Unlocking the Master Narrative: History and Intercultural Communication

By combining research and analysis from the fields of American history and intercultural communication, Unlocking the Master Narrative: History and Intercultural Communication helps students examine why we communicate the way in which we do, taking into account history, culture, worldviews, and the myriad ways in which we share information. 

The book examines numerous co-cultures within the United States—including those of indigenous peoples, African Americans, Caucasians, Mexican Americans, and Chinese Americans—with special emphasis on the historic perspective of each group’s experiences and struggles. The examination deepens as students learn how the role of communication within these groups evolved as a result of those experiences and struggles, and how communication styles and patterns continue to influence and shape these cultural groups today. 

Unique in approach and cross-disciplinary in nature, Unlocking the Master Narrative provides students with a revolutionary lens that helps them understand each other more deeply and distinctively. The book is well-suited for courses in American history, intercultural communication, ethnic and cultural studies, sociology, and anthropology.

Scott M. Finnie, Ph.D., is director of the Africana Studies Program at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington, and has published numerous articles in the arena of civil rights and African American history.

Angela Davis Wizner, M.A., is an educator in the Department of Communication Studies at Spokane Community College in Spokane, Washington, and has 30 years of experience as an author, trainer, and activist in social justice issues.