TCB moves from a unilateral process to a bilateral one, and from an intrapersonal to
interpersonal to rhetorical to intercultural one. If it successfully proceeds, it leaves
both parties with a new and enduring identity. This entry explores the process of
TCB.
Unilateral Awareness
One prospective interactant develops awareness and interest in another. The other's
unfamiliarity requires the first party to consider variations in language and cultural
preferences and values to refine some motivation to initiate contact. Initiation of
contact proceeds following investigation into the state and nature of perceived
differences between the parties. A motive such as curiosity or the need for some
form of business exchange may be modified in light of the findings of the process of
unilateral inquiry. The ideal TCB mind-set examines both the self and the other
before initiating contact.