Thinking Globally, Composing Locally.
An Interview with Kirk St. Amant & Rich Rice, by Gustav Verhulsdonck
Future Work: What do you have planned as your own next steps for engaging with or examining this topic?
"At present, I'm engaged in research on identifying different friction points with the objective of investigating and testing them. I plan to test these prospective friction points by partnering with colleagues teaching in other nations and having our students use online media to engage in interactions in which such friction points would be present."
-Kirk St. Amant
KIRK:
At present, I'm engaged in research on identifying different friction points with the objective of investigating and testing them. To do so, I've begun a review of the literature in online communication to look for trends or patterns noted in how individuals communicate online. At the same time, I'm doing a review of the literature on intercultural communication to identify areas where the research has noted cultural differences lead to communication issues across cultures. My goal is to then compare the findings from the literature on online communication to those in the literature on intercultural communication to identify prospective friction points: areas where the research in one area seems to conflict with that of the other in terms of communication behavior. (For example, the research in online communication might note that individuals are more likely to disclose personal details online while the research in intercultural communication might note a split in terms of what different cultures disclose.)
"My goal is to begin to identify such friction points and attempt to understand how they affect international online interactions in order to develop strategies for addressing or avoiding them in online exchanges."
Next, I plan to test these prospective friction points by partnering with colleagues teaching in other nations and have our students use online media to engage in interactions in which such friction points would be present. The results of this initial research could lead to a refining of the initial friction points examined and a repeat of the testing process with groups from different cultures.
I guess you could say my goal is to begin to identify such friction points and attempt to understand how they affect international online interactions in order to develop strategies for addressing or avoiding them in online exchanges.
Top of Page Author Bios
—webtext & interview by Gustav Verhulsdonck 2017
