Intercultural alternatives : critical perspectives on intercultural encounters in theory and practice Upplaga 1

Interculturality and intercultural communication are concepts that have gained increasing currency in recent decades within a variety of fields including business and management, translation studies, education, development aid, religion, philosophy and interethnic relations. In the business world especially, the subject has generated a vast amount of literature, ranging from pocket handbooks of business behaviour to large-scale research projects that seek to 'plot' national cultural differences in a systematic way. This book offers a selection of alternative approaches to the question of interculturality written from a range of theoretical perspectives including hermeneutics, phenomenology, semiotics, dialogic philosophy and social constructivism. It is intended as a source of critical ways of thinking and theorising about interculturality rather than as a 'quick fix' guide to getting around problems that can arise in intercultural encounters. Topics addressed in the book include: the construction, representation and commodification of the cultural other, the management of cultural difference, notions of the exotic and intercultural ethics. The contributions draw on case studies from France, Japan, Germany and Latin America. The book is intended for use by university students, scholars and others who engage with intercultural communication in their work.