Ethnography and Cross Cultural Pragmatics: A Framework for Comparison

Abstract

It is in the context of interdisciplinary research that applied linguists and others conducting studies in the area of cross cultural pragmatics (the study of miscommunication resulting from pragmatic differences between languages) are working with ethnographers (who describe and interpret cultural behavior in context, including patterns of social interaction) with the mutual goal of increasing our understanding of cross-cultural communication. Although we feel that a relationship naturally exists between ethnography and cross cultural pragmatics, we view that relationship as currently murky and underspecified. The purposes of this paper are to clarify the assumptions underlying ethnography and pragmatics and 0o suggest ways in which experts in these fields may productively work together.