An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global Community

by Fred E. Jandt

Overview

An Introduction to Intercultural Communication equips students with the knowledge and skills to be competent and confident intercultural communicators. Best-selling author Fred E. Jandt guides readers through key concepts and helps them connect intercultural competence to their own life experiences in order to enhance understanding. Employing his signature accessible writing style, Jandt presents balanced, up-to-date content in a way that readers find interesting and thought-provoking. The Tenth Edition gives increased attention to contemporary social issues in today’s global community such as gender identifications, social class identity, and immigration and refugees.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544383866
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/10/2020
Edition description:	Tenth Edition
Pages:	520
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Fred E. Jandt was born of second-generation German immigrants in the multicultural south-central region of Texas. After graduating from Texas Lutheran University and Stephen F. Austin State University, he received his doctorate in communication from Bowling Green State University. He has taught and been a student of intercultural communication for more than 4 decades, developing his experience through travel and international training and research projects. While professor of communication at The College at Brockport, State University of New York, his reputation as a teacher led to his appointment as SUNY's first director of faculty development. He has retired as professor and branch campus dean after having been named outstanding professor. He has also been a visiting professor at Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand. He has extensive experience in the areas of intercultural and international communication, negotiation, mediation, and conflict management. He was one of the first scholars to introduce the study of conflict to the communication discipline with his text Conflict Resolution Through Communication (Harper & Row, 1973). He has subsequently published many other titles in this area, including the successful trade book Win-Win Negotiating: Turning Conflict Into Agreement (Wiley, 1985), which has been translated into eight languages; a casebook on international conflict management, Constructive Conflict Management: Asia-Pacific Cases (SAGE, 1996), with Paul B. Pedersen; Conflict and Communication, Third Edition(Cognella, 2025); and Negotiation and Mediation (Cognella, 2025). For several years, he conducted the training workshop “Managing Conflict Productively” for major corporations and government agencies throughout the United States. Jandt continues to train volunteers who are learning to become mediators in the California justice system and served as an elected trustee of the Desert Community College District.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part 1: Culture as Context for Communication
Chapter 1: Defining Culture and Communication
Sources of Identity
Religion and Identity
National Identity
Class and Identity
Gender and Identity
Race, Skin Color, Ethnicity, and Identity
Civilization and Identity
Culture
Subculture
Ethnicity
Co-Culture
American Indians
Subgroup and Counterculture
Microculture and Community
Communication
Cultural Definitions of Communication
Confucian Perspectives on Communication
Western Perspectives on Communication
The Media of Intercultural Communication
Human Couriers and Intermediaries
Telephone
Internet
Social Media
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication Competence
Intercultural Communication Competence
Intercultural Communication Ethics
Multiple Cultural Identities
Third Culture
Multiculturalism
Postethnic Cultures
Barriers to Intercultural Communication
Anxiety
Assuming Similarity Instead of Difference
Ethnocentrism
Stereotypes and Prejudice
Stereotypes
Negative Effects on Communication
Case Study: Asian-Americans
Prejudice
Racism
Case Study: India
Case Study: The Roma
Case Study: Koreans in Japan
Case Study: White Privilege
Hate Speech
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Part 2: Communication Variables
Chapter 3: How Culture Affects Perception
Perception
Sensing
Effect of Culture on Sensing
Perceiving
Selection
Japanese/English Difficulties With Speech Sounds
Organization
Grouping Like Objects Together
Interpretation
Case Study: Dogs as Pets or as Food
Case Study: Weather Vane as Christian Cross
Case Study: Airport Security
High Versus Low Context
The Concept of Face
Case Study of Communication Between High and Low Context Countries—China and the United States
Communication Challenges Between High-Context China and Low-Context United States
Historical Context
Economy
Population
Current Issues in Chinese-U.S. Relations
Territorial Sovereignty
Taiwan
Tibet
Hong Kong
South China Sea
Airspace
Human Rights
Human Rights and Free Speech
Broadcast Media and the Internet
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 4: Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Behaviors
Nonverbal Communication Functions
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Proxemics
Territoriality
Kinesics
Chronemics
Paralanguage
Silence
Haptics
Artifactual Communication
Olfactics
Knowing Culture Through Nonverbal Messages
Case Study: The Wai in Thailand
Case Study: Nonverbals in High-Context Koreas
Nonverbal Misinterpretations as a Barrier
Case Study: U.S. Military Use of Symbols in Afghanistan
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 5: Language as a Barrier
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Development of the Hypothesis
Vocabulary
Grammar and Syntax
Criticisms of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Linguistic Relativism
Case Study: Arabic and the Arab Culture
Translation Problems
Vocabulary Equivalence
Idiomatic Equivalence
Grammatical-Syntactical Equivalence
Experiential Equivalence
