UnderstandingSocialDistanceinInterclturalCommunication英语论文.doc

Understanding Social Distance in Intercultural Communication Victoria Guillén Nieto University of Alicante victoria.guillen@ua.es Since the 1950’s there has been an increasing interest in intercultural communication as a field of multidisciplinary research, which has probably been strengthened by today’s globalisation process, as well as by the process of European convergence and the current social phenomenon of massive immigration to the Western world. Intercultural communication focuses on face-to-face or person-to-person interaction and takes place between people who are operating within different cultural systems. The study of intercultural communication has tried to throw light on the question of how people from diverse cultural backgrounds understand one another. On the doorstep of European convergence, the issue of intercultural competence is a crucial one. In this discussion we would like to analyse in detail the underlying reasons that might explain the emergence of social distance in intercultural communicative encounters. To achieve our purpose, we will draw on three key concepts: (a) the cultural frame, (b) the cultural unconscious and (c) the silent language. Four variables are suggested as a core around which to explore the emergence of social distance: (a) time, (b) space, (c) context and (d) communication. KEY WORDS: intercultural communication, social distance, cultural frame, cultural unconscious, silent language Desde mediados del siglo XX ha ido creciendo progresivamente el interés por el estudio de la comunicación intercultural desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar. Dicho interés académico se ha visto fortalecido por el proceso de globalización que la sociedad está experimentando hoy en día, así como por el proceso de convergencia entre los países que conforman la Unión Europea y el fenómeno social de la inmigración masiva hacia occidente. La comunicación intercultural aborda el estudio de la interacción personal, bien ésta se desarrolle cara