THE LIMITATIONS OF THE CULTURAL SYSTEMS MODEL (CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE) ARE DISCUSSED AND AN INTERCULTURAL APPROACH IS PROPOSED AS AN ALTERNATIVE. THIS MODEL, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE INTERPENETRATION OF PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIAL RELATIONS, CONSIDERS THREE LEVELS OF CONSENSUS: AGREEMENT - WHEN EACH INDIVIDUAL, MEASURED INDEPENDENTLY, AGREES ON A PARTICULAR ISSUE) UNDERSTANDING - WHEN EACH INDIVIDUAL CORRECTLY INTERPRETS THE POSITION OF THE OTHER WITH RESPECT TO THE ISSUE; AND REALIZATION - WHEN EACH INDIVIDUAL CORRECTLY ASSESSES THE ACCURACY OF THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL'S GUESS AS TO HIS POSITION ON THE ISSUE. THE ASSESSMENT OF THE COORDINATION OF CONSENSUS LEVELS BETWEEN COMPETING GROUPS AND OF THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF LEVELS WITHIN GROUPS IS PRESENTED AS A SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUE FOR INTERPRETING THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL CONTEXT ON POLICE MINORITY RELATIONS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ANALYSIS FOR SOCIAL POLICY ARE OUTLINED IN BOTH ORGANIZATIONAL AND INTERACTIONAL TERMS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.