Intercultural Communication: A Layered Approach was the first textbook on the topic of communication that I have attempted to approach.  Like any textbook it’s a bit daunting and it conjures memories of long lectures and tedious reading assignments, but it is a well-written introduction to intercultural communications.   Author John G. Oetzel provides an overview of the topics relating to intercultural communication while maintaining significant detail and depth to empower further studies of communication.  It's powerfully relevant to planning and community development because it focuses on one of the most basic elements we tend to overlook: communication. (More after the jump)

As the title implies, Oetzel breaks down each topic using “a layered approach”.  This approach allows the reader to understand the implications of communication at a variety of levels (interpersonal, organizational, and cultural).  The book itself is divided into five sections: Introduction, the Individual, Interpersonal Relationships, Organizational Contexts, and Community and Societal Contexts.  These sections cover a wealth of information while maintaining a sense of interrelation throughout all of the topics in the book.

In terms of using this book for a class (as in my case), it is a little overwhelming.  There are a lot of terms and concepts that are put out in each chapter and the chapter summaries don’t do a terrific job of reviewing all of the major items.  If you are looking for a general reference textbook on intercultural communication, I would recommend Intercultural Communication: A Layered Approach as it does include a detailed glossary and index and explains concepts in an easily relatable manner.  In any setting the information is delivered in a way that allows it to be easily understood and digested, but depending on your level of knowledge it may take you additional time to really work through the ideas.

Oetzel works to dispel the idea of culture as a function of ethnicity.  Throughout Intercultural Communication he explains the evolutionary nature of culture as well as the different facets of which culture is comprised.  While the term “intercultural” might imply that the text is useful only to those who work in sectors that are rife with cultural differences due to forces such as globalization, Oetzel writes about communication in a way that allows the reader to recognize how to understand and improve communication with anyone from a different background.  Of particular interest to the planner and community development types is the information that Oetzel presents regarding intercultural communications in the context of community.  Oetzel takes the time to flesh out the key concepts of community and explains how observing best practices for intercultural communication can be of use in building community.