Intercultural Communication, Narrative Hegemony, and the 2025 Thailand–Cambodia Border Dispute Lessons from Cultural Analysis
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Abstract
Territorial disputes are often interpreted through geopolitical or legal frameworks, yet they are equally shaped by cultural narratives, identity politics, and symbolic communication. This article examines the 2025 Thailand–Cambodia border dispute through an intercultural communication lens, drawing conceptual insight from Hegemonism in Thai Country Music: A Lesson-Learned Implication in Intercultural Communication (Inkaew, 2018). By analyzing narrative dominance, cultural hegemony, and communicative framing in shaping national sentiment, the article demonstrates the significance of cultural narratives in interstate relations. Historical memory, media discourse, symbolic boundaries, and identity-based interpretations are explored to reveal how intercultural misunderstandings escalate conflict. Through theories such as social identity theory, narrative theory, and intercultural conflict frameworks, the article shows how cultural meaning operates beneath legal and political discourse. It concludes with communication-based pathways toward de-escalation, emphasizing narrative reframing, dialogic engagement, and multi-perspectival historical understanding.
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