Communicating Across Differences: Negotiating Identity, Privilege, and Marginalization in the 21st Century

Communicating Across Differences: Negotiating Identity, Privilege, and Marginalization in the 21st Century presents research and scholarship from a broad range of contributing authors who represent the voices and perspectives of traditionally marginalized and uniquely underrepresented groups.

The anthology explores the intersectionality of intercultural communication and cultural studies, blending social science approaches with critical perspectives. Each chapter examines how marginality and privilege pertain to issues surrounding race, gender, sexuality, class, dis/ability, language, inter/nationality, and instruction that are negotiated through the process of communication and media messaging while being framed in hegemonic cultural dynamics.

Readers gain insight into the breadth and depth of the intergroup identities that impact our ability to communicate effectively across differences today. Dedicated chapters examine cross-racial communication, racial representation and grouping in news coverage, cultural influences and variations in language usage, power dynamics surrounding disability discourse, instructor immediacy behaviors from the perspective of international students, and more.

Designed to help us better understand and respect the cultural, social, and political implications that surround power, privilege, marginalization, and oppression, Communicating Across Differences is a timely and essential resource for courses focusing on diversity, multiculturalism, cultural studies, and intercultural communication.

Lena M. Chao (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is a professor of communication studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Her areas of scholarly specialization include mass communication, and interpersonal, gender, and intercultural communication.

Cynthia Wang (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is an assistant professor of communication studies at California State University, Los Angeles. She is interested in the impact of digital communication technologies and social media on social relations, cultural practices, and power dynamics.