Intercultural Communication

Globalization and Social Justice
Fourth Edition
Kathryn Sorrells
Sachi Sekimoto - Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA
Intercultural Communication
August 2025 | 416 pages | Sage US
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Description

Intercultural Communication: Globalization and Social Justice introduces students to the study of communication among cultures within the broader context of globalization. Kathryn Sorrells and new co-author Sachi Sekimoto highlight history, power, and global institutions as central to understanding the relationships and contexts that shape intercultural communication. Based on a framework that promotes critical thinking, reflection, and action, this text takes a social justice approach that equips students with the skills and knowledge to create a more equitable world through communication. The new Fourth Edition includes additional case studies and expanded discussions of the backlash to globalization, the rise of ethnonationalism, decline of democracy, new media and new technologies, and implications for intercultural communication.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

Instructors, see how Vantage works! 
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Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Chapter 1: Opening the Conversation: Studying Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication in Global Contexts
  • Definitions of Culture
  • Situating Yourself as Intercultural Communicator
  • Intercultural Praxis in the Context of Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 2: Understanding the Context of Globalization
  • Influences of Globalization on Intercultural Communication
  • The Role of History in Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Economic Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Political Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Cultural Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 3: Globalizing Body Politics: Embodied Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
  • Body Politics and Intercultural Communication
  • Constructing Social Worlds Through Communication
  • The Social Construction of Race: From Colonization to Globalization
  • Resignifying Race in The Context of Globalization
  • Becoming Anti-Racist
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 4: (Dis)Placing Culture and Cultural Space: Locations of Nonverbal and Verbal Communication
  • Placing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Displacing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Case Study: Hip Hop Culture
  • Cultural Space, Power, and Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 5: Privileging Relationships: Intercultural Communication in Interpersonal Contexts
  • Intercultural Relationships: Historical and Contemporary Contexts
  • Topography of Intercultural Relationships
  • Intercultural Relationships in the Workplace
  • Intercultural Friendships
  • Intercultural Romantic Relationships
  • Cyberspace, AI, and Intercultural Relationships
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 6: Crossing Borders: Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • The World on the Move
  • Types of Migrants
  • Historical Overview of World Migration
  • Migration Trends in the Context of Globalization
  • Theories of Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • Case Study 1: Villachuato, Mexico, to Marshalltown, Iowa: Transnational Connections
  • Case Study 2: Mumbai, India, to New York City, USA: International Student Adaptation and the Challenges of Immigration
  • Case Study 3: Destination Portugal: Different Stories for Workers and the Retirees
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter7: Jamming Media and Popular Culture: Analyzing Messages About Diverse Cultures
  • Popular Culture and Intercultural Communication
  • Media, Popular Culture, and Globalization
  • Globalization of Popular Culture
  • Ways of Reading Popular Culture
  • Popular Culture, Representation, and Resistance
  • Resisting and Re-Creating Media and Popular Culture
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 8: The Culture of Capitalism and the Business of Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication and the Global Economy
  • Historical Context: Capitalism and Globalization
  • The Culture of Capitalism
  • Case Study 1: Consuming and Romanticizing The “Other”
  • Case Study 2: Consuming and Desiring The “Other”
  • Tourism and Intercultural Communication
  • Case Study 3: Consuming Cultural Spectacles
  • Economic Responsibility and Intercultural Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 9: Negotiating Intercultural Conflict and Social Justice: Strategies for Intercultural Relations
  • Intercultural Conflict in the Context of Globalization
  • Micro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Meso-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Macro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Case Study 1: Interpersonal Context
  • Case Study 2: Intergroup Context
  • Case Study 3: International and Global Context
  • Strategies for Addressing Intercultural Conflict
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 10: Engaging Intercultural Communication for Social Justice: Challenges and Possibilities for Global Citizenship
  • Intercultural Communication for Social Justice
  • Becoming Global Citizens in the 21St Century
  • Intercultural Competence
  • “Hope in the Dark”: From Despair to Empowerment
  • Another World is Possible: Student to Student Empowerment for Change
  • Another World is Possible: DACA Students for Change
  • Another World is Possible: Mutual Aid Networks for Change
  • Intercultural Alliances for Social Justice
  • Case Study: Community Coalition of South Los Angeles
  • Closing the Conversation
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities

