Our research focuses on questions of power and identity in intercultural communication with the aim of enhancing understandings of linguistic, historical and literary transformations of human cultures and communities. The dynamic collaboration between Language and Communication Studies and American Studies fosters interrogation of intellectual paradigms and expands global contexts of research. We prioritise research that enables community awareness and social justice practice transformation.
Our strategy is to explore transnational and global issues through four interdisciplinary research groups organised around interdisciplinary conceptual themes. These groups engage in important collaborative projects with universities in UK, the US and countries on other continents. We emphasise collaborative mentoring for our expanding network of researchers and provide active support to research processes and to the building of external links with communities, industries and the public. Our commitment is to innovative interdisciplinary projects that emphasise knowledge exchange, partnerships outside the academic sphere and public engagement and awareness-building.
This research has had significant impacts on civil society, cultural heritage, intercultural communication, legal contexts and public discourse, with proven outcomes from collaborations with professionals (film-makers, interpreters, lawyers, police, teachers), communities facing particular intercultural challenges (native communities, immigrants to Norfolk), and the general public (local children, visitors to special events).
We are involved in an impressive, regular foregrounding of research in Norwich public events - annual American Independence Day events and Black History Month enhancing public knowledge of racial issues on many community fronts (Fraser et al) and strategy-changing collaborative projects with Norfolk Constabulary (Filipović), translation & communication training (de Pablos-Ortega, Filipović, Guillot, Musolff, Pounds) Norwich City Football Club (Baines), children's Eco-Poetry workshops (Selby) .
Our research is changing health care communication practices (Pounds) and professional translation quality (Drugan).
Contacts
If you have a research proposal that you would like to discuss, or any questions about the Postgraduate research that goes on here, please contact Dr Kim Ridealgh