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JANUARY 15, 2013
IMPERATIVES for the
Study of Intercultural
Communication
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IMPERATIVE—what’s that?
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Something is imperative when it is very important—but not
just very important, but important enough to provide a sort of
“authoritative command.”
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In other words, something is important enough that it makes
it urgent that we respond to what we are aware of
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So, when Martin & Nakayama say they have selected “six
imperatives” for the study of intercultural communication,
what does that mean?
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It means that
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So why Intercultural and not just
“plain” Communication?
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Obviously, there’s something about these six imperatives that
implies that there’s importance about the communication that
occurs
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NOT just between one person and his/her own thoughts and
ideas (self-talk)
NOT just between co-workers or neighbors who have a lot in
common at stake because of what they do or where they live
NOT just between friends or lovers or spouses or family
members…who care so deeply about each other that conflict can
cause a sense of personal threat or loss
BUT between persons who are of different cultures—so that the
communication is occuring between (INTER) cultures—requiring
that different assumptions for how to make meaning are
operating.
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But isn’t ALL communication
“Intercultural?”
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That’s a good point. It’s possible, and actually, quite real, that
people vary in the way they make sense of things.
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But when we call something a “culture” more formally, we are
talking about whole systems of sense-making and ordering of
society and perception that are shared by individuals because of
some sort of group membership they hold in common and which
is a very strong influence in how they interact with others.
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When communication is intercultural, we’ve got parties of two
different groups who have significant differences in the ways
they view at least a few things that matter to them—and those
differences influence the way they can understand and/or
cooperate with others who don’t share them.
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The Six Imperatives Named by
Martin & Nakayama
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Self-Awareness Imperative (as we come to understand how
we fit or operate in the greater world and realize things about
our personal ways of making sense and interpreting the
world)
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Demographic Imperative: changing domestic and international migration, as well as birth rates and patterns of intermarriage—raising questions of class, and religious diversity,
age-related customs and patterns, tradition, etc.
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Economic Imperative: issues of globalization (how the world
is becoming a smaller place—we’re more interconnected to
the rest of the world, needing to depend upon each other to
survive and thrive economically.
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The Six Imperatives Named by
Martin & Nakayama (cont’d)
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Technological Imperative: increased use of communication
technology also raises questions about identity and access to
these technologies, as well as making increasing amounts of
information about an increasing amount of topics and
peoples available to everyone with technological access.
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Peace Imperative: This imperative becomes important as we
realize how issues of colonialism, economic disparities, and
racial, ethnic, and religious differences can be the cause of
violence and strife, war and political impasses.
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Ethical Imperative: This imperative calls for an
understanding of the variety of ways that individuals can
approach what they consider to be right or real.
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Ethical Approaches
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Universalist—when a culture has a universalist approach, what
does it assume?
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Relativist—similarly, when a culture has a relativist approach,
what is assumed?
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Dialogic—Finally, when there is a “dialogic” approach, what is
assumed?
Consider that when one has an “ethical” approach, it tells us
something about the way they proceed to consider how they
should act, and not only that—but how they should judge how
others act. It is about what guides their actions to be right and just.
Is it possible to have more than one ethical approach? How?
When?
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Reference
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These notes are derived from the material in Martin &
Nakayama’s 5th edition of Intercultural Communication in
Contexts, with commentary and perspective provided by Dr.
Sarah Amira de la Garza.
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Spring, 2013
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Arizona State University
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