FORAREA

CENTRE OF EXPERTISE FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

F3B F3D Intercultural communication and perception in multicultural societies

Field of work:

Based on a range of individual projects, the research projects look into basic points of research in the field of multiculturalism including reciprocal perception and forms of communication between different ethnic, social, and cultural groups. The individual research projects are intended to make a comparison of multiculturalism in the United States and Latin America possible. Project F3B analyzes existing cultural and identity theoretical concepts and aims to outline a model of intercultural communication and perception which overcomes the common restriction of concentrating on only two cultures in conducting one´s research. Besides the diverse nuances and mutations of intercultural communication, the fact that the identity of all groups involved in mutual negotiation are continually reorganized or newly established must also be taken into account. The intention of the research of projekt F3D is to examine the way the three main cultural groups of the American Southwest perceive others as opposed to the way they perceive themselves based on comments made by Anglo-American, Mexican-American, and Native-American authors which are not found in their literary work. In a second phase, the results are then compared with the respective images of others and the self-image portrayed in each author´s literary works. A crucial consideration is the emergence and handling of self-images and images of others in relation to several other ethnic and cultural groups.

Grant-aided by:
Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and Arts