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Article
Communication Accommodation Theory and Intergroup Communication
Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication
  • Yan Bing Zhang
  • Makiko Imamura, Saint Mary's College of California
SMC Author
Makiko Imamura
Status
Faculty
School
School of Liberal Arts
Department
Communication
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Editor
H. Giles & J. Harwood
Publisher/Venue
New York: Oxford University Press
Description/Abstract

Group memberships provide a system of orientation for self-definition and self-reference in the process of relating to and managing social distance with others, and the use of language and communication serve central roles in the processes. In the nearly four decades since its inception as speech accommodation theory, communication accommodation theory has been used in multidisciplinary, multilingual, and multicultural contexts for understanding when, how, and why we, as speakers, accommodate to each other’s languages and styles of communication. In CAT’s theoretical domain, accommodation refers to the ability, willingness, and strategies to adjust, modify, or regulate individuals’ language use and communication behaviors. Specifically, approximation strategies such as convergence, divergence, maintenance, and complementarity are conceptualized in the earlier developmental stages of CAT, with other strategies such as interpretability, discourse management, and interpersonal control added to the list at later stages. With its strong intergroup features, CAT is a robust theory that offers explicit motivational analysis to account for intergroup communication behaviors and intergroup relations. Blossomed initially in a multilingual and multicultural context in Quebec, Canada in the 1970s, CAT connects well with other existing theories on cultural adaptation, intergroup contact, and intergroup relations. Yet, CAT distinguishes itself from other theories as it attends to the interactive communication acts and processes and relates them to other sociocultural constructs, while interpreting and predicting the social, relational, and identity outcomes.

Keywords
  • communication accommodation theory,
  • intergroup communication,
  • intergroup contact,
  • intercultural communication,
  • intergenerational communication,
  • aging,
  • health
Scholarly
Yes
DOI
10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.484
Original Citation

Zhang, Y. B., & Imamura, M., “Communication accommodation theory and intergroup communication.” In H. Giles & J. Harwood (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication.” New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Citation Information
Yan Bing Zhang and Makiko Imamura. "Communication Accommodation Theory and Intergroup Communication" Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication (2017)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/makiko-imamura/10/