Intercultural Interactions : A Practical Guide

The first edition of Intercultural Interactions pioneered the 18-theme "culture-general" framework that has become the basis of work and research with a diverse array of populations, from interpreters for the deaf to helping professionals in multicultural settings and businesspeople around the world. Even more comprehensive in its scope and now with a practical new user's guide, the second edition expands coverage to draw the reader in--with more vivid scenarios and examples reflecting changing world events and social milieu. Updated essays integrate these critical incidents, incorporating the most current developments in the field of cross-cultural training. A special chapter, the user's guide provides practical, time-saving suggestions for using the book in a variety of training programs as well as preparing for the cross-cultural experience. Across the spectrum of professional, educational, and personal settings, the second edition of Intercultural Interactions offers a key framework for living, interpreting, and assimilating cross-cultural experiences. This book is integral for use in culture-centered training and research programs, college coursework in psychology and global management, programs for overseas business people and study abroad students, and multicultural health care and mental health settings. [all the quotes here are:] Praise for the first edition . . . "Brislin and his coauthors have developed a most interesting training device designed to aid sojourners, executives, teachers, and others during the inevitable adjustment period they will face whenever they go to another culture or country. The book will primarily be seen as a helpful aid to anyone who is interested in training and evaluating those who are preparing for 'close encounters of the other-culture kind.' However, it will also be welcomed by many academicians as a useful way in which to discuss certain social psychological principles, such as attribution processes or dimensions of interpersonal attraction." --from the Preface by Walter J. Lonner & John W. Berry "The appearance of Intercultural Interactions is a major event for researchers and trainers in the field of cross-cultural communication. The critical incidents and essays presented are intensely practical in their orientation, broad in their coverage of the main problem areas, and deep in the insights they provide." --Geert Hofstede, University of Limburg at Maastricht, The Netherlands "This admirable volume is addressed to the lay person. The purpose of the educational materials in this book is to assist people when they must adjust to life in another country, or to assist them when they are to interact extensively with people from other cultural backgrounds." --Contributions to Indian Sociology "The authors carefully describe the process they used to develop the training materials, giving convincing empirical evidence of their validity. Those who prepare sojourners will find the result of their work to be a highly useful resource." --Review and Expositor