Towards an integrated strategy for intercultural dialog: Computer-mediated communication and face to face

This article seeks to provide a preliminary framework for advancing intercultural dialog, from the point of view of political science, social psychology, and anthropology as it relates to computer-mediated communication (CMC) and face-to-face (FTF) contact. It offers a basis for integrating elements which hithertofore have not been integrated as part of a strategy for intercultural dialog. In an age of intercivilizational conflict it is a vital challenge to facilitate a sustained dialog and relationship building between cultures both in FTF contexts (encounters) and via CMC for both political dialog and business activity. Combined with general theoretical elements, focus is placed upon the Middle East and includes references to several case studies. Given the need as well to engage larger segments of the world in communication and dialog such as the Islamic periphery references have also been made to South Asia. This article: (1) begins with a discussion of the vital importance of culture in international and intergroup relations; (2) relates to the importance of political context; (3) reviews main social psychological approaches for fostering positive perceptions between groups in conflict; and (4) refers to a case study of Israeli-Palestinian FTF intercultural dialog and finally relate to theory and practice of intercultural CMC in the Middle East. As an added element this article also relates to relevant communication styles in portions of the Islamic world in the Far East which has relevance to discourse in the Middle East.