Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

In a globalized world, the role of cross-cultural communication has been increasingly emphasized. In the field of communication studies, the term ‘intercultural’ implying the interaction of people of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds has been favored over ‘multicultural,’ since interculturality goes beyond passive acceptance of the existence of multiple cultural traditions and helps to activate cross-cultural dialogue. Here, cosmopolitanism, the idea that all human beings are citizens in a single community, emerges as a crucial factor facilitating intercultural communication. Although different versions of cosmopolitanism envision the community in different ways, it is basically classified into three categories; moral, social and cultural. Among those, cultural cosmopolitanism remains most crucial, since culture is said to be “a formidable machine that promotes the merit of diversity by producing differences”. This paper starts with a review of the general process of globalization highlighting cosmopolitanism as a key concept in the globalized world. Next, focusing on cultural cosmopolitanism that seeks to diminish ethnocentrism, its nature and effect are investigated. Then, the shift in sociological discourse on cosmopolitanism is examined. Given the discussions, tasks and procedures of intercultural communication aiming at cross-cultural awareness, understanding, sensibility and association that give rise to new ways of seeing, thinking, feeling and living in relation with others are explored.