2.2 Introduction

At no time in human history have the opportunities for contact and communication between individuals, groups and organisations around the globe been greater. Because of this growing worldwide interconnectedness, migration and mobility, societies find themselves dealing with people who grew up in different cultural and institutional environments or have different family migratory histories. We are therefore experiencing flows of goods, thoughts and information, which accelerate the  mixing of cultural elements and give us the opportunity (or challenge) to adapt to hitherto unknown lifestyles. These developments have caused us to rethink our understanding of culture and reflect on the impact of culture on our daily lives. It has also led to the need for both cultural understanding as well as the establishment of common ground when meeting people. We might ask, for example, 'How and why do we differ and what brings us together?' Intercultural communication has in fact become part of our daily actions at home, in school, at work and elsewhere.

Before we analyse intercultural situations in more detail and explore what interculturality means, let us look at a few examples that show the heterogeneity and diversity of people and their lifeworlds.