Through the examination of a satirical Facebook page called Hope that Helps (HTH) this study filled a gap in communication research on humor and resistance within online communities. The qualitative content analysis of the HTH page showcased satire’s role in acts of resistance. Using jokes, impersonation, and ridicule HTH resisted large corporations, government institutions, messages from public figures, and entitled American consumers. HTH also used humor to resist social constructs including Whiteness, transphobia, and American nationalism. Along with page creators, HTH followers were active participants in the humor and resistance acts on the page. HTH served as a space for page followers to express support, give suggestions, and vent about their own difficulties in customer service roles. Prescriptions for communication researchers interested in the intersection between humor and resistance in online environments are discussed.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Education, Technikon Natal, Durban, 2001. / This study filled a void in the existing educational management literature and highlighted the communication problems that exist between the educators, learners, and parents in multicultural secondary schools, especially when the educator, learner and the parent belong to different cultural groups. The communication problems between educators, learners and parents pose a serious challenge to management as they impede the progress of teaching and learning in the classrooms. The thorny issue of language in education in South African schools has not been given much emphasis. Neither have educationists and policy makers given much attention to the problem of communication in multicultural schools. Opening schools to all cultures did not solve the communication problems, but created new ones. The main method used in this investigation was the literature study. Using the investigative methods associated with qualitative studies, the researcher attempted to investigate data collected from a number of sources. Research on co-operation in the multi-ethnic classroom revealed that pupils of different ethnic groups preferred to socialize in their own language groups. This study confirmed that culture and language influenced not only which peers pupils choose to play with, but also who they deliberately excluded from their games. In many schools, there are few systematic attempts to enhance pupils' cross-ethnic friendships and this may work to consolidate the evident 'own race and language preference' of a large portion of pupils. Thus there is a need for communication to enhance cross-cultural friendships. There is an increasing need for educators to encourage intercultural communication. Educators should use the language of instruction to learn about each others' culture and language so that there are mutual respect and tolerance. Teaching in multicultural classrooms demands a high level of expertise among educators. Culturally diverse learners may have prior learning experiences that predispose them to learn in ways that may not be compatible with some methods of instruction in common use in many classrooms. Therefore, educators need to adopt an inclusive and flexible approach to instruction, observing their pupil's responses and adjusting instructions to meet the needs of individuals and groups in the classroom. It is now becoming clear that even educators and school managers need guidance and assistance in coping with communication in the multicultural school. The more people of different cultures communicate with each other, the more they discover how similar they are. This study examined some of the communication problems present in multicultural schools, the possible causes of the problems and management solutions to some of the problems. / M

Research on projectably multi-unit tellings (e.g., stories) has largely focused on their contexts of emergence, beginnings, endings, and uptakes (or lack thereof), rather than on their ‘middles.’ The relatively small literature on such ‘middles’ has focused on different types of responsive behaviors when they do occur (e.g., continuers). However, there is virtually no research on relevance rules that might systematically organize these ‘middles,’ including the production of responsive behaviors (or lack thereof) and the management of intersubjectivity. This thesis describes and defends one such relevance rule: Advisors are strongly accountable for responding – either vocally and/or nonvocally – at each and every complex possible-completion place. This relevance rule provides an inferential framework with which to monitor and manage advisors’ understanding of ‘middle’ units. The method used is conversation analysis – including the analysis of deviant cases – complemented by the coding of data and resultant distributional patterns. Data are dual-camera-videotaped, drop-in, advising sessions conducted in English between 20 non-native-English-speaking international students and native-English-speaking advisors working for a university's Office of International Affairs. Specifically, data involve students’ projectably multi-unit problem presentations (e.g., related to Visa status, course scheduling, international travel, housing, etc.).

The thesis analyzes the interpreter's role in overcoming the cultural barrier between Czechs and Chinese. It focuses on interaction in business settings. The topic has not yet been sufficiently explored, so the first part aims to give a comprehensive overview of relevant literature. First, the role of the interpreter in liaison interpreting is discussed, followed by a systematic comparison of the Czech and Chinese cultures. The overview covers a whole range of cultural differences that can potentially create a barrier in intercultural communication. The second part is a research in interpreter's strategies of overcoming that barrier. The data is acquired via interviews with experienced interpreters. Having analyzed this data, the thesis concludes with taxonomy of factors, which influence how active a role the interpreter plays in the interaction, and of activities that make up the role of an interpreter as intercultural mediator.

