Meeting on the "narrow ridge" in intercultural communication with specific reference to the UFS
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Date
2005
Authors
De Wet, Johann C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
This article offers an existential perspective on the possibilities of healthy intercultural
communication in our communities where the participants share a common language
such as English. While communication between different cultural groups is often
problematic, it is argued that intercultural communication should ideally take the form
of a meeting on the "narrow ridge" as the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber (1878-
1965) would say. The general implications of communicating on the "narrow ridge"
are highlighted and contextualised within the communicative circumstances at the
University of the Free State (UFS). Various modes of intercultural communicative
interactions are referred to as well as the similarities and differences between
Botho!Ubuntu and existential dialogue. The article concludes that an existential
perspective on intercultural communication provides no instant solution, but that it
does awaken us to our communicative responsibilities.
Description
Keywords
Intercultural communication, University of the Free State (UFS), Intercultural relations
Citation
De Wet, J. C. (2005). Meeting on the "narrow ridge" in intercultural communication with specific reference to the UFS. Communitas, 10, 53-65.