Tóm tắt

By choice of topics, organization, and balance of theory and example, this introduction to intercultural communication is an innovative, practical, and fascinating book. Because its emphasis is on communication, and not on all facets of culture, the intro- duction, Chapter One, surveys selected principles of interper- sonal communication. It not only provides common ground for a potentially diverse readership, but it makes even familiar con- cepts seem fresh as they are viewed in their application across cultures. Chapter Two, in which the authors present a series of cases drawn from actual intercultural encounters, sets the tone for the remaining chapters of the book. Its overall purpose is to make the reader aware of some of his own culture-bound as- sumptions and some of his own difficulties in knowing what other people might be thinking, as well as what he might or might not do in simple but unfamiliar situations. Chapters Three, Four, and Five form the core of the book: an introduction to the concepts of values and value orientations, followed by a study on value orientation and cultural beliefs. Often the relationship to communication is left implicit, but never far from the surface. The reader should emerge from these chapters with a far clearer sensitivity to the cultural roots of his own behavior, as well as a sensitivity to the richness and variety of alternative values and assumptions of persons in other societies. These chapters are impressive not only for the wealth of insights drawn together, but because they leave the reader with a means of interpreting other cultures not specifically referred to in the chapters. Thus, most valuable here is the per- spective and framework for further analysis.