Transcultural Communication Research Articles

Couchsurfing as a virtual hospitality network and a type of sustainable youth tourism

The modern tourism diversity coursed by the emergence of its new varieties is sure to evolve with a view to the goals of sustainable future. The article is dedicated to couchsurfing, a kind of sustainable youth tourism, a global hospitality network, as an online service used for transcultural communication of tourists through the organization of various assistance during joint travel. It helps meet tourists’ recreational needs and travelling at no charge. The article considers the organizational structure of couchsurfing as a network managed by regional units. The authors identify the factors that influence the development of this type of tourism (globalization of the world economy, the development of the Internet, the growth of human wellbeing, democratization of society and etc.). They offer a comprehensive classification of types of couchsurfing by several criteria (age of tourists, number of participants, purpose of the trip and direction, length of stay, intensity of tourist flow). The regional peculiarities of the couchsurfing development are identified, and the regions with high (Europe, Anglo-American, Australia and New Zealand), middle (Asia and Latin America) and low levels of its development (Africa, Oceania and Central America) are distinguished. The map material illustrating the spread of couchsurfing around the world is created.

Карта-і-територія сучасної геопоетики: джерела і художня практика

The purpose of this article is an attempt to outline the specifics of artistic mapping in contemporary literature through conceptualization to understand the „map” and territory "in the context of geopoietics studios. Philosophical and cultural works, which supplement the theoretical and methodological base of geopoetics, were chosen as the methodological basis for the research. Metaphor „A map is not the territory” (Alfred Korzybski) serves to explain the representation of the world, the description of reality. Artistic expictations of cartography are considered on the material of the works „Voroshilovgrad” by Sergey Zhadan, „The Map and the Territory” by Michel Welbeck, „Certain Judgments about Byzantium” by Velimir Churgus Kazimir. This article analyzes the problem of reality and literature interrelation and the problem of man and landscape relations. It is memory and place through the landscape that allow to connect local, ethnic and global aspects into a single whole. Cultural and civilization projections, map and territory designs are perceived in modern humanities as a manifestation of struggle and mutual overlay of „tree” and „root” cultures. The research of the transcultural communications in the artistic space, allows to define modern aesthetics as the universalistic functions. Local space and limited geo-cultural landscape inspires individual mythology of modern writers. In modern fiction we often observe incorporation of historical facts, fragments of pseudo-documents, description of real landscapes and maps of invented territories into the text.

Transcultural Linguo-Conceptual Model of Globalization in a Regional Context

The article proposes the approval of the term ‘transcultural’ purposiveness in the terminological definition ‘transcultural linguoconceptual globalization outline (construct)’. This terminological definition refers to the linguocultural socio-emergent formed in the conditions of multilingualism and multiculturalism (in particular Pridnestrovian region). The characteristic of this outline (construct) is presented, the main ways of its description are outlined; some methodological conditions for its analysis are indicated. The terminological difference between the terms ‘intercultural’, ‘cross-cultural’ and ‘transcultural’ reflects the direction of the millennium globalization processes. This difference is determined by the terminological specificity of those scientific knowledge spheres in which these terms are using as a general thing. Despite this, the author shows that the essence of globalization processes can be expressed through the construction of the regional (we mean the multilingual and multicultural regions) transcultural theoretical outline from the linguoconceptual point of view. This is possible if cognitivediscursive patterning operates. When describing the aimed transcultural linguoconceptual outline (construct), the author proposes to point up the interpretation of transculturation as a process of cultural convergence and confluence and an opposite one to ‘acculturation’ or ‘enculturation’. It has an assume prominence in assessing the suggested outline’s effectiveness in a pragmatic measurement and can point the cognitive-discursive sphere’s problem issues. A particular question relating to the issue of a pragmatic estimate of this outline implementation - the appraisal of the second and subsequent languages acquisition by aboriginal persons of multilingual regions - is considered to exemplify this thesis. The author notes that the functional-pragmatic and cognitive-communicative approaches came out of the linguistics anthropocentric paradigm. These approaches are in contrast to ethnic-oriented one. They accentuate the functioning of the language and configures itself as an instrument for transcultural communication in the transcultural world. These approaches allow bilingual to be an active participant in the intercultural communication and socialization.

