Setting the Groundwork for a Critical Sociohistorical Approach to Intercultural Communication

This paper explores the theoretical and applied groundwork for a new sociohistorical paradigm for interculturalcommunication. It argues that no academic discipline—intercultural communication included—grows out of a vacuum. Alldisciplines develop and evolve within the context of concrete social, political, economic and historical conditions and needs.What is more, these needs are not universal to all groups of people, either worldwide or throughout history. Instead, theyreflect the interests of certain power groups over others in the society where the discipline develops. Often, although wemay not realize it without careful critical analysis and reflection, our own interests as students, teachers, workers, familymembers, etc., and the interests of the power groups that the discipline serves are in conflict. This paper, therefore, beginswith an overview of the world into which mainstream intercultural communication was born and whose interests it hasserved. Following from this, it critically examines certain key theoretical constructs that underlie the field and notes howthey may also reflect interests other than our own. It then introduces the concept of liberation as a tool wherebyeducation and academia (including all forms of social research) can become empowering rather than marginalizing—that is,how they can serve the interests of the exploited and oppressed masses of the world rather than their oppressors. Finally,it asks readers to reflect on how a new and more liberating approach to intercultural communication might be possible. The theoretical underpinnings for this approach come from the sociohistorical psychology of Lev Vygotsky and A. Luria,the historical and dialectical materialism of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and the liberatory/critical pedagogy of PauloFreire and Ira Shor.