Glossary

Glossary

References

References

Additional materials

Description

Intercultural Communication: Globalization and Social Justice introduces students to the study of communication among cultures within the broader context of globalization. Kathryn Sorrells and new co-author Sachi Sekimoto highlight history, power, and global institutions as central to understanding the relationships and contexts that shape intercultural communication. Based on a framework that promotes critical thinking, reflection, and action, this text takes a social justice approach that equips students with the skills and knowledge to create a more equitable world through communication. The new Fourth Edition includes additional case studies and expanded discussions of the backlash to globalization, the rise of ethnonationalism, decline of democracy, new media and new technologies, and implications for intercultural communication.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

Instructors, see how Vantage works! 
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Chapter 1: Opening the Conversation: Studying Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication in Global Contexts
  • Definitions of Culture
  • Situating Yourself as Intercultural Communicator
  • Intercultural Praxis in the Context of Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 2: Understanding the Context of Globalization
  • Influences of Globalization on Intercultural Communication
  • The Role of History in Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Economic Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Political Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Cultural Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 3: Globalizing Body Politics: Embodied Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
  • Body Politics and Intercultural Communication
  • Constructing Social Worlds Through Communication
  • The Social Construction of Race: From Colonization to Globalization
  • Resignifying Race in The Context of Globalization
  • Becoming Anti-Racist
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 4: (Dis)Placing Culture and Cultural Space: Locations of Nonverbal and Verbal Communication
  • Placing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Displacing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Case Study: Hip Hop Culture
  • Cultural Space, Power, and Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 5: Privileging Relationships: Intercultural Communication in Interpersonal Contexts
  • Intercultural Relationships: Historical and Contemporary Contexts
  • Topography of Intercultural Relationships
  • Intercultural Relationships in the Workplace
  • Intercultural Friendships
  • Intercultural Romantic Relationships
  • Cyberspace, AI, and Intercultural Relationships
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 6: Crossing Borders: Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • The World on the Move
  • Types of Migrants
  • Historical Overview of World Migration
  • Migration Trends in the Context of Globalization
  • Theories of Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • Case Study 1: Villachuato, Mexico, to Marshalltown, Iowa: Transnational Connections
  • Case Study 2: Mumbai, India, to New York City, USA: International Student Adaptation and the Challenges of Immigration
  • Case Study 3: Destination Portugal: Different Stories for Workers and the Retirees
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter7: Jamming Media and Popular Culture: Analyzing Messages About Diverse Cultures
  • Popular Culture and Intercultural Communication
  • Media, Popular Culture, and Globalization
  • Globalization of Popular Culture
  • Ways of Reading Popular Culture
  • Popular Culture, Representation, and Resistance
  • Resisting and Re-Creating Media and Popular Culture
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 8: The Culture of Capitalism and the Business of Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication and the Global Economy
  • Historical Context: Capitalism and Globalization
  • The Culture of Capitalism
  • Case Study 1: Consuming and Romanticizing The “Other”
  • Case Study 2: Consuming and Desiring The “Other”
  • Tourism and Intercultural Communication
  • Case Study 3: Consuming Cultural Spectacles
  • Economic Responsibility and Intercultural Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 9: Negotiating Intercultural Conflict and Social Justice: Strategies for Intercultural Relations
  • Intercultural Conflict in the Context of Globalization
  • Micro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Meso-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Macro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Case Study 1: Interpersonal Context
  • Case Study 2: Intergroup Context
  • Case Study 3: International and Global Context
  • Strategies for Addressing Intercultural Conflict
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 10: Engaging Intercultural Communication for Social Justice: Challenges and Possibilities for Global Citizenship
  • Intercultural Communication for Social Justice
  • Becoming Global Citizens in the 21St Century
  • Intercultural Competence
  • “Hope in the Dark”: From Despair to Empowerment
  • Another World is Possible: Student to Student Empowerment for Change
  • Another World is Possible: DACA Students for Change
  • Another World is Possible: Mutual Aid Networks for Change
  • Intercultural Alliances for Social Justice
  • Case Study: Community Coalition of South Los Angeles
  • Closing the Conversation
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities

Glossary

Glossary

References

References

Additional materials

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Intercultural Communication

Globalization and Social Justice

Kathryn Sorrells , Sachi Sekimoto
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August 2025 | 416 pages | Sage US

