The Construction of Intercultural Communication in Scholarly Writing

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Effective communication is vital, and the need for it has never been more emphasized than these days when people from different national, cultural and linguistic backgrounds interact in the course of their daily lives. After Hungary’s admission to the EU it is evident that the country needs to find its place in the integrated Europe and this can only be achieved by cooperation and successful communication with other cultures. The amplified interest in more flourishing communication across cultures has led to the mushrooming of programs across the country that offer theoretical and practical knowledge on Intercultural Communication. The field has rapidly entered academia as well and has become a center of attention. Due to the relatively novice nature of this concept it is rather difficult to define what actually is taking shape under this umbrella term.
This paper presents the findings of an empirical study that attempts to get an insight into how intercultural communication as a discipline is being established. By providing a qualitative analysis of the abstracts of examples of scholarly writing, the study attempts to get a holistic view on what subfields Intercultural Communication encompasses and how relevant theories of these subfields contribute to the development of this academic discipline. Findings imply that though the phenomenon under study is rather multi-faced and extended, Intercultural Communication is definitely of use for Hungarians trying to bridge the gap not only between them and the Others, but within their own culture as well.



Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):