Intergroup Communication

Distinguishing Intergroup Communication Research

There is no universally agreed upon definition of what distinguishes intergroup communication research from its theoretically adjacent neighbors. This is especially true when trying to discern where intergroup communication begins and intercultural communication ends. A study labeled “intercultural” by one researcher might be considered “intergroup” by another. In many of those instances, it might rightly be considered both. However, for the purposes of this entry and for discussing empirical approaches to intergroup communication research, intergroup communication is defined as a social scientific examination of the transcontextual effects of identity and communication.

Stating that intergroup communication scholars are interested in “transcontextual” effects suggests that these scholars are interested in communication phenomena that can generalize across a wide variety of intergroup and intercultural contexts. This interest is rooted in the social scientific worldview that there are nomothetic truths or truths that apply beyond the individual to the aggregate. On the other hand, intercultural communication tends to be more concerned with idiographic truths. Thus, while an intercultural communication scholar might ask how cultural differences endemic to the United States and Mexico foster idiosyncratic conflicts during business negotiations, an intergroup communication scholar might instead ask whether, in general, strongly identifying as a member of a group (be it nationality, ethnicity, or alma mater) makes it more difficult to compromise in business dealings relevant to that identity. Alternatively, an intergroup scholar might look at how intergroup communication is systematically affected by a cultural trait that is variable but relevant across cultures (e.g., collectivism). In essence, intergroup scholarship is less focused on how the ideographic nuances of any particular culture affect intercultural communication and more focused on the underlying variables reflected in all types of identity that exert a more universal influence on how individuals communicate.

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