WHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION? As the world populace grows more aware of its interdependence,it confronts the ever-shifting cultural,ecological,economic,and technological realities that define modern life.The utopias of Lao Tze or Mahatma Gandhi,who prepared for a society of self-sufficient villages,have been replaced by newer ways of living in the world together that require our seeing things through the eyes of others and adding the knowledge of others to our personal repertoire.The development of a global mind-set has become pivotal for further human progress.This mind-set can only result from intercommunication among diverse peoples. Four trends combine to usher in a more interdependent future that shapes our differences into a set of shared concerns and a common agenda:(1)technological development,(2)globalization of the economy,(3)widespread population migration, and (4)the development of multiculturalism.Taken together,these dynamics argue eloquently for the development of more proficient intercultural communications. Technological Development The development of new transportation and information technologies has connected all nations in ways that were possible before this century only in the imagination.Suddenly moon walks,the Chernoble nuclear reactor accident,and the death of a leader half a world away share space with local stories in our newscasts. Supersonic transports carry passengers form continent to continent in a matter of hours,in time for them to conduct business,attend conferences,or meet friends and associates face-to-face.The continent of Australia that once stood geographically apart from the Northern Hemisphere now talks with its European and North American neighbors just as easily as it does with its Indonesian,New Zealand,or Japanese neighbors. Communication technologies,including the Internet computer network, facsimiles,the cellular telephone,interactive cable TV systems,and the anticipated information superhighway,permits us instantaneous oral and written interchange at any hour to most locations in our own country and around the world..Porter and Samovar(1994)indicate that the improvement of information technology has greatly reshaped intercultural communication,creating common meanings and a reliance on persons we may or may not meet face-to-face at some future date in our lives. Government is no longer the only dissemination of information across cultural boundaries;indeed,common people talk and type their way daily into a web of mediated intercultural interactions. As we learn instantaneously about South African elections,a World Cup match. or a Palestinian peace accord,our separateness starts to dissolve.We begin to desire information about other place and to cultivate contact with people we have met along the information highway.We ride the wave of information that surges about the globe. We sit in our living rooms but feel connections to events that happen elsewhere in the world.The immediacy of our new technology involves us with persons of widely varying regions and ethnicity and builds in us a new sense of national and global commonality.We find ourselves moving from uncertainty,to curiosity,to an activeWHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION? As the world populace grows more aware of its interdependence, it confronts the ever-shifting cultural, ecological, economic, and technological realities that define modern life. The utopias of Lao Tze or Mahatma Gandhi, who prepared for a society of self-sufficient villages, have been replaced by newer ways of living in the world together that require our seeing things through the eyes of others and adding the knowledge of others to our personal repertoire. The development of a global mind-set has become pivotal for further human progress. This mind-set can only result from intercommunication among diverse peoples. Four trends combine to usher in a more interdependent future that shapes our differences into a set of shared concerns and a common agenda: (1) technological development, (2) globalization of the economy, (3) widespread population migration, and (4) the development of multiculturalism. Taken together, these dynamics argue eloquently for the development of more proficient intercultural communications. Technological Development The development of new transportation and information technologies has connected all nations in ways that were possible before this century only in the imagination. Suddenly moon walks, the Chernoble nuclear reactor accident, and the death of a leader half a world away share space with local stories in our newscasts. Supersonic transports carry passengers form continent to continent in a matter of hours, in time for them to conduct business, attend conferences, or meet friends and associates face-to-face. The continent of Australia that once stood geographically apart from the Northern Hemisphere now talks with its European and North American neighbors just as easily as it does with its Indonesian, New Zealand, or Japanese neighbors. Communication technologies, including the Internet computer network, facsimiles, the cellular telephone, interactive cable TV systems, and the anticipated information superhighway, permits us instantaneous oral and written interchange at any hour to most locations in our own country and around the world.. Porter and Samovar (1994) indicate that the improvement of information technology has greatly reshaped intercultural communication, creating common meanings and a reliance on persons we may or may not meet face-to-face at some future date in our lives. Government is no longer the only dissemination of information across cultural boundaries; indeed, common people talk and type their way daily into a web of mediated intercultural interactions. As we learn instantaneously about South African elections, a World Cup match, or a Palestinian peace accord, our separateness starts to dissolve. We begin to desire information about other place and to cultivate contact with people we have met along the information highway. We ride the wave of information that surges about the globe. We sit in our living rooms but feel connections to events that happen elsewhere in the world. The immediacy of our new technology involves us with persons of widely varying regions and ethnicity and builds in us a new sense of national and global commonality. We find ourselves moving from uncertainty, to curiosity, to an active