Constructing Co-Cultural Theory

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.