ABSTRACT
Many of the theories of ethics assume situations in which the parties involved in the interaction are from similar cultural or ethnic communities. The cultural identities of participants in the communication are often not emphasized. This chapter focuses on these kinds of differences, which can lead to various ethical issues of communication. The cultural difference between the two parties becomes an additional factor or variable affecting the course and possible outcomes of the parties’ interactions. The term intercultural communication typically is used in communication theory regarding these issues. This chapter is mainly concerned with settings featuring interpersonal communication, face to face or mediated, with usually two participants, each from a different culture or subculture or coculture. In this chapter, culture refers to a broad range of communal identities including factors such as race, language, national status, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identification, physical disabilities, socioeconomic status, immigrant status, and others. These identities can combine and reinforce potential negative effects leading to the notion of intersectionality. Ethical responses to communicating involving people with disabilities lead to the notion of “people-first” language.