A Contrastive Analysis of Chinese Humor and English Humor in Intercultural Communication

Humor plays an important role in daily life and also quite useful in interpersonal communication. Nowadays, the cross-cultural communication between the English-speaking countries and China becomes more and more frequent while some humor is difficult to appreciate with diverse cultural backgrounds. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing the Chinese and English humor from their similarities, like the use of ambiguity and figure of speech, as well as differences, especially in functions, topics and ways of expression. Related causes are further discussed the differences. Hopefully, the findings will help to reduce the obstacles in understanding humor in different culture and promote transcultural communication in a delightful manner.

Challenges and Strategies in the Translation of News Headlines: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

As the essence of news, headline is deemed as the summary of a news article, hence it should be highly refined and its importance is self-evident. Influenced by the differences between Chinese and Western culture, headline translation should not be taken as a mere conversion between different languages, instead, it is a way through which the two culture interact. Therefore, excellent translation of a headline may receive favorable response from general readership; it might even be more useful than the article itself. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the influence on headline incurred by cultural differences between China and the West before putting forward constructive translation strategies for news headlines, doing so allows us to discover the hidden message in a headline and build accurate and effective transcultural communication.

‘트랜스 컬쳐럴 커뮤니케이션(Trans-cultural Communication)’의 脈絡(context)에서 考察한 간다라 藝術의 東亞細亞 傳播 硏究

인도 아대륙(Indian subcontinent)의 현 파키스탄에서 기원한 간다라 예술은 쿠샨왕조(Kushan Dynasty) 시대 그리스 문화의 영향을 받아 태동한 예술이다. 그 후, 불교 조상 예술 및 문화는 불경과 불교 전파의 흐름을 따라 북동쪽으로 전파 되었다. 이는 실크로드를 따라 중국 서역으로 전파 된 후, 당나라 수도 장안을 거쳐, 한반도 및 일본으로 이어졌다. 간다라 예술의 문화 간 전파는 세계에서 가장 영향력 있다고 할 수 있는 세계 4대 ‘문화’(중국 문화, 인도 문화, 페르시아-아랍 문화 및 유럽 문화)를 융합하는 과정이다. 통상적으로 현 학계에서는 ‘ 크로스 컬처럴 커뮤니케이션(Cross-cultural Communication’ 혹은 ‘ 인터 컬처럴 커뮤니케이션(Inter-cultural Communication)’의 개념으로 관련 문화 전파 현상을 이해하려 한다. 하지만 문화 지리적 관점에서 보면, 간다라 지역은 인도, 중앙아시아, 서아시아, 지중해를 잇는 지역으로, 역사적으로 여러 민족, 정권의 분쟁이 끊이지 않았으며, 다양한 민족, 문화, 신앙 등이 이 지역을 거쳐갔다. 지역성 특성으로 인하여, 간다라 예술은 여러 문화의 심미적 이념, 예술적 관점 및 표현 방법 등을 충분히 흡수 할 수 있었고, 역사적 발전 과정에서 여러 나라, 시대, 왕조를 거치며, 근본적 변화를 경험했다. 예를 들어, 간다라 예술의 기원지인 인도, 파키스탄은 오늘날 힌두교, 이슬람 교가 주를 이루는 나라가 되었고, 중국의 新疆 지역 또한 무슬림 거주지역으로 변모했다. 한반도에서는 유교, 불교 등이 서로 공존하며 다원적 문화 경관을 이뤘으며, 불교, 기독교, 천주교 등이 주를 이루는 국가 가운데 하나가 되었다. 본 연구는 파키스탄 페샤와르(Peshawar) 지역의 불상 유적, 중국의 雲崗石窟, 한국 석굴암에 반영된 간다라 예술의 문화 간 전파 과정에 대한 고찰을 통해, 간다라 예술이 여러 지역, 여러 문화로 전파되는 과정에서 나타나는 다원적 ‘문화 혼종성(Cultural hybridity)’ 및 ‘문화 융합(Cultural integration)’의 생태계 경관을 분석 한다.BR 간다라 예술의 동아시아 전파 과정에서 나타나는 문화 혼종 현상은 ‘트랜스 컬쳐럴 커뮤니케이션(Transcultural Communication)’의 연구 패러다임에서 고찰하는 것이 바람직하며, 이로써 ‘문명의 융합’ 및 ‘종교 간 충돌’이라는 역사적 배경에서 적절한 분석이 가능하다. 인도 아대륙의 파키스탄에서 기원한 간다라 예술이 한반도를 거쳐, 세계적 범위에서 수용되고, 각기 다른 민족 문화를 거쳐 최종적으로 매우 특색 있고 심오한 조형 예술 문화가 형성되는 기나긴 과정에서 독특하면서도 보편성을 가진 문화 전파 및 역사 과정을 분석해 본다.

