Mapping the Coconstruction of Meaning

Located in the nexus of visual
communication and intercultural communication, the research
covered visual communication and meaning-making theories,
social construction and constructivist theories, theories
about cultural differences, and theories concerning
communication patterns, in particular communication
networks. Integral theory provided the foundation for
developing two new models. The data demonstrated that
groups' communication patterns were projected into the
gestalt of the visual maps, and the coconstruction of
meaning was not found in the individuals' personal frames,
but in the communication pattern between them - not in the
elements of the visual map but in the gestalt. The cocreated
meaning was confirmed in a self-organized seating
constellation that mirrored the hierarchy of the groups to
each other and exposed, subconsciously, the roles
individuals had played. Data suggested a paradigm shift
into polyculturalism with transcultural communication forms,
and the potential multipositionality and contextuality of
cultural hybrids, leading to the hypothesis that culture has
become an available design.