Format Published Date ISBN Price

Intercultural Communication: Globalization and Social Justice introduces students to the study of communication among cultures within the broader context of globalization. Kathryn Sorrells and new co-author Sachi Sekimoto highlight history, power, and global institutions as central to understanding the relationships and contexts that shape intercultural communication. Based on a framework that promotes critical thinking, reflection, and action, this text takes a social justice approach that equips students with the skills and knowledge to create a more equitable world through communication. The new Fourth Edition includes additional case studies and expanded discussions of the backlash to globalization, the rise of ethnonationalism, decline of democracy, new media and new technologies, and implications for intercultural communication.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

Instructors, see how Vantage works! 
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo

Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Chapter 1: Opening the Conversation: Studying Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication in Global Contexts
  • Definitions of Culture
  • Situating Yourself as Intercultural Communicator
  • Intercultural Praxis in the Context of Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 2: Understanding the Context of Globalization
  • Influences of Globalization on Intercultural Communication
  • The Role of History in Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Economic Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Political Globalization
  • Intercultural Dimensions of Cultural Globalization
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 3: Globalizing Body Politics: Embodied Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
  • Body Politics and Intercultural Communication
  • Constructing Social Worlds Through Communication
  • The Social Construction of Race: From Colonization to Globalization
  • Resignifying Race in The Context of Globalization
  • Becoming Anti-Racist
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 4: (Dis)Placing Culture and Cultural Space: Locations of Nonverbal and Verbal Communication
  • Placing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Displacing Culture and Cultural Space
  • Case Study: Hip Hop Culture
  • Cultural Space, Power, and Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 5: Privileging Relationships: Intercultural Communication in Interpersonal Contexts
  • Intercultural Relationships: Historical and Contemporary Contexts
  • Topography of Intercultural Relationships
  • Intercultural Relationships in the Workplace
  • Intercultural Friendships
  • Intercultural Romantic Relationships
  • Cyberspace, AI, and Intercultural Relationships
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 6: Crossing Borders: Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • The World on the Move
  • Types of Migrants
  • Historical Overview of World Migration
  • Migration Trends in the Context of Globalization
  • Theories of Migration and Intercultural Adaptation
  • Case Study 1: Villachuato, Mexico, to Marshalltown, Iowa: Transnational Connections
  • Case Study 2: Mumbai, India, to New York City, USA: International Student Adaptation and the Challenges of Immigration
  • Case Study 3: Destination Portugal: Different Stories for Workers and the Retirees
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter7: Jamming Media and Popular Culture: Analyzing Messages About Diverse Cultures
  • Popular Culture and Intercultural Communication
  • Media, Popular Culture, and Globalization
  • Globalization of Popular Culture
  • Ways of Reading Popular Culture
  • Popular Culture, Representation, and Resistance
  • Resisting and Re-Creating Media and Popular Culture
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 8: The Culture of Capitalism and the Business of Intercultural Communication
  • Intercultural Communication and the Global Economy
  • Historical Context: Capitalism and Globalization
  • The Culture of Capitalism
  • Case Study 1: Consuming and Romanticizing The “Other”
  • Case Study 2: Consuming and Desiring The “Other”
  • Tourism and Intercultural Communication
  • Case Study 3: Consuming Cultural Spectacles
  • Economic Responsibility and Intercultural Communication
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 9: Negotiating Intercultural Conflict and Social Justice: Strategies for Intercultural Relations
  • Intercultural Conflict in the Context of Globalization
  • Micro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Meso-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Macro-Frame Analysis of Intercultural Conflict
  • Case Study 1: Interpersonal Context
  • Case Study 2: Intergroup Context
  • Case Study 3: International and Global Context
  • Strategies for Addressing Intercultural Conflict
  • Summary
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Chapter 10: Engaging Intercultural Communication for Social Justice: Challenges and Possibilities for Global Citizenship
  • Intercultural Communication for Social Justice
  • Becoming Global Citizens in the 21St Century
  • Intercultural Competence
  • “Hope in the Dark”: From Despair to Empowerment
  • Another World is Possible: Student to Student Empowerment for Change
  • Another World is Possible: DACA Students for Change
  • Another World is Possible: Mutual Aid Networks for Change
  • Intercultural Alliances for Social Justice
  • Case Study: Community Coalition of South Los Angeles
  • Closing the Conversation
  • Key Terms
  • Discussion Questions and Activities
  • Glossary
  • References

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