%0 Journal Article
%A Shen Weiwei
%A Steve J. Kulich
%A Michael Steppat
%D 2026
%C Berlin, Germany
%I Peter Lang Verlag
%J Journal of Intercultural Communication & Interactions Research
%@ 2768-1459
%N 1
%V 5
%T Grappling with the Intersections of Intercultural Communication and Comparative Literature: Texts, Meaning, Identities, Interculturality, and AI (Interviews, Part 1)
%R 10.3726/jicir.2026.1.0004
%U https://www.peterlang.com/document/1741194
%X With historically stronger social science roots, intercultural communication (IC) differs greatly in aims and methods from the textual study of fictional literature and film. Yet sometimes, as in Chinese higher education, these fields are grouped together to advance the broader rubric of “language and culture” or “comparative literature” studies. This seems to detract from or downplay IC as a discipline in its own right, urging questions such as: might the study of fiction make meaningful contributions to genuine IC concerns in research and training? What approaches, topics, or issues might enhance or divert IC research? At the same time, both IC and literary study are now affected and challenged by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Does this change the disciplinary orientation of each? Answers to these questions are offered, from complementary angles, by academics with expertise in each field: Steve Kulich for IC and Michael Steppat for literary studies. The discussion presented here takes the shape of an interview, in several sessions, conducted by a young scholar who is engaged in both fields. It covers these main aspects: the directions and priorities of intercultural study; the social sciences in relation to the study of literature and the humanities; and some interrelated themes or intersections facing both, from hybridity to artificial intelligence. Each topic area leads to subtopics that are directly relevant to the main inquiry, which hopefully contribute toward finding answers that have bearing on the future development of IC studies as an interdisciplinary field. The aim is to gain new insights into whether and how intercultural and literary studies might find any common ground, or where mergers of approaches are challenging and why. The discussion also includes attention to area studies and artificial intelligence. To clarify this mutual bidirectional inquiry, the discussants suggest rethinking the relationship between the cognitive and affective dimensions of interdisciplinary engagement, and their respective roles in shaping attitudes, conduct, and approaches to the study of humans in cultural contexts.
%K Intercultural communication, fiction, film, narrative, interaction, hybridity, area studies, artificial intelligence, affective dimension