Communication competence problematics in ethnic friendships

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between ethnic background and emergent cultural competencies in friendships in the United States. A discursive, interpretive perspective served to delineate normative dimensions in competent intra‐and intercultural friendships involving Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Anglo Americans. Competence was approached as a problematic set of predicaments in which interlocutors co‐construct identities and coordinate action. Similarities and differences in competencies were pinpointed through identification of norms—appropriate conduct for ethnic identity, gender, and relationship—as well as outcomes‐the resulting feelings about self, other, the topic, and the friendship. The competencies identified in this study are consistent with core symbols identified in the discourse of friends in previous studies, in that Latinos emphasized relational support, Asian Americans emphasized a caring, positive exchange of ideas, African Americans emphasized respect and acceptance, and Anglo Americans emphasized recognizing the needs of the individual.