ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses emic and etic approaches to culture with a focus on the use of these two perspectives in the context of intercultural mediation. The etic approach is considered to be culture-general, as it privileges universal concepts and is based on the outsider's accounts of culture. The emic approach focuses on cultural-sensitive dimensions and gives prominence to insiders’ perspectives on culture. These perspectives also differ in their methodological aspects (survey and short observation vs. ethnographic methods). This chapter explains the main aspects of each tradition and its pitfalls.