Au fur et à mesure de la croissance de l’économie chinoise, et de la progression de l’ouverture et de la réforme chinoise, la culture dans les entreprises à capitaux étrangers en Chine n’est plus homogène. Au contraire, de plus en plus d’employés présentant des divergences culturelles travaillent dans ces entreprises implantées sur le marché chinois. Leurs nationalités, langues, comportements et mentalités sont loin d’être identiques, provoquant inévitablement un clash socioculturel qui est beaucoup plus compliqué qu’avant à l’intérieur des entreprises à capitaux étrangers. D’où des problèmes qui entraînent une conséquence néfaste sur le développement de ces entreprises. En revanche, lorsque l’on parle de ce sujet, ce qui vient dans un premier temps à l’esprit, c’est souvent le choc culturel qui existe entre les Asiatiques et leurs collègues issus de l’Europe ou de l’Amérique du Nord, tout en négligeant qu'il existe également des différences culturelles entre les employés asiatiques eux-mêmes, parfois aussi grandes mais souvent beaucoup moins prises en considération aussi bien par les chercheurs scientifiques que par les professionnels. Les Asiatiques sont souvent considérés de manière très simplifiée par beaucoup de chercheurs des sciences sociales et humaines comme une seule catégorie culturelle dans laquelle les valeurs, façons de penser et comportements entre les peuples sont peu différents. Des termes très flous, comme la « culture orientale », ou la « culture asiatique », se trouvent facilement dans des travaux dans la comparaison culturelle. Malgré des raisons historiques et traditionnelles, comme l’influence forte du confucianisme, il existe quand même une diversité culturelle entre les peuples asiatiques. Et surtout la culture est évolutive et dynamique, ces peuples ne cessent de créer et développer leurs propres valeurs, façons de penser et comportements qui sont tous uniques et différents les uns des autres en fonction des circonstances intérieures et extérieures qui transforment les groupes sociaux. Afin de faire ressortir les différences culturelles entre les employés asiatiques au sein des entreprises à capitaux étrangers implantées sur le marché chinois, d’étudier et d’exploiter la transformation de cette diversité et ses représentations dans le travail, et pour essayer de trouver des perspectives permettant de fournir de l’inspiration et des résolutions par rapport aux problèmes originaires de cette divergence culturelle, nous avons choisi une méthodologie de recherche fondée sur des entretiens semi- directifs en profondeur avec des employés asiatiques de profils différents travaillant dans des entreprises à capitaux étrangers en Chine. Selon les résultats que nous avons obtenus au travers des entretiens, nous avons constaté que les différences culturelles existent non seulement entre les employés chinois et leurs voisins asiatiques, à savoir les employés coréens et japonais, mais également entre les employés chinois et les employés des diasporas chinoises, ainsi qu’entre les employés chinois eux-mêmes. Au travail, ces employés ont et manifestent des comportements et façons de penser divers par rapport à l’esprit collectiviste, à la hiérarchie et en face de l’incertitude. Pour conclure, une idée comme l’établissement d’une identité supranationale asiatique, autrement dit le cosmopolitisme asiatique, et les dangers à éviter, comme le nationalisme qui existe depuis longtemps en Asie, sont discutés dans la partie de conclusion. / With the growth of the Chinese economy, its opening-up and its reform, culture in the foreign-invested enterprises in China is no longer homogeneous. On the contrary, more and more culturally different people work together in these enterprises operating on the Chinese market. Their nationalities, languages, behaviors and attitudes are far from being identical, causing an inevitable socio-cultural clash which is much more complicated than before within these foreign-invested enterprises. Hence the emergence of problems that lead to adverse consequences for the development of these enterprises.On the other hand, when talking about this, what first comes to mind, is often the cultural clash between Asians and their colleagues from Europe or North America, neglecting, at the same time that there are also cultural differences between Asian employees themselves, which are sometimes equally marked but often much less taken into consideration both by scientific researchers and by professionals.Asians are often considered by many researchers in social sciences, in a very simplified way, as a single category in which cultural values, ways of thinking and behaviors between people are very similar. Some vague terms such as "Oriental culture", or "Asian culture", are easily found in cultural comparison researches. Despite historical and traditional reasons, such as the strong influence of Confucianism, there is still a cultural diversity among Asian people. What’s more, culture is evolving in a dynamic way and these Asian people continue to create and develop, depending on the circumstances that transform internal and external social groups, their own values, ways of thinking and behaviors which are unique and different from one another. To highlight the cultural differences between Asian employees in the foreign-invested enterprises established in the Chinese market, to explore the transformation of this diversity and its representations in the working field, and to try to find prospects allowing to provide inspiration and resolutions to the problems originating from this cultural divergence, we chose a research methodology based on thorough semi-structured interviews with different profiles of Asian employees working in different foreign-invested enterprises in China.According to the results we obtained through these interviews, we found that cultural differences exist not only between Chinese employees and their Asian neighbors, in other words the Korean and Japanese employees, but also between Chinese employees and overseas Chinese employees, and even among Chinese employees themselves. When they are working together, these employees have and show different behaviors and ways of thinking in the field of collectivist mind, hierarchy and when facing uncertainty.In our conclusion, we question the idea of setting up a supranational Asian identity, in other words an Asian cosmopolitanism, and we mention the dangers which have to be avoided, such as the nationalism that has been existing in Asia for a long time.

