Constructing Co-Cultural Theory cover

Constructing Co-Cultural Theory

by Mark P. Orbe

How do people traditionally situated on the margins of society - people of color, women, gays/lesbians/bisexuals, and those from a lower socio-economic status - communicate within the dominant societal structures? Grounded in muted group and standpoint theory, Constructing Co-cultural Theory presents a phenomenological framework for understanding the intricate relationship between culture, power, and communication. This volume includes a review and critique of the literature on co-cultural communication, a description of how the perspective of co-cultural group members was involved in each stage of theory development, an explication of 25 co-cultural communication strategies, and a model of six factors that influence strategy selection. The final chapter examines how co-cultural theory correlates with other work in communication generally and in intercultural communication specifically. Author Mark P. Orbe considers the inherent limitations of his framework and the implication for future research in this area.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?