Conceptual Equivalence
Human and Machine Translators
Pidgins, Creoles, and Universal Languages
Pidgins
Creoles
Esperanto
Language as Nationalism
Kiswahili in East Africa
The Spread of English
India
South Africa
Australia and New Zealand
Canada
United States
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Part 3: Cultural Values
Chapter 6: Dimensions of Nation-State Cultures
Hofstede’s Research
Criticisms of Hofstede’s Research
The Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner Dimensions
Cultural Dimensions
Individualism Versus Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-Term Versus Short-Term Orientation
Indulgence Versus Self-Restraint
Masculinity Versus Femininity
Happiness
Environmental Sustainability
Evolving Cultural Dimension
Case Study: Singapore
Case Study: Japan as a Homogeneous Culture
Geography and History
Population and Economy
Cultural Patterns
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 7: Values and Identity: Dominant U.S. Cultural Patterns Using Value Orientation Theory
Origins of U.S. Cultural Patterns
Pre-16th-Century Indigenous Americans
European Enlightenment
Regional Differences Resulting From Immigration
Forces Toward the Development of a Dominant Culture
Value Orientation Theory
What Is a Human Being’s Relation to Nature?
The Individual-and-Nature Relationship
Science and Technology
Materialism
What Is the Motivation for Human Activity?
Activity and Work
Efficiency and Practicality
Progress and Change
What Is the Temporal Focus of Human Life?
What Is the Character of Innate Human Nature?
Goodness
Rationality
Mutability
What Is the Relationship of the Individual to Others?
Individualism
Self-Motivation
Social Organization
Popular Acceptance of Dominant U.S. Cultural Patterns
Forces Toward the Development of Regional Cultures
The New Regions
Social Class
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 8: Religion and Identity
Hinduism
Buddhism
Japan
Christianity
Islam
The Prophet Muhammad
The Quran
Views on Religion and Freedom of Thought
Religious Practices
Islam in the United States
The Arab States
Saudi Arabia
Geography
Discovery of Oil
Ruling Saud Family and Conservative Wahhabism
Media
Regional Instability
Dominant Cultural Patterns
Human Being–Nature Orientation
Activity Orientation
Time Orientation
Human Nature Orientation
Relational Orientation
Communication Barriers
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 9: Culture and Gender
Status of Women
United Nations Studies
World Economic Forum Study
Health and Survival
Educational Attainment
Economic Participation and Opportunity
Political Participation
Comparison of Individual Countries and Areas
Nordic Countries
Mexico
China
Japan
South Korea
India
Arab States
Role of Women
Marriage
Nonbinary Gender Identities
Examples
Cultural Status
Gender Expression and Communication
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Part 4: Cultures within Cultures
Chapter 10: Migration and Acculturation
A World of Migration
Immigration and National Identity
Israel
Europe
Refugees
Muslim Immigration
Brazil
First Wave
Second Wave
Third Wave
Recent Immigration
United States
Colonial Policies on Immigration
U.S. Policies on Immigration
Contributing Countries Prior to 1800
Contributing Countries Since 1800
Immigration and Individual Identity
Culture Shock
Stages of Culture Shock
Symptoms
Reverse Culture Shock
Predictors of Acculturation
Effect of Media and Transportation Advances
Categories of Acculturation
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 11: Communities: Cultures Within Cultures
Marginalization: The Hmong
History
Cultural Patterns
Separation: Koreans in Russia
Separation: The Amish
History
Diversity Among the Amish
Values
Worldview
Activity Orientation
Human Nature Orientation
Relational Orientation
Indigenous Cultures
Assimilation: United States
Melting Pot Concept
Integration: United States
English-Speaking Cultures
Asian-American Cultures
Spanish-Speaking Cultures
Hispanic Culture Within the U.S. Culture
Values
Cultural Identity and Media
Print
Radio
Television
Spanish-Language Internet and Social Media
Spanish Language and Marketing
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 12: Identity and Communities
Argot
Specialized Vocabulary
Argot and Identity
Argot and Boundaries
Argot and Meaning
Community’s Media and Values
Examples
British Punk
Corporate Cultures
Case Study: Southwest Airlines
Case Study: Google
Sexual Orientation Identities Worldwide
Attitudes About Homosexuality and Same-Sex Marriage
Cultural Bases for Attitudes
Sexual Orientation as a Basis for a Community
Sexual Orientation and Othering
Consequences of Othering
Media and Othering
Rejecting All Labels
From Separation to Assimilation
Evidence of Separate Status
Integration or Assimilation of Communities
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Part 5: Applications
Chapter 13: The Impact of Cultures on Other Cultures
Colonialism
Hawai‘i
Australia
Cultural Imperialism
Development Communication
Opinion Leadership and Change Agents
Adopters
Change Agent Ethics
Cultural Icons
Cultural Hegemony
Japanese Icon in Mexico
South Korea’s Cultural Exports
Case Study: Quality Circles
Case Study: Vietnamese Nail Technicians
U.S. Cultural Icons
Coca-Cola®
Disney
Mc Donald’s
KFC
Starbucks
Spam®
Nike
Adapting the Message
Case Study: Marketing Gerber Baby Foods Worldwide
Case Study: Religious Missionary Work in New Guinea
Examples of Glocalization
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Terms
Chapter 14: Future Challenges
Religion
Class
Gender
Race, Skin Color, and Ethnicity
Civilization
Nation
Future Challenges to Identity
Challenges to Culture
Challenges to the Environment
Challenges From Immigration
Challenges From Economic Disparity
Challenges With Diversity
The Promise of New Media
A Final Word
Summary
Discussion Questions
Key Term
Glossary
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"This book is easy to read and digest, well organized, and your students will like it."

