Advancing Theory in Language, Communication, and Intergroup Relations

Abstract

The chapter presents a new perspective on language and intergroup communication, focused on a set of principles derived from the literatures in social categorization and identity. These principles broadly address the dynamic nature of identity, the fact that it is negotiated in interaction, and that identities gain their meaning from the social context (i.e., that dyads and larger groups may feature people who share or do not share identities). These insights are integrated into the novel perspective, which discusses various dynamic ways in which dyads can shift from being “intragroup” (matched) to “intergroup” (mismatched) over time, and the implications of such shifts for the nature of communication in those dyads. The chapter closes by reflecting on Howard Giles’ approach to research in the context of the theoretical observations presented.