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Drawing ftom Kramarae 's muted group theory, this paper employs a phenomenological framework to explore the communication strategies that "non-dominant" group members use when interacting within dominant society. Lived experiences were collected from twenty-seven diverse co-researchers via fourteen in-depth interviews and four focus groups. From this capta, twelve communication strategies that co-cultural group members use when communicating with dominant group members are identified and described: avoidance, idealized communication, mirroring, respectful communication, self-censorship, extensive preparation, countering stereotypes, manipulating stereotypes, self-assured communication, increased visibility, utilization of liaisons, and confrontational tactics. The revelatory phrase, "Because it was their world, "emerged to capture the essence of these strategies. Possible theoretical conceptualizations and implications for future research are presented and discussed.
INTRODUCTION
Innumerable ways of playing and foiling the other's game . . . characterize the subtle, stubborn, resistant activity of groups which, since they lack their own space, have to get along in a network of already established forces and representations. People have to make do with what they have. (de Certeau, 1984, p.11, emphasis added)
Communication scholars have given significant attention to the communication strategies that different groups utilize during intercultural interactions (Collier, Ribeau, & Hecht, 1986; Gudykunst & Hammer, 1987; Hecht, Collier, & Ribeau, 1993; Samovar & Porter,1994). Other researchers, as illustrated in the opening quote from de Certeau (1984), have examined how those without power communicate (Arendt, 1986; Foucault, 1979). As various underrepresented group members continue to enter new areas of association (and in greater numbers), these intercultural research efforts will become even more important in promoting effective intercultural communication (Orbe, 1995). Although the majority of these research efforts have been criticized for starting from the dominant perspective James, 1994; Orbe, 1995; Skinner, 1992), some recent efforts have approached the topic from alternate, non-dominant group, perspectives (Gonzalez, Houston, & Chen, 1994; Orbe, 1994b; Ringer, 1994). Such a variety of approaches is crucial when attempting to gain insight into the "deep structures" (Pennington, 1979, p. 392) that inform intercultural communication. Frankenberg (1993, p. 8) attests that "the oppressed can see with the greatest clarity, not only their own position but . . . indeed the shape of social systems as a whole." Clearly, research that focuses on "non-dominant" group communicative experiences seeks to inform the development...