Redefinition of intercultural communication competence: Navigating towards an inclusive framework for coexistence in maritime education in Turkey

Abstract

Maritime education and training serve as a fundamental pillar of the global maritime sector through the cultivation of competent professionals equipped to manage the evolving and increasingly intricate challenges of modern maritime operations. Given the continuing conceptual confusion surrounding the definition of intercultural communication competence (ICC), it was aimed with this study to trace the conceptual framework of ICC drawing on the perspectives of learners-students as future intercultural mediators and speakers from Maritime Higher Vocational School in Turkey. As a qualitative research method, a case study design was employed. Participants, selected through criterion sampling, consisted of students enrolled in an associate degree program of Maritime Transportation and Management, and Ship Machinery Management. Data obtained from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis. So, ICC was framed as a political initiative to promote intercultural dialogue, collaboration, and coexistence among diverse cultures, thereby fostering peaceful unity in navigating multicultural contexts. Therefore, preparing future navigators for their expected roles as intercultural speakers, mediators and negotiators is of paramount importance. Consequently, by reframing ICC as a tool for inclusive coexistence, potential challenges related to its implementation require meticulous consideration within the prevailing power dynamics, and warrant further examination.