‘트랜스 컬쳐럴 커뮤니케이션(Trans-cultural Communication)’의 脈絡(context)에서 考察한 간다라 藝術의 東亞細亞 傳播 硏究

犍陀罗艺术发源于南亚次大陆, 贵霜帝国时期, 在希腊文化的影响下该地区诞生了可能是世界上第一尊真正意义上的单体佛陀造像, 这种佛教造像艺术和文化随着佛经和佛教的向北再向东传播, 沿着丝绸之路进入了中国西域, 最终到达了盛唐首都长安, 并从此传向日本与韩国。 犍陀罗艺术的传播历史进程汇聚了具有深远影响的四大“ 文化体系” 即中国文化体系、 印度文化体系、波斯-阿拉伯伊斯兰文化体系以及欧洲文化体系。 通常学界惯用 “跨文化传播(Cross-cultural Communication)” 或者 “文化间传播(Inter-cultural Communication)” 的理念去解释一些文化传播现象, 但仅从文化地理学的角度看, 犍陀罗地区连接印度与中亚、 西亚和地中海世界, 在历史上一直是各个民族和政权的争夺之地, 也因为不同政权、 民族、 文化、 信仰的轮流盘占, 使犍陀罗艺术充分吸收了不同的文化内涵、 美学理念、 艺术规则和表现技法等, 而且在历史发展中不同国家的不同朝代也都发生了许多根本性的变化, 如犍陀罗起源地印度、巴基斯坦如今已经是印度教、 伊斯兰教为主流的国家, 接壤的中国新疆也已成为穆斯林聚居区, 朝鲜半岛也形成了儒、 佛等并存的多元文化景观, 佛教、 基督新教、 天主教等都是主流宗教之一。 通过考察巴基斯坦白沙瓦地区的佛像遗迹以及中国云冈石窟与韩国石窟庵各自的犍陀罗艺术文化传播历史, 可以总结出犍陀罗艺术在不同文化、 不同地域、 不同人群的传播进程中所呈现出多元文化杂糅 (Hybridity)或者融合(Integration)的生态景观。 而犍陀罗艺术在东传历史进程中所表现出的文化杂糅现象应当借用 “转文化传播(Trans-cultural Communication)” 的研究范式去考察, 也只有在转文化传播的语境下, 才能更合理地解释在文明的融合与宗教的冲突的历史背景下, 犍陀罗艺术从巴基斯坦传入朝鲜半岛乃至世界范围被广泛接受并植根于不同民族文化中, 最终形成各具特色的、 精湛的造型艺术文化这一既独特又具有通性的文化传播实践和历史进程。

Transcultural communication: language, communication and culture through English as a lingua franca in a social network community

ABSTRACTSNS (Social Networking Sites) are a ubiquitous social space for many, often involving the use of English as a lingua franca in highly multilingual and multicultural settings. This article presents an ethnographic investigation of communication among a group of international students on a popular SNS. The data illustrates the fluid and complex linguistic and cultural practices present in these social spaces. This has important implications for understanding intercultural communication; in particular, we argue that a transcultural perspective provides a significant new dimension to research in which borders between languages, communities and cultures are transcended, transgressed and transformed.

