Nonverbal communication and culture.

Speakers utilize an array of nonverbal signals to convey meaning when communicating. Facial expressions, pitch, silence, gestures, interpersonal distance, body postures and touching others all communicate or emphasize aspects of the spoken word. The major part of any communication is nonverbal conveying especially important meanings about emotional states. Nonverbal signals carry specific messages and help illustrate the meaning of the communication as well as regulating the flow of speech (Ekman & Friesen, 1969; Gordon, 2004).

Differences in required interpersonal space are easily observed when travelling to various cultures in the world. Hall (1976) suggested that the need for interpersonal space depends on the relationship between the speakers which he divided into four levels from intimate (e.g. between mothers and child) to personal (within friendship or family) to social (among acquaintances) and in public arenas (among relative strangers). Cultural differences in the desire for interpersonal space have been found between Arab men who require less space when compared to American males (Watson & Graves, 1966). Likewise Latin students also required less physical space when interacting compared to European students (Forston & Larson, 1968). It would not raise an eyebrow when Arab men walk hand in hand in their culture, whereas such behavior would create very different meanings in Western societies. It is a curious irony that Americans are very informal in their verbal speech, but do not allow others to be close in interpersonal space.

Cultural differences also exist in terms of another form of nonverbal behavior - the chronemics. Hall defines two time systems essential for the efficient intercultural communication: monochronic and polychronic time. The monochronic time system is prevalent in the countries located in Northern Europe, and North America where time is perceived as something tangible and people speak of it as something that can be “spent”, “saved”, “wasted” and “lost”. Time is used as a framework for organizing life through schedules in which all important life activities of individuals, except birth and death, are planned and prioritized. Typical characteristic in these cultures is putting career first and performing only one activity at a time, which require careful planning and adherence to preset schedules.

Hall argues that unlike monochronic cultures dominated by short-term relationships members of polychronic cultures (such as Hispanics and Arabs) maintain long-term relationships with wider range of people simultaneously. These relations are valued much more than time schedules and deadlines, and therefore in polychronic cultures nothing is firmly established, but flexible and constantly changing. Appointments can be changed even at the last minute in service of someone more important in the hierarchy of family, friends or partners. In these cultures monochronic time is used only when appropriate.

Gestures are also nonverbal communication that conveys a great deal of information. Efron (1941) found distinct gesture differences between Italian and Jewish immigrants that disappeared with assimilation into American culture. The presence of many gestural differences in varying cultures has been supported by research (Morris, Collett, Marsh, & O’Shaughnessy, 1980). To know these gestures is somewhat important as what may be a socially supportive gesture utilizing raised fingers in one society, may be an obscene signal in another. Societies also vary in the amount of time and in the intensity of gazing (Fehr & Exline, 1987). Gazing is connected with expression of emotions, in a love relationship it may communicate affection and concern, and in other relationships gazing can indicate aggression and dominance. Rules for gazing are articulated by cultures since aggression and loving relationships are salient to cultural stability. People from Arabic cultures are more direct in gazing and gaze longer compared to Americans. This led Watson (1970) to classify 30 countries to be contact cultures that not only facilitated physical touch, but also more gazing, touching, and required less interpersonal distance when compared to no contact societies. It is apparent that culture plays an important role in contributing to differences in the meaning of nonverbal behavior.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 756