“Dialogue” in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Japanese, Korean, and Russian Discourses

Dialogue has become a key, cultural term in global English. Pleas for its use and enactment are prominent in many spheres of international activity. Following earlier works, this article explores terms (or characters) and practices which relate to dialogue in three cultural discourses: Japanese, Korean, and Russian. Revealed for each are the distinctive goals being targeted, implicit moral rules for conduct, as well as the proper tone, mode, and interactional structure at play. The distinctive features in each discourse of dialogue are discussed, as well as common features. Cross-cultural knowledge of this kind can clarify and address vexing problems such as the cultural balancing of information and truth with relational concerns.