Communicating Across Borders

Communication Skills and Intercultural Competence for Customs and Border Management
Erscheinungsjahr 2027
ISBN: 978-3-032-45188-0
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan

Buch, Englisch, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm

is an introductory textbook for customs and border-management education that explains how psychology, culture and communication shape frontline interaction in border security. It shows how cognitive shortcuts influence judgement, how emotion and personality affect behaviour under pressure, and how verbal and nonverbal cues can either build trust or escalate conflict in encounters marked by uncertainty and institutional authority.

The book equips readers with a teachable framework for professional practice. It connects core ideas from social psychology, communication studies, intercultural competence and societal safety with applied border contexts such as customs inspection and risk-based decision-making. Chapters address stereotypes and bias, the Big Five personality framework, communication models, nonverbal behaviour and elicitation, examining their implications for professional judgement and interaction. They also introduce evidence-based approaches to information-gathering and de-escalation adapted from investigative interviewing.

A substantial focus is placed on intercultural values and interaction, and on the ethical and legal dimensions of power, fairness and proportionality in border governance. The book also introduces contemporary challenges associated with digital borders, including biometric systems and emotion-recognition technologies, and explains why human judgement and accountability remain central.

Written for bachelor’s students, with relevance for early-stage master’s students and professional training contexts, the book includes learning objectives, activities and further reading lists to support course adoption and independent study across border management, societal safety studies, public administration and related programmes.

Zielgruppe

Upper undergraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Rocha, Paulo

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Kommunikationswissenschaften
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Medienwissenschaften
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Kriminologie, Strafverfolgung
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologische Disziplinen Wirtschafts-, Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Verwaltungswissenschaft, Öffentliche Verwaltung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I – Human judgment in border encounters.- Chapter 1 – Social cognition and judgment in interpersonal interactions.- Chapter 2 – Personality in human interaction.- Chapter 3 – Affective dynamics in human interaction.- Part II – Tactical communication in border encounters.- Chapter 4 – Communication models and theories.- Chapter 5 – Communication-based de-escalation as risk management in border encounters.- Chapter 6 – Nonverbal communication in border management.- Chapter 7 – Structured verbal communication in border management.- Chapter 8 – Digital communication, risk assessment and human judgment.- Part III – Intercultural competence and cultural dimensions.- Chapter 9 – Culture, intercultural understanding and professional competence.- Chapter 10 – Cultural dimensions.- Conclusion.- Appendix - Managing conflict in border encounters.

Über Autor(innen)

Paulo Rocha is Associate Professor in the Department of Safety, Economics and Planning at the University of Stavanger, Norway, where he leads the practice-based Bachelor’s in Customs, Movement of Goods and Border Control and teaches Sociology, Communication and Intercultural Understanding. Dr Rocha is also section editor for intercultural communication at the and an editor of the . His research interests include customs education, intercultural communication, risk management, societal safety and organisational culture.