Abstract

Humans communicate to bring forth meanings that they want to share with others; they crave communication and interaction, which makes them the social beings that they are. However, this interaction does not occur in a void but is rather actualized around salient themes. This article focuses on what happens when humans find themselves in contexts where their socio-cultural code do not apply and their models of communication and agency need to adapt. It observes that participating subjects strengthen their capacity to produce and share meaning across cultural divides by clustering around salient themes. Based on the analysis of the respondents’ narratives, this study uncovers the relevant skills and attitudes that make it possible for individuals to be actively involved in research in culturally diverse contexts as well as some of the major challenges that they need to overcome.