From Monologue to Dialogue: Reimagining Intercultural Communication Studies in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative provides a new context for intercultural communication research at home and abroad. Through reviewing and comparing existing literature in this area, it is found that scholars from both sides tend to be inward-looking and fail to resonate with each other. The “monological” thinking is reflected in dimensions such as the research focus, the span of time and space, the disciplinary background of researchers and the major fields of publications. Different scholarly interests are also rooted in ideological differences such as researchers’ epistemological views on cultural globalization and civilization. Moreover, it reveals the lack of subjectivity among Chinese researchers focusing on intercultural communication studies. This paper proposes that future research should transform from the fragmented and application-oriented mode of knowledge generation centering on the “self”, to a more enriching way of research that incorporates historical contexts, as well as broader and inclusive cultural values across the globe. Building on this, this paper also sheds light on the significance of cultural exchange and mutual understanding in the communication among researchers, and call for a reflexive interdisciplinary academic community that considers positionality, identity and power dynamics in producing knowledge.

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Recommended citation: Su J. & Liu D. (2022). From Monologue to Dialogue: Reimagining Intercultural Communication Studies in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication . 44(11): 142-159.