Mapping multidimensional aspects of research: Reaching to intercultural rhetoric

This chapter traces the history of contrastive rhetoric and offers an agenda for expansion. Postmodern mapping methods are introduced to examine the effects of three major developments in discourse on the theory and methods of contrastive rhetoric research. The first map considers writing as a socially constructed activity and suggests that the study of writing should not be limited to texts but should consider the social practices surrounding it. The second map considers “small” cultures and draws attention to the important roles of disciplinary and other such small cultures. The third map introduces the study of writing as an intercultural encounter where writers are interacting in the production and comprehension of texts. Contrastive rhetoric needs to study writing as it is taking place in today’s instant and global message making environment, in addition to studying written products cross-culturally. The chapter argues for the expansion of the contrastive rhetoric research agenda and ends by proposing a name change to “intercultural rhetoric.”