Teaching Critical Moments within Neoliberal Universities: Exploring Critical Intercultural Communication Pedagogy

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to understand critical intercultural communication pedagogy (CICP) and the struggles associated with how to teach intercultural communication from a critical perspective. We explore the nexus of critical communication pedagogy and critical intercultural communication by analysing interview discourses with fifteen self-identified critical intercultural communication instructors across the United States. The analysis revealed themes featuring: (1) embodying accountability in CICP instruction; (2) challenging white supremacy and U.S. imperialism within neoliberal universities; and (3) calling for support on how to teach critical moments. We offer an extension of current conceptualizations of CICP and future directions.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical pedagogy
• intercultural communication
• intersectionality
• whiteness
• body politics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yea-Wen Chen

Yea-Wen Chen (M.A. University of North Texas, Ph.D. University of New Mexico) is an Associate Professor at San Diego State University. Her research investigates how communication--including silence--about cultural identities impacts equity, inclusion, and social justice across contexts such as pedagogy, intercultural relating, and nonprofit organizing. She is also a Professor of Equity leading seminars on implicit biases and microaggressions on her campus.

Brandi Lawless

Brandi Lawless (M.A. San Francisco State University, Ph.D. University of New Mexico) is an Associate Professor at the University of San Francisco. Her research explores the intersections of race, class, gender, and nationality in a variety of contexts in higher education and nonprofit contexts. Her work appears in Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Communication Education, Howard Journal of Communication, Critical Studies<=>Cultural Methodologies, Women’s Studies in Communication, Journal of Communication Pedagogy, and Communication Teacher as well as several edited collections.