A portal to transnational communication: problematizing identity politics in Ha Jin’s A Map of Betrayal

ABSTRACT Based on the real story of Larry Wu-Tai Chin, the alleged spy who purloined information while working for the CIA and sold classified documents to China, A Map of Betrayal problematises the monophonic dominance of keywords of national identity. As the two interspersing narratives of the spy Gary and his daughter Lilian complicate the double life of a spy and an immigrant, this novel investigates the contradictions of patriotism as religion or rationality, citizenship as empowerment or restriction, and the motherland as the initiating point of entrenchment or activism. At the core of the paradox is a challenge to the possibility of transnational and transcultural communication between China and the United States. This paper reads the duality of loyalty and betrayal that encapsulates the US–China relationship in the heat of the Cold War. While A Map of Betrayal functions as a proxy to reflect the Sino-American relationship during and after the Cold War, discussions of identity politics would be incomplete without examining the mobility of transnationality and the flexibility of belonging in their rightful position at the gateway between two countries. Gary and Lilian’s positions as portals that facilitate transcultural and transnational communication are not only essential to inquiries into loyalty, citizenship and patriotism, but are also helpful in clarifying similar concerns in Asian-American studies.

Transculturality as a Modern Theoretic Concept in an Interdisciplinary Academic Space

The purpose of the article is to analyze the trends in the use of the concept of transculturality existing in the global scientific discourse and to identify the main directions of development of this concept. Methodology. An evolutionary analysis of the formation of the three main approaches in the analysis of transculturality provides a practical test of the intermediate results in specific historical examples. System analysis will show the regularity and necessity of studying the evolution of transcultural systems, taking into account their dynamics from the perspective of the future. Results. Drawing on a comparative approach, the author identifies three main areas of development of the concept of transculturality in contemporary scientific discourse. The first one continues the tradition of classical German philosophy of culture. The second area of transculturality studies is related to the ideological disputes of neoliberals and postcolonialists. The third area of research is purely practical, helping to solve the problems of transcultural communications in the field of business. Originality. For the first time, three different approaches to the study of transcultural phenomena are identified and analyzed, and their methodological and ideological differences are proposed. Practical meaning. The information contained in this work can be used to further research and development of methodological material for new courses of lectures and seminars on cultural philosophy and methodology for studying contemporary transcultural processes.

Pendekatan Fenomenologi Dalam Komunikasi Antaragama

This paper will research the phenomenological approach in interfaith communication. The great development of communication media in this global era remains a classic problem of communication, that is an interfaith and interreligion communication. The strength globalization’s flow which is destroying every borders between nations, regions and cultures, unfortunately, is not strong enough to destroy one solid wall, the border of religion and faith’s differences. That problem becomes bigger and more complicated when the borders of religions and faiths create an unhealthy and unsmooth communication among people, as individual or communal. A lot of religious sentiments and communal violences based on religious view’s differences and misunderstanding among faiths – which is happen from centuries ago - take place for the umpteenth time in many cities in Indonesia dan many countries in another hemisphere. Phenomenological approach is a theoretical perspective based on concept “back to the things themselves”. In other words, this study is a structural consciousness that allows those consciousness to discover and understanding the objects outside of it. In Husserl’s phenomenology, he made an epoche and eidetic vision as starting point of this perspective. Both of that concepts are a main and basic concept which is needed in interfaith communication to postponing judgement and looking with their own believer’s perspective. This approach is radically needed to smooth out the interfaith communication. This approach also allows the transcultural communication and identity transformation from one religion’s followers to another to reach a mutual agreement and decrease religious sentiments which are born from subjectivity of one religion’s followers in judging another religions and their followers.Keywords: Phenomenology, epoche, interfaith communication, cross-cultural communication

Literatur als Kultursensibilisierung? Zur Arbeit mit literarischen Texten im interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht

The development of intercultural understanding and the ability of transcultural communication have become one of the key concepts of foreign language teaching. A necessary precondition of such a complex concept is, of course, the comparison of native and foreign reality that is often only displayed in the form of stereotyped behaviour patterns in textbook dialogues. In teaching foreign literature, however, a literary text can be a suitable means for students to become more aware of the foreign culture by observing and analysing it from an intercultural perspective. This article will therefore emphasize the validity of literary texts for preparing students for not only linguistic but also cultural experience. Thus the author will present current conceptions on the role of literature in foreign language teaching, examine specific criteria of the literary text choice for foreign language teaching purposes and provide an overview of current methodological trends for working with such texts.

