Transcultural Communication for a Polycentric World

In the era of digitized and globalized 24/7 communication, the one-way vertical flow of media and mediated culture from the West to the East has given way to multiple and horizontal flows, in which Asian countries are playing an increasingly significant role. This is having a profound impact on transcultural communication in a polycentric world. Although the United States and some other western countries still maintain their leading position in the field of global media and communication hardware and software. This article suggests that new actors, harnessing the potential of digital globalization, have emerged in the past decade and provide new avenues for transnational communication. Such changes, it argues, warrant a re-evaluation of how we define the global in terms of media and communication. Focusing on the growing global influence and digital presence of China and other Asian countries, the article suggests that the ascent of Asia contributes to further internationalizing of media and its study.

#StopAsianHate: Understanding the Global Rise of Anti-Asian Racism from a Transcultural Communication Perspective

The rise of anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global phenomenon. This article aims to develop a transcultural communication perspective to examine the global rise in anti-Asian violence. It discusses the intersection of global and local factors underlying the rise of anti-Asian racism in Canada, namely (1) the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism (2) the flaws of Canadian multiculturalism, and (3) the insider/outsider dichotomy adopted by mass media’s framing of the pandemic. By explicating these structural factors from a transcultural communication perspective, this article argues that politicized transcultural discussions on white supremacy are urgently needed for initiating constructive conversations over anti-Asian racism worldwide.

European Film Commissions as Transcultural Promoters and Mediators

This article investigates transcultural communication taking film commissions as case study. Film commissions are non-profit organisations looking to attract audiovisual productions to their areas and supply these audiovisual productions with services free of charge. Although relatively recent and little studied, film commissions are spreading fast worldwide. Combining the political economy approach with the most recent production studies, the article contends that film commissions can stimulate transcultural phenomena on three levels. First, they act as intermediaries between the audiovisual production and the host area. Second, they encourage collaboration between different production cultures. Third, they incentivise brand-new collaboration between the audiovisual production and the tourist sector.

Approaching Transcultural Communication: Interview With Muniz Sodré

Professor Emeritus Muniz Sodré discusses his contributions to the formation of the communication field in Brazil, of which he is one of the founding figures. The interview, conducted by Otávio Daros, unpacks some of the main arguments of his newly translated book The Science of the Commons: A Note on Communication (2019). Among the key concepts is mediatization, defined by him as the structural articulation of the media with social organizations and institutions. The Brazilian theorist also discusses the challenges for an education committed to “deracialization” and decolonization.

Developing Communication Skills through Raising Intercultural Competence in EFL Classroom

This article discusses the teaching of intercultural and transcultural awareness together with language learning in foreign language contexts. Ensuing a brief discussion of what language, culture and its forms mean, we illustrate the relationship between intercultural and transcultural competence, and the development of communication skills in the foreign language framework for teaching EFL (English as Foreign Language) students. The author draws attention to the importance of developing students’ intercultural research abilities utilizing the transcultural communication competence notion. We show how intercultural orientations and transcultural communication competence affect the students’ framework and their career dimensions. The author illuminates the activities and approaches that develop communication skills. The article concludes with an underscoring of the critical challenges that teachers encounter and their potential solutions. Keywords: Intercultural communication, Transcultural awareness, Social identity, Student attitudes, Cross cultural, EFL classrooms, diversity