Abstract
While investigating various models of socialization and construction of self, it is argued in favour of Milton Bennett's developmental model of intercultural sensitivity, the importance of intercultural communicative competence as well as the significance of intercultural communication in general. Classical developmental models elaborated by authors such as Sigmund Freud, Lawrence Kohlberg, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann put emphasis on the relevance of primary and secondary socialization and some of them also considered defence mechanisms against alternative cultural and symbolic worlds.
On the other hand, Milton Bennett's scale or developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS) has managed to describe different responses to cultural differences; under the circumstances of globalization the most important contribution of it to developmental theories and intercultural communication has been the original thesis that an individual can move from ethnocentric phase to ethnorelative one. The ethnocentric phase has been characterised by several stages such as denial of difference (the individual becomes aware of difference between cultures), defence against difference (the person is introduced to similarities between cultures) and minimalisation of difference (the person understands the importance of intercultural difference); the ethnorelative one has been determined by acceptance of difference (the individual becomes aware of other cultures) adaptation to difference and integration of difference (individual develops empathy towards the other culture).
Apart from the comparison to classical models, the introduction and the conclusion point to alternative perspectives on cultural differences that have been presented by authors such as Edward Hall, Geert Hofstede, Ingrid Piller, Fons Trompenaars, etc.