ABSTRACT
The concept of culture emerged as an outcome of studies related to race and evolution conducted by 19th-century anthropologists. More narrowly, Cohen attributes early usage of the term to anthropological attempts to explain “the outward expression of a unifying and consistent vision brought by a particular community to its confrontation with core issues”. Since the earliest beginnings of humankind, encounters between persons with diverse backgrounds, interests, needs, and perspectives have offered intercultural experiences. In fact, Klopf and McCroskey suggest that intercultural encounters have occurred “since the late Pleistocene or early Holocene periods of human history, the times when people first roamed the earth”. Communication is wholly significant to the human experience; it is as fundamental to being human as breathing, and it is considered the primary means through which begin to develop sense of self. Facilitating global opportunities for peacebuilding is only one of the likely benefits from incorporating cultural diversity-focused pedagogy into educational systems.