M.Ed. / During the past few years many changes have taken place in South Africa. Many of these changes, implemented by the new government, concern the educational system. Measures have been taken to eradicate inequalities of the past and to make education accessible to all. This development has given rise to a situation in some schools where the cultural background of the teacher differs entirely from that of the schoolbeginner or pupil. More and more schools are being affected by this situation and the problems arising from this tend to impede effective learning and interaction. The aim of this research therefore, was to explore and describe the white teachers' experience regarding teacher-pupil interaction in the culturally diverse classroom, in order to formulate guidelines for teachers to effectively promote learning and interaction. By way of a qualitative research design, with interviews conducted with teachers and observations of teacher-pupils interaction used as data-collection method, various themes within this interaction have been identified. These themes are comparable with themes from relevant literature; a further literature review formed the basis of guidelines, mainly for teachers, for purposes of improving interaction between teacher and pupil in the culturally diverse schoolbeginner classes. Main themes of the guidelines are understanding and acceptance of cultural differences, culture-sensitive instruction, moral development, peer-group tutoring, language enrichment programs, discipline and knowledge of African child rearing practices. The role of the educational authorities in respect of teacher training, preservice as well as inservice training to promote cultural sensitivity, has also been pointed out. Making parents part of the schooling and education of their children, has also been given prominence.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, at the University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Commerce in the School of Economic and Business Sciences - Management, Johannesburg, June 27 / Entrepreneurship continues to dominate public discourse as has been the case for the past century; this topic has been widely discussed in academia and policy development, not only as an abstract concept, but as a necessity to activate economic growth, especially for developing countries such as South Africa. Many authors have argued that the mixture of good entrepreneurial activity in the formal and informal sector is necessary and it is interlinked. As such, the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurship continues to be a subject of contention, especially when it comes to issues surrounding entrepreneurial performance. The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of Cultural Intelligence on the relationship between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance amongst foreign traders based in Johannesburg’s informal economy. The major studies underlying this research are in agreement in the field of social science and business studies, suggesting that Entrepreneurship is embedded in social contexts and cannot be wholly understood unless one attempts to evaluate the influence of different social phenomena. This study assessed foreign entrepreneurs’ cross-cultural adjustment capabilities, their social networks and how the two influence entrepreneurial performance. This study was motivated by the 2008 and 2015 xenophobic attacks in the informal economy which exposed a need to understand cultural and social capital dynamics that underpin entrepreneurial performance amongst foreign entrepreneurs. The research model for this study sought to investigate the mediating influence of cultural intelligence on the relationship between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance. The results of this study indicate that Cultural Intelligence is no significant mediator between Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Performance amongst foreign traders in the informal economy. The results of this further reflected significant differences in attitudes between the groups of foreign traders under study. / XL2018

Germany and Sweden are important business partners. In business it is important to be aware of different organizational cultures. Sweden and Germany are in many aspects alike, but at the same time there are cultural differences. In this study, research was conducted to compare part of the Swedish-German organizational communication as well as the meaning of intercultural communication in different companies. Online questionnaires were answered by 18 respondents. They included Swedes at a company in Sweden, which was bought by a German company and Germans at a company in Germany, which was bought by a Swedish company. Interviews with two executive directors, one at a Swedish company and one at a German company were made as well. The results of this study show that Germany has a strong hierarchal structure in comparison with Sweden. Sweden has a flatter structure, where meetings are a big part of the community within the organization. The most striking difference between the organizational cultures in both countries is the hierarchy.

