1 Introduction

This section introduces the important role of textbooks in national education policies, emphasizes the new requirements of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity in the field of education, points out that intercultural communication education should shift towards cultivating global citizenship, highlights the current shortcomings of intercultural communication textbooks in identity construction, and outlines the purpose and expectations of this research.

2 Literature Review

First, the literature review explores identity construction in intercultural communication competence teaching, noting that identity construction is a core issue in intercultural communication research. It has evolved from cultural essentialism to cultural non-essentialism, with the latter further divided into transcultural and decultural paradigms. However, these paradigms are largely framed by Western theoretical constructs. In the context of globalization, Jia Yuxin proposes that the ultimate goal of cultivating intercultural communication competence should be to foster global citizenship for building a community with a shared future for humanity. This cultivation process is dynamic, and this paradigm serves as the theoretical basis for this study. Next, the review examines research on intercultural communication textbooks, pointing out that higher education in intercultural communication in China has shifted from relying on imported textbooks to favoring those authored by local scholars. However, existing textbooks have various shortcomings, such as a lack of local cultural content, binary opposition between Eastern and Western cultural essentialist perspectives, and the absence of theoretical frameworks grounded in local cultural thought. Therefore, this study will compare and analyze identity construction paradigms in university-level intercultural communication textbooks from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

3 Research Design

This chapter outlines the research design, including textbook selection and analytical methods. Following the principle of maximum variation, four well-known domestic textbooks were selected, covering different paradigms of intercultural identity construction. A reflective critical discourse analysis approach was adopted, with intercultural case studies, role-plays, and writing exercises as the units of analysis. Identity construction paradigms were categorized, and their cultural perspectives and impacts were analyzed.

4 Research Findings

The study delves into multiple paradigms of intercultural identity construction. By analyzing textbooks such as "Intercultural Communication Tutorial" from different publishers, as well as "Intercultural Competence: Learning and Practice" and "New Perspectives on Intercultural Communication," it reveals the complexity and diversity of intercultural identity construction. Under the intercultural paradigm, the textbook published by China Renmin University Press focuses on cultivating individuals' ability to navigate cultural boundaries, particularly between English-inner-circle countries and non-English-speaking countries. Through case studies and role-plays, it helps students overcome communication barriers and construct intercultural identities. However, this textbook tends to use cultural norms and behavioral patterns from English-inner-circle countries as standards, overlooking the ethical and moral values of identity construction in intercultural communication education.

The textbook from Tsinghua University Press demonstrates a transcultural paradigm, aiming to develop learners' interactive abilities in multicultural contexts. It transcends binary opposition in cultural perspectives, emphasizing the resolution of misunderstandings and conflicts in communication, and fostering students' intercultural awareness, skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. Nonetheless, this textbook does not explicitly position the construction of global citizenship as the ultimate goal of intercultural communication education.

"Intercultural Competence: Learning and Practice" from Nanjing University Press adopts a decultural paradigm, breaking through national and regional boundaries. With "intercultural pathways" as its core, it guides students through a series of steps to construct intercultural identities, emphasizing individual interaction in specific contexts and the construction of authentic self-identification. However, this paradigm may lead individuals to overlook the importance of collective identity.

Finally, "New Perspectives on Intercultural Communication," edited by Jia Yuxin et al., proposes a paradigm of "learning to become human/benevolent." It advocates for communicators to transcend the boundaries of individual, ethnic, and national identities, using the Confucian concept of "ren" (benevolence) as the core to resolve intercultural conflicts through dialogue and negotiation, thereby cultivating students' global citizenship awareness. From the perspective of a community with a shared future for humanity, this textbook presents a "ren"-centered construction of global citizenship, emphasizing that personal identity construction is a continuous and conscious reflective process.

5 Discussion

This chapter discusses the differences in identity construction paradigms among the four intercultural communication textbooks and their implications for intercultural education. The textbooks from China Renmin University Press and Tsinghua University Press focus on cultivating intercultural communication skills but neglect the value-oriented goals of intercultural education. Although the textbook from Tsinghua University Press transcends English-inner-circle cultures, it still relies on national and ethnic boundaries, overlooking individual differences and cultural dynamism. Some scholars critique this binary opposition in cultural perspectives, advocating for breaking traditional mindsets and focusing on individual diversity and agency. The "Intercultural Competence: Learning and Practice" textbook reflects a "decultural paradigm" of identity construction, guiding students to reflect on and critique cultural essentialism. However, "cultural non-essentialism" also has its limitations. The textbooks from Tsinghua University Press and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press aim to cultivate global citizenship as an educational goal, but their theoretical frameworks and methodologies differ, reflecting the diversity of intercultural education and providing room for discussion in future research and textbook development.

6 Conclusion

From the perspective of a community with a shared future for humanity, this study employs critical discourse analysis to compare and analyze identity construction paradigms in four university-level intercultural communication textbooks. It finds that these paradigms are shifting from traditional intercultural approaches to transcultural, decultural, and global citizenship paradigms. This indicates that cultivating global citizenship is not merely about imparting knowledge and skills but also about constructing the identity of a "benevolent person." The ultimate goal is to build global citizenship and realize the value of humanistic education. The study aims to raise awareness within the intercultural teaching community and provide a basis for cultivating global citizens capable of transcending differences to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Global citizenship education centered on the Confucian ethic of "ren" expands, refines, reflects on, and critiques traditional citizenship education. It offers a local perspective for the development of intercultural communication textbooks, contributing a Chinese approach.