"In this book, we attempt to integrate three different research approaches: (1) the traditional social-psychological approach that emphasizes cultural differences and how these differences influence communication, (2) the interpretive approach that emphasizes understanding communication in context, and (3) the critical approach that underscores the importance of power and historical context to understanding intercultural communication, including postcolonial approaches. We believe that each of these approaches has important contributions to make to the understanding of intercultural communication and that they operate in interconnected and sometimes contradictory ways. In this eighth edition, we have further strengthened our dialectical approach, which encourages students to think critically about intercultural phenomena as seen from these various perspectives." (Preface, p.xx)