Constructing (in)competence

Chapter 4

How Opposing Perceptions of Communication Competence Were Constructed by Taiwanese Graduate Students

Carol Jorgensen Winkler

University of Texas at Austin

For a year and a half, I have followed six Taiwanese women who were new to the United States and new to a graduate program in a large university. As a part of that study I asked the question, “How has a sense of communication competence (or incompetence) been constructed in these individuals’ interactions with friends, fellow students, teachers, and others?”

This chapter discusses how two opposing perceptions of communication competence were created, how they evolved over time, and ultimately, what impact these perceptions had on the participants’ views of themselves. Rather than ...