Translingual Practice and Transcultural Connections in Assia Djebar’sLa Femme sans sépulture

AbstractLa Femme sans sépultureis one of Djebar’s recent publications which carries on with the author’s self-proclaimed project of recreating an Arabo-Berber past in a French text. The recreation process is achieved through writing in French, which is invaded by Algerian women’s oral voices. In this article, I will argue that French and Algerian oral languages – Arabic and Berber – mutually influence each other, allowing the emergence of new linguistic structures. This is evidenced in the text by the use of free indirect discourse which allows the oral to modify French while being modified by it. Relying on Suresh Canagarajah’s studies on cross-language relations, the mutual relations between Algerian orality and French are interpreted as translingual practices aimed to promote transcultural communication.

Everyday negotiations of belonging - making Mexican masks together with unaccompanied minors in Finland

ABSTRACTIn this paper we discuss how art workshops can be used to examine dimensions of belonging. We draw on our findings of collaborative ethnographic fieldwork with unaccompanied refugee minors in Finland. The practical aim of the art project was to offer a platform for transcultural communication and interaction, and to support mutual understanding and solidarity among the refugee minors and Finnish pupils. The collaborative ethnographic approach gave us an opportunity to meet the young people through working together and be equally active members of the group sharing the same classroom. Theoretically we aim to enlarge the understanding of the sense of belonging and the role of the subjective agency of the unaccompanied minors, including everyday participation. We highlight the practices through which the minors can be supported in an embracing manner in their everyday lives in new host societies.

Cultural and stress-related manifestations of political controversial language in the European Parliament from the view of interpreters

Abstract Translation and interpreting are not only linguistic activities, but also to a large extent primarily activities of cultural transfer. Transcultural communication displays complexity, diversity and readiness for conflict in communicative interaction, so the interpreter/translator, as an intercultural mediator, is assigned a special communicative role in this regard. This article examines how interpreters at the European Parliament deal with controversial language rendering evaluative components of political statements as well as whether there is a rise in stress-related disfluencies in the interpretation of such statements and whether intonation (dis)similarities between the source text and the interpretations occur in the context of cultural and lexical know-how. Seven excerpts from four sessions of the European Parliament in the last six years and their interpretations into Croatian, Slovene, English, French and German were analysed from the point of view of stress and culture. Deviations in pitch and intensity levels of both the speaker and the interpreters were calculated and statistically compared in the light of differing cultural know-how. The intonation results for these interpreting examples showed that all the interpreters followed the speaker’s pitch deviations to a certain extent. Analysis of politically-controversial statements also revealed that more than 80% of the interpretations selected contained stress-related disfluencies and almost 70% contained some form of discrepancy with the source text at a lexical level. The interpretations therefore largely contained fewer negative evaluative components of controversial language than the speakers in the European Parliament.

KOMUNIKASI TRANSBUDAYA PONDOK PESANTREN: KAJIAN TEORETIS DALAM PARADIGMA KONSTRUKTIVIS

An intercultural communication that occurs in a boarding school (pesantren) environment is a unique phenomenon. A number of pesantrens in Indonesia apply a pattern of multicultural education. Therefore, their students (santri) understand different culture of students who come from different cultural background. Through literature review and theoretical studies in constructivist paradigm, it can reveal a number of interesting scientific realities about transcultural communication of boarding schools in Indonesia. First, the students of different cultures understand each other and they make friends well during their study at the pesantren. Secondly, kyai has a strong influence in conveying messages of intercultural communication among santri by using pesantren symbols. Third, pesantren cultivation develops multicultural education based on Islamic teachings that understand plurality in human relations. Fourth, the boarding school environment can communicate a multicultural communication message through pesantren network, both national and international so they can build the spirit of togetherness in the diversity.

Language diversity in a Mediterranean mediascape

The article analyses a particular form of linguistic and cultural diversity performed in two radio magazines, Kantara and Mediterradio, produced as part of transnational media cooperation in the Mediterranean region. The analysis focuses on the interplay between language, discourse and journalistic practices, rooted in a specific journalistic and civic culture that aims at constructing a shared public sphere in opposition to mainstream media reports about the Mediterranean. The results demonstrate a particular polycentrism and mobility of media production, observable in language, discourse and journalistic features, in which localities traditionally considered “at the periphery” of global media flows, such as the Western Mediterranean islands Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, constitute crucial points. The article approaches the resulting multilayered transculturality by grasping the specific culture inspiring the work of the network, and the multiple identities related to it. To this aim, a transdisciplinary approach integrating sociolinguistics, discourse, media and cultural studies with a specific focus on mediatized transcultural communication is developed.

