ABSTRACT
There are essentially four ways in which the process of intercultural contact can be described, corresponding to different approaches and emphases in the multidisciplinary literature. First, contact research may be categorised by the sorts of individuals or groups who have been studied. For instance, there exist specialist bodies of literature on tourists, foreign students, migrants, expatriate workers, and so forth. Second, it is possible to analyse the contact experience in terms of situational variables, such as purpose, time-span and type of involvement, and the relationship of these variables to particular groups of participants. We have considered both the types of cross-cultural travellers and situational dimensions of intercultural contact in the organisation of Chapters 610 on tourists, sojourners, immigrants and refugees. Third, the outcomes of intercultural contact may be discussed. These outcomes may be classified in terms of their impact on the participating groups or the consequences of contact can be described and categorised in relation to individuals. The analyses of micro and macro processes and outcomes are presented in an integrated fashion throughout the book. Finally, the literature on intercultural contact and change can be presented in terms of guiding theoretical frameworks. We have adopted this organisational method in Chapters 3-5, which are devoted to culture learning, stress and coping, and social identification theories, respectively. In this chapter an introduction to four perspectives on intercultural contact is followed by a discussion of intercultural adaptation and a proposed model for understanding cultural contact and change.
