Most of the literature dealing with intercultural communication presupposes that communication is a tool for some other purpose like selling shoes or making a personal relationship ""work."" Such an assumption is what has given rise to the idea that intercultural communication can be ""problematic.

Much of the justification for doing intercultural communication research is that business, world peace, and security are contingent on our ability to communicate effectively across cultural and national boundaries (which are not the same thing as evinced by ethnic civil wars within national boundaries).

Intercultural Communication and Global Integration presents the reader with a three-part approach to intercultural communication; communication, culture, and consciousness. Intercultural Communication and Global Integration argues that communication, culture, and consciousness combine to form one's intercultural perspectives. The tool of language is central to understanding the relationships between these three elements.

While most tend to view these three areas as separate parts, the reader will see they are much more integrated than most typically think. For example, the relationship between communication and culture is so close that there are those who have argued that principles of communication are virtually identical with anthropological descriptions.

Intercultural Communication and Global Integration includes student centered pedagogical features in each chapter, such as:

Topics/Objectives
Pre-Chapter questions that help the reader focus his/her reading
References
Charts, photos, and diagrams