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What is Co-Cultural Communication Theory?

Co-Cultural Communication Theory, often referred to as Co-Cultural Theory, is a framework within the field of communication studies that focuses on the interactions between dominant cultures and co-cultural groups within a society. Developed by Mark Orbe in 1996, this theory emphasizes the communication strategies and experiences of marginalized or non-dominant groups as they navigate within a predominantly dominant culture.

The theory posits that within any society, there exist co-cultural groups with distinct norms, values, beliefs, and communication practices that differ from those of the dominant or mainstream culture. These co-cultural groups can encompass various communities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and other identity markers.

Co-cultural theory explores how individuals or groups from these co-cultural backgrounds adapt, negotiate, and strategize their communication behaviors within the dominant culture to achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and address the power differentials inherent in the societal structure. Co-Cultural Communication Theory provides a crucial framework for understanding the dynamics of communication between dominant cultures and co-cultural groups.

Understanding the framework developed by Mark Orbe in 1996 is crucial to comprehend how co-culture operates. The co-culture theory was created to provide a voice for minority cultures. Orbe identified five primary points and five significant factors associated with co-culture theory. These primary factors serve to identify the preferred outcomes concerning intercultural communication.

Co-Cultural Communication Theory posits three potential outcomes in the co-cultural communication process: assimilation, accommodation, or separation.

Co-cultural Communication Theory highlights three commonly recognized outcomes or strategies: assimilation, accommodation, and separation. These strategies reflect how co-cultural groups navigate their interactions with the dominant culture.


 * Assimilation involves the adoption of the dominant culture's norms, values, behaviors, and communication patterns. The goal is to integrate into the dominant society by minimizing cultural differences and adapting to the mainstream culture's expectations. Assimilation aims to gain acceptance, access resources, and reduce discrimination or marginalization experienced by the co-cultural group. However, it can result in the loss of cultural identity, language, and traditions.
 * Assimilation: fitting into the main culture while also diminishing one’s own culture.


 * Accommodation refers to retaining cultural identity while adapting certain aspects of communication to align with the dominant culture. Accommodation allows for a balance between maintaining one's cultural heritage and making adjustments to facilitate smoother interactions with the dominant culture. Co-cultural groups practicing accommodation might selectively modify their communication styles or behaviors to navigate within the dominant culture without fully assimilating.
 * Accommodation: to encourage one another to maintain their own main culture.


 * Separation involves maintaining distinct cultural practices, norms, and communication patterns without seeking assimilation or accommodation into the dominant culture. Co-cultural groups opting for separation emphasize preserving their cultural identity and autonomy. This strategy may lead to limited interaction with the dominant culture, creating boundaries to protect their traditions, language, and values. However, it might also result in social isolation or exclusion from opportunities available within the dominant society.
 * Separation: resisting to become involved or overtaken by the main culture.

These outcomes or strategies are not mutually exclusive and can be fluid, depending on the context, goals, and experiences of co-cultural groups. Individuals or groups may employ a combination of these strategies in different situations or at various stages of their interactions within the dominant culture. Co-cultural Communication Theory recognizes the complexities of these strategies and emphasizes the agency of co-cultural groups in choosing how to navigate their communication and cultural integration within a diverse society.

Co-Cultural Communication Theory: Assimilation

Assimilation, as per the co-cultural communication theory, pertains to the phenomenon whereby individuals or groups from co-cultural backgrounds adopt the dominant culture's norms, values, behaviors, and communication patterns. This assimilation typically transpires due to the aspiration to conform to the mainstream culture, gain acceptance, and mitigate communication and social integration obstacles.

Assimilation is a process that often results from a desire to conform to mainstream culture, gain acceptance, and overcome communication and social integration barriers. This decision is driven by various factors, including the need to access resources, opportunities, social mobility, and mitigate discrimination, prejudice, or marginalization experienced by the co-cultural group. Assimilation is often viewed as a coping mechanism used by co-cultural groups to thrive within the dominant societal framework.

