Interracial Communication: Theory into Practice

As the racial and ethnic landscape of the United States shifts, interracial communication plays an increasingly crucial role. The sociopolitical climate has impacted identities, relationships, media, and organizations―challenging the possibility of having transformative engagement about race. Power differences affected by race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, ability, age, and geography are sometimes invisible. Competent interracial communication is key to alleviating polarized interactions and addressing the unequal treatment of microcultures.
Part I of the book provides essential background, including the history of race, the importance of communication, the development and intersectionality of racial and ethnic identities, and models and theories of interracial communication. Part II applies this information to communication practices in specific, everyday contexts: global racial hierarchies and colorism, friendships/romantic relationships, communication in the workplace, interracial conflict, and race and ethnicity in the media. The concluding chapter outlines pathways to meaningful change and invites readers to become active participants in dialogue to facilitate working through differences.
Title of related interest also available from Waveland Press: Allen, Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity, Third Edition (ISBN 9781478650034).