Methods for researching intercultural communication in globalized complex societies

The field of intercultural communication research is challenged theoretically as well as methodologically by global changes such as migration, global mobility, mass media, tourism, etc. According to these changes cultures can no longer be seen as national entities, and cultural identity can no longer be taken for granted as related to a single ethnic group. Thus, in globalized complex societies, knowledge of ‘the other’ no longer primarily comes from business guides or international literature, but is an integrated part of everyday experiences. If the methods we use in intercultural research are not capable of addressing these new realities, research in intercultural communication will have a tendency to reproduce ‘old’ assumptions.

The aim of this chapter is to discuss four criteria for developing methods that are relevant to intercultural communication research in complex globalized societies. This will be done through a critical review of existing methodological discussions and through presenting and discussing selected examples of studies aligned with these criteria.