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CULTURE–COMMUNICATION–INTERCULTURALCOMMUNICATION
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wherethereisalwaysadominatingpowerthatdefinesculturaldivergencesand
thecharacterofcommunication.
Theobjectiveoftheculturalcriticalityapproachisexplaininghumanbe-
haviourand,hence,changingpeople'slives.Themostsuitablemethodsforthe
culturalcriticalityapproacharethosethatexplain,illustrate,orexemplifycul-
ture-specificdifferences.AccordingtoHumprey(2002),culturalcriticismseeks
tofindpointsofconflictandisolatethemasresearchableissuesintranscultural
interaction.Theactivitiesofcriticsareaimedatsensitizingtheresearcherand/or
learnertodifferences.Theapproachisculture-specificandfocusesonaparticular
group,andtheprincipalmethodoftheculturalcriticalityapproachistextanalysis.
Researcherstendtoanalyzemassmedia(TVprogrammes,videomaterial,publi-
cations),whichintheirmindcontributegreatlytotheformationofmodernculture.
However,theydonotcommunicatedirectlywiththerepresentativesofdifferent
cultures,nordotheyresearchpersonalinterculturalinteractions.Someauthors
inthisfieldstresstheimportanceofperceivingculturalsimilarity,e.g.Brislin
(1981:60)observesthat"perceivingsimilaritiesleadtoabasisforinteraction;
perceivingdifferencesleadtoabasisforout-grouprejection.”
Anotherapproachisofferedbytheculturaldialogists(Grushevitskayaetal.
2002).Theyaimtoinvestigatecross-culturalcommunication.Theyemphasize
theimportanceofperfectinginterculturalcommunicativeskills,fosteringhigher
levelsofbothself-awarenessandcross-culturalawareness,andthedevelopment
ofpersonalitycharacteristicstoenhancecross-culturalcommunication(Humprey
2002).Theactivityofculturaldialogistsisdirectedatovercomingdifferences
thatoccurininterculturalcommunication,stressinginternationalism,worldwide
communication,andhumanism.Theapproachisculture-general.
The"Emic”and"Etic”Approach
The"emic”approachfocusesonstudyingdifferentculturesfromtheinsidein
ordertounderstandculturesasthemembersofthoseculturesunderstandthem.On
thecontrary,the"etic”approachisbasedonunderstandingculturesbycomparing
themtoeachotherwiththehelpofcertainpre-determinedcharacteristics.Brislin
(1983)arguesthatinitscurrentusagethedistinctionisemployedbasicallyas
ametaphorfordifferencesbetweentheculturespecificapproach("emic,”single
culture)andcultural-generalapproaches("etic,”universal)toresearch.
Ingeneral,the"etic”approachisculture-generalandemphasizestheimpor-
tanceofcross-culturalcomparisonsthatcouldformobservationalcategoriesand
isconsideredasuitablewayofstudyingdifferentcultures.Ontheotherhand,the
"emic”approachprovidestheimageofacultureasviewedbyitsrepresentatives;
itgivesaclearviewofhowrealityisorganizedwithinaculture.Inordertode-
velopagoodunderstandingofcultures,theintegrationofthe"etic”and"emic”
approachesisuseful.
