Language, Individual & Society, Volume 18, 2024

Abstract: One essential component for training students in international communication includes the attention to culture and intercultural interaction. However, since the process of globalization has spread many common practices across the surface level of society, it is critical to consider its effects on our current representation of culture and cultural practices. This includes a reexamination of the cultural models which have traditionally been taught. Specifically, I propose that certain global behaviors are apparent and frequent enough to constitute a collective of shared norms and practices, and I call this level of shared behaviors the metaculture. The metaculture provides us with a convenient way to look at how people act within a globalized context and helps us define certain traits or values that take on a more universal acceptance. I argue that by its very nature, the metaculture is constantly being redefined, and offers us a unique paradigm through which to approach our experiences in the context in which they take place. I also propose a sliding scale model of cultural interaction which offers a more dynamic and context-based approach to describing interactional behavior.