Zuoming Wang

"This text is one of my favorites in the field because it helps students see just how much intercultural communication impacts their daily lives. "

Andrea Ané Pearman

"I have used the Jandt text since I began teaching my course in International and Intercultural Communication, and I continue to use it because it only gets better with age."

Kay L. Colley

"This text offers an in-depth and sophisticated look at the many facets of culture. "

Meredith Marko Harrigan

"This newest edition is in line with the superior quality of earlier editions. Impressive in scope, sure to generate class discussion, and with material presented in an interesting manner.”

Ralph Webb

"The activities contained in each chapter are particularly valuable and lead to self-reflection. The items for group discussion are plentiful and well organized, leading to interactive and meaningful dialogue in the classroom. The prominent emphasis on historical and global issues, and how they affect intercultural communication, distinguish this textbook from other Intercultural Communication textbooks. "

Anne Randerson

"This text is one of my favorites in the field because it helps students see just how much intercultural communication impacts their daily lives. "

Andrea Ané Pearman

This text offers comprehensive coverage of ICC while balancing theory and practical application. Students find it easy to comprehend and interesting reading. They enjoy being exposed to other cultures and ways of communicating while recognizing many cultures within the United States that require ICC skills.”

Ané Pearman

One of the best textbooks in intercultural communication for undergraduate students”

Mo Bahk

I prefer this text. The book is written in a manner that is clear and easy to grasp for students of all levels. There are elements in each chapter to use as starting points for discussions, for small group work or as homework assignments. The text is formatted well and organized in an easy–to-use way.”

Aimee L. Richards

Jandt's book not only reveals the history of communication in a global context, but it strives to keep with trends in society. The book introduces intercultural competencies and barriers to students. It helps students think about the whole versus the individual.

Stefanie Leiter

An Introduction to Intercultural Communication offers real-world perspectives on cultural and intercultural communication, to include micro and sub-cultures within dominant cultures. It is rich with real-world experiences that reveal similarities and differences between cultural entities. Finally, this text offers a depth of content that fosters conversation and discussion of issues relevant to cultural communication.

Terilyn J. Goins

This text provides a balanced, comprehensive examination of theory and practice of intercultural communication with a blend of contemporary and classic sources.

Janie M. H. Fritz

Fred Jandt has an excellent track record in the field of communication studies and this textbook bolsters that reputation. It is current, wide ranging, and pedagogically sound.

Shawn Queeney

This text offers comprehensive coverage of ICC while balancing theory and practical application. Students find it easy to comprehend and interesting reading. They enjoy being exposed to other cultures and ways of communicating while recognizing many cultures within the United States that require ICC skills.”

Ané Pearman

"This text offers comprehensive coverage of ICC while balancing theory and practical application. Students find it easy to comprehend and interesting reading. They enjoy being exposed to other cultures and ways of communicating while recognizing many cultures within the United States that require ICC skills."

--Ane Pearman

"One of the best textbooks in intercultural communication for undergraduate students"

--Mo Bahk

"I prefer this text. The book is written in a manner that is clear and easy to grasp for students of all levels. There are elements in each chapter to use as starting points for discussions, for small group work or as homework assignments. The text is formatted well and organized in an easy-to-use way."

--Aimee L. Richards

From the Publisher