On the Emergence of 'Culture' and 'Cultural Difference' in Group Interviews about Health and Diabetes

Authors:

• Alan Hansen (Texas A&M Univ, Corpus Christi)
• Kelly M. Quintanilla (Texas A&M Univ, Corpus Christi)
• Anna Akins (Texas A&M Univ, Corpus Christi)

Abstract:

Much of Intercultural Communication (ICC) scholarship is interested in the "intercultural encounter": interaction between people who are from different cultures. Taking culture to be emergent in social interaction, in this paper we examine group interviews involving Hispanic adults about health and diabetes. Culture emerges in the group interviews as participants treat objects (practices, etc.) as cultural in performing interactional tasks such as explaining, account-making, and managing face-threat. Such close analysis of the emergence of culture in interaction may help ICC scholars enter interdisciplinary discussion of effective health care delivery in an increasing culturally-diverse and -complex world.