Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication: An Interdisciplinary Research Approach

Macau’s unique cultural identity as a Special Administrative Region of China has been attributed to its historical blending of East and West and the confluence of the diverse origins of its people. According to definitions from the Bank of English, blending includes: “mixing and mingling”; “to look good together, harmonize”; “a mixture produced by blending.” In terms of the blending of people and cultures, it might be argued that the definition should include the manifestation of effective discourse and intercultural communication. In terms of miscegenation a definition should include the mixing and mingling of different races, languages, customs, and traditions. To apply these definitions to the context of Macau implies that there is evidence that blending has occurred and its particular forms of discourse and intercultural communication continue to define its uniqueness. The research on which this paper is based provides evidence that blending has indeed occurred, but the authors argue that more interdisciplinary research is needed to examine cultural changes which are occurring in the Asia region and identify the role that the study of discourse and intercultural communication might play in the preservation and perpetuation of Macau’s unique cultural identity. In this paper, the importance of English as a research tool is acknowledged with reference to the literature on intercultural communication. The authors however emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach to research on cultural change, ethnicity, migration, and second language acquisition, influencing discourse and intercultural communication.