Speech Culture and Deliberative Practices: Negotiating Local Norms in Multicultural Contexts

Abstract

This article explores how culturally shaped “speech culture” influences deliberative communication in multicultural contexts, with a focus on how participants negotiate local norms to foster understanding. Drawing on intercultural communication theory and discourse analysis, the study examines deliberative interactions across diverse cultural settings. Qualitative case analyses – including student forums and parliamentary debates – reveal that deliberation is not a culturally neutral process but one deeply shaped by local communication norms. Participants often reference both universal deliberative principles and culturally specific ways of speaking, using metadiscourse (talk about talk) to bridge differences. Key theoretical frameworks (Speech Codes Theory, Politeness Theory, and Face-Negotiation Theory) illuminate how communicative codes, politeness strategies, and face concerns vary across cultures and affect deliberation. Findings indicate that when individuals are mindful of divergent norms and actively negotiate them, they can integrate local speech practices into deliberative dialogue, enhancing mutual respect and clarity. The article discusses implications for language education – advocating the teaching of intercultural pragmatics – and for practitioners facilitating multicultural dialogue. It concludes that embracing speech culture differences as an asset, rather than a barrier, can lead to more inclusive deliberation and suggests avenues for future research on intercultural deliberative competence.