| In this dissertation, I have examined the current status of the intercultural communication field and have described the historical circumstances surrounding its origins as well as some of the needs generated by present world conditions. My recommendation is that a critical postmodern approach should be utilized so that new concepts, methodologies, themes, and philosophies can be introduced to the field. I defined a critical postmodern approach as one which employs cultural studies and postcolonial theory in carrying out research.; To demonstrate the value of a critical postmodern approach, I have applied it to the study of U.S.-Japanese intercultural relations. I have shown the advantages of studying U.S.-Japanese communication as an example of colonial/postcolonial relations. Then I have indicated the ways in which postcolonial/cultural studies concepts such as Eurocentrism, ambivalence, hybridity, essentialism, and the Other contribute to the understanding of U.S.-Japanese communication.; As an example of an important communication phenomenon within U.S.-Japanese relations, I have singled out the revisionist discourse that influenced the creation of a more negative image of Japan in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Through a focus on identity issues and dominance/resistance plus the use of concepts previously introduced, I analyze such discourse as symptomatic of U.S. identity problems and as an attempt to justify the maintenance of U.S. cultural hegemony. This analysis is followed by a discussion of internationalization and how the spread of transnational capitalism has intensified rather than reduced tensions between the two nations.; Besides describing the benefits of using a critical postmodern approach, I also indicate its limitations. There are several areas where such limitations are evident: the importance of cultural influences upon national behavior, the definition of culture, the value of fieldwork, the influence of the cultural unconscious, and role of cultural differences in the cultural adaptation process.; In conclusion, I suggest that the name of the field be changed from intercultural communication to intercultural relations. Such a change in name is suitable because of the expanded contours of the field that result from the incorporation of a critical postmodern approach.; I am not claiming to be the first person to use postcolonial theory and cultural studies to understand intercultural relations. This dissertation does, however, go into considerable detail concerning the ways in which a critical postmodern approach can be applied, the justifications for such an approach, and how a critical postmodern approach can coexist with the positivist and interpretive approaches within the field of intercultural relations. |
