ABSTRACT
The forces of globalisation have catapulted people, symbolic forms, practices, and ideologies from different cultures into shared and contested physical and virtual spaces in unprecedented ways. In this chapter, the author explicates the implications for intercultural–global citizenship education.
Anthropological perspectives of culture as shared values, norms, behaviours, and ways of thinking provided the foundation for intercultural communication studies and training; yet, the context of globalisation calls for a critical/cultural studies perspective that highlights contested and negotiated dimensions of culture. The author argues that it is essential to eschew essentialised, static notions of culture, address the complexities of globalisation, and recognise social justice as foundational to intercultural–global citizenship education. Dichotomous frameworks (e.g., individualism/collectivism, high/low contact, high/low power distance) must be reframed to address the emergence of hybrid cultures, symbolic forms, and identities in the global context.
Additionally, intercultural communication has traditionally de-emphasised the roles history and power play in intercultural interactions, obscuring critical dynamics that impact intercultural communication in business, relational, intergroup, and international contexts today. In this chapter, approaches that address the intersection of cultural differences and social, political, and economic systems of power are advanced to guide effective intercultural training and global–citizenship education grounded in social responsibility.
