Postcolonial theory has reshaped intercultural communication, shifting the focus from cultural differences to power imbalances. While its theoretical insights are promising, calls for decolonization often feel symbolic, lacking structural change. Overuse risks reducing it to rhetoric rather than a driver of transformation. Exemplified by the Decolonization of Global Health discourse, especially since COVID-19, postcolonial ideas are frequently invoked without meaningful action. Despite increased awareness, actual change remains elusive in this field. This discussion bridges the gap between critique and action, emphasizing the implications for intercultural communication research and underscoring the need for precise and transformative engagement with postcolonial thought.
Lothar Heinrich (Wed,) studied this question.