creative search in solving professional problems are especially relevant in the education and training of foreign language teachers. The article examines significant innovative trends in the system of higher education, which make it possible to train a competitive specialist who becomes the main indicator of the quality of university education.

Реализация в английской грамматике культурного контекста как одного из параметров межкультурной коммуникации

The current trends of globalization and active intercultural contacts reveal practical importance of developing awareness in the issue of correlation of language and culture. The article studies the linguistic side thereof, namely, manifestation of cultural dimensions (cultural context) in the language structure, which can contribute to more conscious study of the language, on the one hand, and to implementation of intercultural communication practices on the other, as correlation between structural (grammar) phenomena and cultural dimensions could make it possible to create a cultural portrait of a nation basing on the linguistic data.

The Phenomenon of “Multiple Identity” in Modern Kyrgyz Society

The article considers political processes in the Kyrgyz Republic through the prism of complexly structured identity and historical memory of the Kyrgyz people. Manifestations of retraditionalization of the Kyrgyz social organization are considered as an inevitable consequence of disengagement from the Union center’s control. The author emphasizes multilayered and segmented character of the Kyrgyz political culture that integrates traditionalism and modernization. The formation of multiple identity is characterized as a consequence of objective processes of reformatting the social environment as a result of technological innovations, intensification of intercultural and intercivilizational contacts, increasing mobility of the population. The article shows the fundamental role of the folk epic Manas in formation of national identity with the dominant tendency to strengthen the position of Islam in the multi-layered and syncretic religious practice of the Kyrgyz. The influence of tribal and clan self-identification on the political processes in the country is considered. There are factors that led to differences in the self-identification of urban and rural strata, as well as the Kyrgyz "North" and "South" of the country. The processes of ethno-cultural sovereignization of the titular ethnos, as well as other national groups of Kyrgyzstan are considered. The evolution of the state policy regarding the formation of a common civil identity in Kyrgyzstan, which provided for the implementation of the local version of multiculturalism, involving the protection of the ethno-cultural identity of national minorities, is shown.