Meanings in Madagascar: Cases of Intercultural Communication FROM THE PUBLISHER
Most analyses of interpersonal communication ignore the relationship between communication and culture. When intercultural communication takes place, the interlocutors may have very different conceptions of what is being discussed, since meaning in any culture results from lifelong learning within that culture. Such concepts as worldviews, cultural beliefs, and decision-making processes are unique to each culture, and affect each culture's interpretation of meaning. To illustrate problems with communication and culture, Dahl focuses on the cultures of Madagascar and the Western World. He suggests many ways in which the Malagasy's worldview and values are different from the Westerner's, and how these differences affect communication. A "meaning matrix" is included to assist in interpretations of everyday cases.
SYNOPSIS
Explores how people communicate when communication involves different languages, different social organizations, and different beliefs and values.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
There are 18 different indigenous Malagasy ethnic groups, as well as foreigners from around the world, on the island of Madagascar. This study looks at Western-Malagasy communication, as well as communication among the Malagasy themselves and the problem of communication in general. Methods used for the study include participant observation, interviews, and studies of existing literature, especially Malagasy written records and proverbs. Discusses areas such as communication conditioned by world view, time concepts, vertical and horizontal social structures, and interpretive intercultural communication. Includes a glossary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)
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