Face Negotiation Theory examines how people from different cultures navigate intercultural conflicts and communication barriers. It proposes that cultures can be individualistic, where individual face is more important than culture, or collectivist, where culture face is more important than individual. The theory is studied by communication scholars and looks at how understanding it can change intercultural communication within and between cultures by providing insight into cultural versus individual self-image perceptions. Some criticism of the theory is that it can be confusing and complex as cultures continually change over time. It also risks overgeneralizing cultures with stereotypes such as depicting developed countries as individualistic and third world countries as collectivist.
