Human-to-non-human relations in intercultural communication: a posthuman perspective

Conference paper

Kebabi, A. 2023. Human-to-non-human relations in intercultural communication: a posthuman perspective .
AuthorsKebabi, A.
TypeConference paper
Description

This empirical paper is situated within the broad and interdisciplinary field of intercultural communication. Research within this field has long focused on human relations wherein, the binary relationship between ‘self’ and human ‘other’ dominates our understanding of interculturality (Ferri, 2020). This paper engages with current debates on the need to accommodate posthumanism in our understanding of intercultural communication. Auger and Dervin (2021, p.vii) argued for the need to think about intercultural encounters beyond human subjects and to accommodate interactions between living objects and non-living objects. The paper builds on other contributions (e.g., Ferri, 2020, among others) which engage with this critical subject by advocating for the relevance of materiality in intercultural communication.

While the contributions I draw upon focus on material entities like objects, I discuss both material and non-material culture: food, naming, and death. I use critical posthumanism (Braidotti, 2019) to challenge hierarchy of species and promote interconnectedness between ‘humans, and other animals, humans and artefacts, humans and nature’ (Pennycook, 2018, p.445). This allows for more engaging research into the study of intercultural communication and materiality.

I employed qualitative research methods, mainly semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis to gain insights into the significance of material and non-material culture in intercultural communication.

KeywordsIntercultural communication; Material and non-material culture; Posthumanism
Year2023
ConferenceThe International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication, Rethinking intercultural communication beyond verbal language: affect, materiality and embodiment in times of ‘crises’
Related URLhttp://ialic.international/nicosia-2023-conference/
References

References
Auger, N., & Dervin, F. 2021. Special issue: a discourse toolbox for working on interculturality in education, International Journal of Bias, Identity & Diversities in Education (IJBIDE), 6 (1), vi-x.

Braidotti, R. 2019. A theoretical framework for the critical posthumanities, Theory, Culture & Society, 36 (6), 31-61.

Ferri, G. 2020. Difference, becoming and rhizomatic subjectivities beyond ‘otherness’. A posthuman framework for intercultural communication, Language & Intercultural Communication, 20 (5), 408-418.

Pennycook, A. 2018. Posthumanist applied linguistics, Applied Linguistics, 39 (4), 445-461.

Publication process dates
Deposited14 Dec 2023
Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/9691z/human-to-non-human-relations-in-intercultural-communication-a-posthuman-perspective

  • 97
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

‘Where are you from?’ and ‘foreigners’: The discursive construction of identity in the personal everyday lives of well established academics living in the UK
Kebabi, A. 2024. ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘foreigners’: The discursive construction of identity in the personal everyday lives of well established academics living in the UK. Language and Discrimination. 8 (1).
Gender and immigrants’ representation in UK newspapers in times of ‘crises’
Kebabi, A. and Polyzou, A. 2023. Gender and immigrants’ representation in UK newspapers in times of ‘crises’.
‘Identity’ is not only about human relations: the relevance of human-to-non-human interaction in ‘identity’ articulation
Kebabi, A. 2023. ‘Identity’ is not only about human relations: the relevance of human-to-non-human interaction in ‘identity’ articulation. Language and Intercultural Communication. pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2023.2252779
Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers
Polyzou, A. and Kebabi, A. 2023. Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers.
Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers
Polyzou, A. and Kebabi, A. 2023. Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers.
Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers
Polyzou, A. and Kebabi, A. 2022. Gender and migration discourse in British newspapers.
‘Hybridising’: Positioning of the self
Kebabi, A. 2019. ‘Hybridising’: Positioning of the self .
Perceptions of the self: Negotiating intercultural identities and belonging in the context of international migration
Kebabi, A. 2019. Perceptions of the self: Negotiating intercultural identities and belonging in the context of international migration.
Making sense of the self through who we are and through the other
Kebabi, A. 2018. Making sense of the self through who we are and through the other.
An ethnographic study of the identity construction of people engaged in university work who have come from outside the UK: A consideration of the role of language in cultural identity
Kebabi, A. 2018. An ethnographic study of the identity construction of people engaged in university work who have come from outside the UK: A consideration of the role of language in cultural identity .
Encountering the ‘other’- identity display
Kebabi, A. 2018. Encountering the ‘other’- identity display.