However, the process of assimilation is complex and multifaceted, carrying both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, assimilation can facilitate smoother interactions and communication between co-cultural groups and the dominant culture, leading to increased access to employment, education, and social networks, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for individuals or groups seeking assimilation.

On the other hand, assimilation can come at a cost. Individuals may lose their cultural identity, language, traditions, and heritage. The pressure to conform to the dominant culture's norms might lead to feelings of alienation, internal conflict, and a sense of disconnect from one's roots. Co-cultural individuals must navigate between preserving their cultural identity and assimilating into the dominant culture.

Moreover, assimilation doesn't guarantee complete acceptance or integration into the dominant culture. Co-cultural individuals may face challenges such as cultural bias, microaggressions, or systemic barriers that hinder their full integration, regardless of their efforts to assimilate.

Regarding communication, assimilation entails adopting the language, communication style, and nonverbal cues prevalent in the dominant culture. This may involve altering speech patterns, body language, or even modifying cultural practices to align with the dominant group's expectations. Through assimilation, co-cultural groups aim to bridge communication gaps, minimize misunderstandings, and establish rapport with the dominant culture.

Lastly, assimilation as a strategy within co-cultural communication theory reflects the intricate balance between preserving cultural identity and adapting to the dominant culture. While it may facilitate smoother interactions and increased opportunities, it also poses challenges related to cultural erosion and identity conflict. Understanding assimilation within the framework of co-cultural communication theory is crucial to appreciating the complexities of intercultural interactions and the diverse ways in which individuals negotiate their identities within a multicultural society


 * Assimilation can be nonassertive, assertive and or aggressive.
 * Assimilation and Aggressive: They do a lot of mirroring while also ridiculing their own culture to assimilate into the main culture.
 * Assimilation and Nonassertive: They emphasize the common things of their cultures, while also developing a positive face.
 * Assimilation and Assertive: This can be a bit stereotypical, as they’ll be bargaining and preparing themselves to disassociate with their own culture.

Co-Cultural Theory: Foundation of CCT
Feminist Standpoint Theory, or FST, is a theory that helps explain that while most people believe that everyone has their own standpoint to share their perspective it is not true for others. People and their opportunity to access standpoints relatively depend on power status and resources that are available to them. According to West and Turner "people in higher-power positions don't achieve standpoints because standpoints require critical reflection on, and opposition to, the power structure." (West & Turner, 2021). FST has three main features that Orbe saw as an excellent support for CCT. First, FST establishes the recognition that people belong to multiple social groups which results in multifaceted identities. Secondly, FST expresses the prominence and influence that power has in the social world. "From the perspective of FST, power privileges members of the dominant group (DGMs) and oppresses members of non-dominant, or co-cultural, groups (NDGMs). NDGMs aren't allowed authority and the issues raised by their standpoints are ignored" (West & Turner, 2021). Last, FST highlights the connections between communication behaviors and standpoints. West and Turner accentuated that there is a pattern with those who share standpoints also practice similar communication styles. Looking to FST, communication is the catalyst for change and that happen through standpoints of the people that do not belong to dominant groups or high-powered individuals.

Defining Assumptions of CCT
According to West and Turner (2021), the three assumptions of co-cultural theory are:

1) When a culture's organized in a hierarchy, certain groups are favored over others and power is awarded based on this preference

2) The "lived experiences" of underrepresented groups are valuable and must be identified and embraced.

3) Members of underrepresented groups, although differing from each other in many ways and representing widely different lived experiences, share an "outsider" view of the dominant culture.

What do these assumptions mean?
The first assumption leads to Orbe's belief that power and hierarchical structure create the rifts between groups; therefore, this results in the creation of dominant and non-dominant groups within the society. The second assumption goes back to the point made in the feminist standpoint theory that people of marginalized groups need to be heard and those people's experiences must be accounted for. Dominant groups tend to put a damper on the potential influence of the non-dominant culture's voices. The third assumption of CCT states that members of non-dominant groups all share a common understanding of what it is to be an "outsider", this can lead to non-dominant groups connecting and communicating because they have a mutual aspect that affects them equally from the society (Orbe & Roberts, 2012).