ABSTRACT In this paper, we introduce a collection of articles included into thematic issue on multicultural discourses in ‘Emerging States’. Along with discussing challenges all multicultural and multiethnic societies are facing under ongoing digitalization process (digital divide, challenges to ethnic and community media, etc.), we focus on several themes that deserve further investigation by scholars. Among those are current communication and media policy aimed at supporting offline and online activities of cultural, linguistic and ethnic groups in ‘Emerging States’ as well as intercultural communication; social, political, economic, technological and cultural transformations ‘Emerging States’ evolved in twenty to twenty-first centuries and the way these transformations influenced cross-cultural communication and people’s identities from a cultural discourse studies perspective; digital communication as a dimension of ‘soft power’ in ‘Emerging States’, and many other topics.

ABSTRACTWritten from the Global North, this paper offers an account of the interactional sociolinguistic underpinnings of research on language crossing, discusses the five papers in this special issue, and sets them both within the broader context of North/South knowledge production.

ABSTRACT This study has bifold aims: first it tries to place cultural discourse studies (CDS) in the context of de-Westernization approaches in the field of international science in general, and in communication studies in particular. Second, the study empirically tests whether CDS, through its flagship Journal of Multicultural Discourses, is able to implement its policies towards a more inclusive, diverse and culturally balanced academic field that investigates the role of discourse and communication in an international context. Findings indicate that CDS is an academic subfield which is much more diverse and inclusive in terms of both editorial diversity and publication output, while intercultural collaboration should be further developed.

ABSTRACTWithin the framework of Lakoff and Johnson cognitive theory (2003. Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press), we explore the use of metaphor in the English and Russian economic discourses as the means to create a metaphorical field, comprising culture-specific and universally shared cognitive blends. We apply the cognitive and comparative analyses to metaphor, which shapes the Economy concept as a cultural code in a corpus of economic texts from English and Russian press. The approach helps to reveal the associative links between source and target domains within metaphorical mappings. Thus, metaphors ECONOMY IS A ROAD, ECONOMY IS AN ANIMAL, ECONOMY IS A DISEASE, ECONOMY IS FOOD, and ECONOMY IS A MECHANISM are common for both languages. For the English language, unique, culturally determined metaphors are ECONOMY IS FIRE and ECONOMY IS STORM, whereas for the Russian language, they are ECONOMY IS THE BOTTOM and ECONOMY IS CLIMATE. Therefore, metaphorical codes in a given language account for risks, opportunities and uncertainties of systematically different economies through multicultural discourse interpretation.

ABSTRACTFlew, Ryan and Su's study of The Rap of China invites us to consider how the surprising success of this reality talent show reflects core debates concerning global media, cultural imperialism and popular culture's capacity to foster resistance. This article elaborates on the authors' assertion that communication and culture have historically provided conflicting perspectives on the local impact of global media forms. Flew Ryan and Su mention Raymond Williams' definition of culture as a key conceptual moment in this history. Significantly, Williams' definition was criticized for its ‘communication’ overtones. In particular, Williams was upbraided for paying too little attention to the role of conflict in culture. This article explores these criticisms of Williams, as a means of engaging critically with Flew, Ryan and Su's exploration of resistance, as it applies to The Rap of China.

ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the ways in which black African immigrants (BAIs) in Johannesburg claim ethnic identities through strategic practices involving multiple affordances that go beyond language competence. Drawing on a qualitative study consisting of data from interviews with BAIs, this article argues that BAIs claim specific ethnic identities through self-styling, for instance, wearing clothes they perceive to be ‘ethnic’ style markers and in some cases bleaching their skin as part of their in-group identity work. Extending the idea of language crossing, the article contends that although these practices resemble elements of crossing, BAIs are not necessarily taking on out-group ethnic identity markers as would be the case in language crossing; instead, these practices are for in-group self-identification and extend beyond tokens to other affordances. These self-styling practices do not necessarily represent solidarity or identification with a particular group per se, but rather, are indicative of a strategic choice necessitated by the state of precarity which BAIs face in South Africa. The conclusion drawn from these practices is that self-styling disarticulates the close relationship between language and ethnicity, allowing BAIs to claim an ethnic identity even in instances where they have limited or no proficiency in the relevant language.

ABSTRACTInternational security is organized in a series of practices that seek to define and respond to security threats in a particular geography or threats and risks emanating from an issue of importance to international security. The major practices in this regard have been both exclusive and inclusive policies addressing security threats and risks. Increasingly, inclusive security policies are not an exception to security practices of the states. With the turn of the century, a number of mass popular protests have occurred throughout the world, including in Russia, Turkey, Macedonia and in other places. In response to these mass popular protests, the attitude of the governments and of the majority populations has mainly been exclusive. This article systematically maps different approaches to the relationship between protests and security as discourses. The protests have been initially defined as a security threat by a range of political actors and analysts as well as by large numbers of ordinary people. However, the attitude of the governments often has characteristics that can be classified as appeasing or inclusive. In this context, the popular protests have come to be tolerated by the governments and by society. The article labels this toleration and acceptance as a practice of ‘inclusive security’.

A hit at news headlines indicates that race relations are daily concerns of politicians especially in the ‘West’. Yet race, mobility and migration are a condition of human nature, where people must...

ABSTRACTThis article serves as an introduction to studying the role and place of development communication for the special issue on ‘Media and Communication in Development and Social Change’. It explores the scholarship and practice of media and communication for development, social justice, and the empowerment of individuals and communities around the globe. This article will briefly trace the history of development communication (devcom), present diverse approaches, and critique these approaches and the embedded discourse of development and change as articulated in the modernization paradigm. Briefly, it will provide ideas and a model for devcom in the early phase of the twenty-first century. In addition, this article will serve as an introduction to the articles included in this special issue.

ABSTRACTIn this article, I argue that Marshall McLuhan’s underexplored notion of the ‘City as Classroom’ can provide a robust model of education that can serve as an important foundation for social justice and civic action. Infusing McLuhan’s model with conceptual insights from critical pedagogy, I offer a situated education of everyday life that allows for creative and adaptive resources for navigating broader fields of power in a variety of socio-cultural contexts.