Cultural Essentialism in Intercultural Relations (Frontiers of Globalization)

The concept of culture has never been as problematic as it is today. Over the last three decades, critiques of the concept have been widespread around the world, especially in anthropology and sociology. Yet in the field of intercultural communication and relations, culture is still omnipresent and is often used to justify certain views on the 'other' and also to discriminate, which can lead to understandings and visions of interculturality that are limiting and essentialist.This collection examines how culture is used in intercultural encounters, but also what it does to people and how they deal with it, with some contributions proposing a move beyond the concept of culture in order to empower individuals and to complexify the analysis of intercultural relations. The volume will appeal to anyone interested in alternative and critical perspectives on interculturality.