L’objectif de cette recherche en communication interculturelle est de savoir comment les stéréotypes évoluent chez les étudiants chinois à l'égard des Français avant et pendant leur séjour en France . Quels processus de la communication interculturelle contribuent à l'évolution des contenus des stéréotypes portés par les étudiants chinois sur les Français et quels effets exercent la communication interculturelle sur les étudiants chinois ? Pour répondre à ces questions, la recherche s’appuie sur une approche interculturelle et systémique sous l’épistémologie constructiviste. Après une analyse quantitative et qualitative, les évolutions des stéréotypes vis-à-vis des Français de la part des étudiants chinois sont discutées en étudiant trois aspects et facteurs distincts : spatial, temporel et communicationnel. Le facteur communicationnel est considéré comme étant le facteur le plus déterminant de l’évolution des stéréotypes. Ainsi, la communication interculturelle des étudiants chinois avec les Français est analysée dans le but de savoir quels sont les éléments qui en influencent la qualité et comment en appréhender la dynamique du processus. Selon cette recherche, l’évolution des stéréotypes peut entraîner chez les étudiants chinois une évolution globale de leurs propres représentations. Cette évolution des représentations est également la conséquence du changement du contexte socioculturel et du système de communication. La communication interculturelle entre les étudiants chinois et les Français peut favoriser une construction de la conscience de l’altérité et une reconstruction identitaire basées sur un esprit ouvert et critique. Mais a contrario, la communication avec absence de la conscience de l’altérité peut également nuire à la reconstruction de soi-même et en même temps, renforcer les stéréotypes vis-à-vis de l’Autre et vis-à-vis de Soi. / The objective of this intercultural communication research is to know how stereotypes evolve among Chinese students towards the French before and during their stay in France. What processes of intercultural communication contribute to the evolution of the content of Chinese students' stereotypes about the French and what effects do intercultural communication have on Chinese students ? To answer these questions, the research relies on an intercultural and systemic approach under constructivist epistemology. After a quantitative and qualitative analysis, the evolution of stereotypes towards the French people on behalf of Chinese students are discussed under three aspects and factors: spatial, temporal and communicational. The communication factor is considered as the most determinant factor in the evolution of stereotypes. Thus, the intercultural communication of Chinese students with French is analyzed with the aim of knowing what are the elements that influence the quality of the communication and how to apprehend the dynamic of the process of the intercultural communication. According to this research, the evolution of stereotypes can lead among the Chinese students to an evolution of their own representations (to Chinese students' evolution of their own representations) in a general way. This evolution of representations is also the consequence of the change in the socio-cultural context and the communication system. The intercultural communication between Chinese students and the French can favor a construction of the consciousness of otherness and a reconstruction of identity based on an open and critical spirit. But on the other hand, this communication with the absence of the consciousness of otherness can also damage the reconstruction of oneself and, at the same time, strengthen the stereotypes towards the Others and towards him-self.

Informed by, and seeking to contribute to, discussions about appropriate methodology (e.g. Holliday, 1994), my study as reported in this thesis was concerned with appropriacy of paradigms in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). It explored practitioner perspectives in Thai higher education (HE) in this era when English has become 'the' main international language for intercultural communication (IC). This linkage between English as an international language (EIL) and IC is evident in the strategy of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - of which Thailand was a founding member in 1967 - for greater economic, cultural and socio-political integration among its members. For practitioners like me, this regional strategic move in conjunction with Thai policies and curricular documentation raises questions about the appropriacy of the established practices of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Thailand. My multi-method qualitative case study addressed such questions by exploring the perspectives of three Thai-national teachers of English working in a Thai public university regarding the purposes of, and assumptions underpinning, their teaching of English. As informed by an understanding of their perspectives, I then considered the possible influences which might have shaped these perspectives. The study identified the teachers' main purposes to be short-term, instrumental ones - i.e. for academic study and examination preparation purposes. As such, they tended not to attach much value to the teaching of the cultural dimension (i.e. the target culture of native English speakers [NESs], the students' home cultures and other cultures) or intercultural dimension (i.e. knowledge, skills and mindset needed for engaging people from differing cultural backgrounds). These purposes were underpinned by assumptions they held about the NES linguistic norms as testable norms in TEFL and Teaching English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). The teachers seemed unfamiliar with alternative paradigms - such as Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL) - that might align top-level policy statements and actual classroom practices. This unfamiliarity suggests the inadequacy of the teachers' educational and professional development experiences. The influences from their institution such as exams-oriented and English-medium academic agendas also had repercussions for the teachers' perspectives. Stepping back from the teachers' perspectives, my study suggested discourse inconsistencies across Thai HE regarding paradigms and purposes of TESOL. This situation is unhelpful vis-à-vis the ASEAN foregrounding of EIL for IC, and the consequent need, through TESOL, to prepare Thai students to engage in IC with people within and beyond ASEAN. My study has implications for a direction of change for TESOL in the Thai HE and possibly for similar contexts elsewhere. It offers some suggestions about teacher education that can be supportive of reorienting TESOL towards appropriate and purposeful paradigms.