Knowing Through Asynchronous Time and Space: A Phenomenological Study of Cultural Differences in Online Interaction

Abstract

This chapter reports the results of a study that employed phenomenological and dialectical perspectives to explore cultural differences in computer-mediated communication. An analysis of the dialectic of minimization and amplification manifested in students’ online experiences and the significance of contextual variations, power structures, and other features of online interactions allow us to see the processual, relational, and contradictory nature of cultural differences online. They also provide information that can facilitate more effective intercultural online interactions in the future.