On the concept of figurations, deep mediatization, and the adulthood of media and communication studies – the interview with Andreas Hepp

<p>Andreas Hepp is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at ZeMKI, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research at theUniversityofBremen. Mediatization research is among his various research interests that generally include media and communication theory, media sociology, and transcultural communication. Theoretical and empirical studies on mediatization processes are also among the leading subjects in the academic work of ZeMKI.</p><p>Andreas Hepp is the author of several publications on the subject of mediatization, including his latest book <em>The Mediated Construction of Reality</em> written with Nick Couldry of the Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science. In <em>The Mediated Construction of Reality, </em>Couldry and Hepp revisit the question of how the social world is constructed, originally asked by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann (1966), and provide the reader with their own original answer, acknowledging the complex and irreducible contribution of digital media to the process. The editorial staff of <em>Mediatization Studies </em>reckons Andreas Hepp as one of the leading academics in the field of mediatization research and his and Couldry’s book as one of the most interesting and up-to-date accounts on the issue. This is why we decided to present it via this interview.</p>The interview was conducted during the <em>Communicative Figurations</em> international conference in Bremen (December 7-9, 2016), which focused on transforming communications in times of deep mediatization. Couldry and Hepp’s book had its official presentation during the conference.

Digital Culture in Hong Kong Canadian Communities: Literary Analysis of Yi Shu's Fiction

Digital culture generates paradoxical implications in contemporary Hong Kong Canadian communities: it facilitates Chinese Canadians’ transnational and transcultural communication through social media, electronic devices, and travelling across oceans and continents; meanwhile, it creates the risk of alienation due to the users’ over-reliance on technology in communication. Its social influences depend on the choices the users make and the benefits they derive from it. This paper explores the contributions of digital culture to the mobility and diversity of Hong Kong Canadian communities through transnational connection, virtual communities, and cultural innovations, as depicted in Yi Shu's...novels Zongheng sihai (Crossing the Oceans, 1995), Hongchen (Red Dust, 1995), Xian yangguang congpei (The Sunny West Coast, 1988), and Shaonian bu chou (The Youth Have No Worries, 2009).

Translating the Three Kingdoms Cultural Attractions in Jingzhou and Xiangyang: Problems and Solutions

<em>With the rapid development of globalization, the trans-cultural communication has become more and more frequent. Tourism has become more popular with people as one of the ways in trans-cultural communication. In travelling, people cannot only spread their own culture, but also study other cultures. However, it is the transnational tourism that makes all kinds of languages encounter and gives rise to the differences among these languages. Thus, translation is one important way to solve this problem. As one of the ways in trans-cultural communication, tourism translation has its vital function. Therefore, a number of researches have been done by many famous experts and scholars. However, my literature search indicates that the researches about tourism translation abroad are relatively few, even though there are many at home. As far as China as a whole is concerned, Hubei Province boasts rich and abundant cultural relics. The cultural resources of Hubei Province are heterogeneous yet diversified, including Chu culture, Three Kingdoms culture, “Red Culture” related to the revolution under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and so on. Most cities, towns and villages in Hubei Province are endowed with these cultural resources among which the Three Kingdoms culture is one of the main cultural resources in the province. The Three Kingdoms cultural tourism is concentrated in the cities of Jingzhou and Xiangyang where there are currently many problems with the translations of the scenic areas or spots. This paper firstly discusses the significant role of the Three Kingdoms culture in the construction and development of cultural tourism in Hubei Province. Then, referring to the present translation situation in the Three Kingdoms cultural attractions in Jingzhou City and Xiangyang City, it analyzes the problems existing in the Three Kingdoms cultural tourism translation in Hubei Province. According to the analysis, it puts forward the countermeasures, strategies, methods and principles to solve the problems.</em>