Zur interkulturellen Kommunikation in einem Land, das irgendwie zwischen Südafrika und Deutschland liegt

Abstract

This paper focuses on a variety of intercultural concepts that are being used in the course »Intercultural Communication « at the University of Namibia (UNAM). In order to un derstand why exactly these concepts are used, Namibia’s colonial history pertaining to Germany and South Africa is mentioned as well as the prevailing results of the apartheid era. In South Africa they are seen as an upswing in blatant racism while in Namibia they become more obvious in the form of tribalism. To help students achieve a more comprehen sive concept of culture they are made aware that culture is more than dancing and eating traditional food. This awareness is raised by using Bausinger’s (1980) narrow definition of culture on the one hand, which results in their Culture Profile 1. This is then contrasted with the Culture Profile 2 which refers to Hofstede’s (1991) dimensions in combination with Trompenaars’ (1997) pairs. However, both are used in a modified manner suitable for the Namibian context and henceforth called ›dimensions according to Zappen-Thomson‹. This can facilitate intercultural communication within the country and in the long run assist in countering the negative effects of tribalism.