ABSTRACT
This book discusses African American communication and culture. We have examined research and talked to and surveyed African Americans in an attempt to explain the social, political, economic, and historical context of African American communication, understand their cultural identity, describe their communication styles and competencies, and contextualize their diverse intracultural identities in varying relationships. These efforts have led us to a number of conclusions and to begin development of a new theory of identity that operates as a companion to the communication theory of identity showcased in the first edition. In this chapter, we briefly highlight some of these conclusions and re-articulate the Communication Theory of Identity and the Cultural Contracts Theory. Finally, we consider methodological issues that transcend areas of research and then suggest applications of the findings to African American lives.
