Chapter7

Understanding Understanding Intercultural Intercultural Communication Communication Second Second EditionEdition

Chapter 7

What are the Different Ways to Communicate Nonverbally Across Cultures?

Stella Ting-Toomey & Leeva C. Chung

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

PowerPoint Slides Designed by Alex Flecky and Noorie Baig

TODAY’S MENUTODAY’S MENU

I. The Impact of Nonverbal Communication

II. Forms of Nonverbal Communication

III. Boundary Regulations: Four Broad Themes

IV. Intercultural Reality Check: Do-Ables

I. The Impact of Nonverbal I. The Impact of Nonverbal CommunicationCommunication

A. Nonverbal Communication: Message exchange process involving

the use of nonlinguistic and paralinguistic cues which are expressed through multiple communication channels in a particular sociocultural setting.

• Nonlinguistic cues e.g., eye contact, smiles, touch etc.

• Paralinguistic cues e.g., tone, pitch, volume, pace etc.

• Multiple channels e.g., facial expressions, gestures etc.

• Sociocultural setting e.g., cultural norms, etc.

I. The Impact of Nonverbal I. The Impact of Nonverbal CommunicationCommunication

B. One Code, Countless Interpretations

C. Verbal and Nonverbal Comparisons Nonverbal cues relate to verbal

messages in five different ways:

1. Repeat2. Contradict3. Substitute4. Complement5. Accent

I. The Impact of Nonverbal I. The Impact of Nonverbal CommunicationCommunication

Application ExerciseIntercultural Nonverbal

Communication: Fun Nonverbal Quiz.

How many answers did you get right?

II. Forms of Nonverbal II. Forms of Nonverbal Communication: Communication: A. Physical Appearance: Artifacts and

clothingB. Paralanguage: Sounds and tonesC. Facial expressions: Kinesics, SADFISH,

and cultural display rulesD. Gestures: four categories of hand

gestures 1. Emblems 2. Illustrators 3. Regulators 4. Adaptors

E. Haptics—touch behavior, high-, low-, moderate-contact cultures

II. Forms of Nonverbal II. Forms of Nonverbal Communication: Communication:

Can you identify the emotions?

(a) = anger (b) = surprise

(c) = fear (d) = happiness

(e) = disgust (f) = sadness

III. Boundary Regulations: Four III. Boundary Regulations: Four broad themesbroad themesA. Regulating Interpersonal Boundaries

Proxemics: study of space.

Intimate zone: 0–18 inches. Reserved for those closest to us.Personal zone: 18–48 inches. Closer friends, some acquaintances.Social zone: 48 inches to 12 feet.

Public zone: 12 feet or more.

III. Boundary RegulationsIII. Boundary RegulationsPresident Bush meets Saudi Arabian royalty, Prince Abdullah

What can you gather about their spatial zones?

III. Boundary RegulationsIII. Boundary RegulationsA. Regulating Interpersonal Boundaries:

Marking Boundaries + Expressing Respect or Deference

• Cultural Norms & Rules• Meanings • Appropriateness

President Obama Bows and Shakes Hands In Japan To Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko

III. Boundary Regulations: Four III. Boundary Regulations: Four broad themesbroad themes

B. Environmental Boundaries: claimed sense of space and emotional attachment we share with others in our community.

C. Psychological Boundaries1. Intrapersonal space: need for information privacy or psychological silence between the self and others.2. Privacy regulation is important in individualistic cultures, not perceived as critical in collectivistic cultures.

III. Boundary Regulations: Four III. Boundary Regulations: Four broad themesbroad themesD. Regulating Time: attitudes we

have about time. Chronemics: how people in

different cultures structure, interpret, and understand the time dimension.

Two patterns of time govern different cultures:• Monochronic-time schedule• Polychronic-time schedule

III. Boundary RegulationsIII. Boundary Regulations

Media Analysis: Gran Torino film clip

DISCUSSION:• What is your initial reaction to this

clip?• Can you identify all of the nonverbal

violations experienced by both Walt and the Hmong’s family?

• Have you experienced any international nonverbal faux pas?

IV. Intercultural Reality Check: IV. Intercultural Reality Check: Do-AblesDo-Ables

Nonverbal points to consider in communicating across cultures:A. Be flexible when you observe and identify nonverbal display rules.B. Attempt a deeper-than-surface explanation for the behavior.C. Monitor your own nonverbal behavior.D. Be adaptive and sensitive to appropriate nonverbal display rules for emotions in a particular culture.E. Be less judgmental and more tentative in interpreting others’ nonverbal signals.

Parting Thoughts…Parting Thoughts…

Our first impressions are generated by our

experiences and our environment, which means that we can change our first impressions . . . by changing the

experiences that comprise those impressions.

~ Malcolm Gladwell