PP Body Language #3

8/18/2019 PP Body Language #3

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Body Language

Nonverbal body Language


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Nonverbal language is part of who weare.


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Nonverbal communication• In this class we will discuss how

cultures communicate without usingwords. This is called nonverbalcommunication or body language.

• Most of the time our bodies aresending a message even when weare not aware that it is occurring.


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Verbal and nonverbal


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Nonverbal communication E amples

• !osture• Tone of voice• Eye contact• "rm and hand gestures #movement$• Touching• %acial e pressions

These parts of our bodies communicate anemotion. #Emotion is any of the feelings of

&oy' sorrow' hate' love' anger etc.$


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Nonverbal Language

These children are not saying a wordbut what do you thin( they arecommunicating)


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*hat is being

communicated)


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*hat is shecommunicating)


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*hat is he communicating)


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*hat does thiscommunicate)


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%orms of nonverbal communication


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+igh ,ontact ,ultures• In high contact cultures people stand

closer' touch more' prefer more sensorystimulation #eye contact and e pressive

spea(ing$' public display of a-ectionholding hands or (issing than low contactcultures.

• Low contact cultures people do not li(e alot of physical touching or tal(ing with theperson when they are very close to them.


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*hich one is high contact' lowcontact and medium contact)


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!eople from two di-erent culturesare trying to say hello.


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/nited 0tates di-erences in bodylanguage.

• %or most white "mericans the raisingof the voice indicates displeasure oranger.

• This is not true for most "frican"mericans' for them getting veryclose to the other person indicatesdispleasure or anger.


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Nonverbal communication

0tudies have shown that high contactcultures are normally near the e1uatorand the farther away from the e1uatorthe more the culture becomes lowcontact. This is true even in largenations such as the /0 or ,hina.


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+igh ,ultural "reas

•

+igh contact cultures are most "rabcountries'• Mediterranean• Latin "merica


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Low ,ontact Nations•

Northern Europe• "sia

North "mericans and "ustralians are

moderate in their cultural contact


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Masculine culture


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Nonverbal ,ommunication• In interpersonal relationships

#relationships with friends' wife andhusband or family members$nonverbal language is morebelievable than verbalcommunication.

• Body language represents thefeelings and emotions of arelationship more than words.

• The following are e amples of body


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0miles• 0miles communicate happiness to

"mericans or it is an attempt toshow pleasantness' such as an airlinestewardess.• In 2apan the smile has more

meanings. It can disguiseembarrassment. Mas( being sad andsometimes hide rage.

• The 2apanese show happiness with a


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0miles• ,hildren do not hide their

emotions.•

They do not spea( wordsbut they communicateeveryday.


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,hildren of the *orld• ,hildren in every culture have to

learn what is acceptable forms

of nonverbal communication.


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Making Faces• Today' people use the emoticon to

tell how they are feeling withoutusing any words.


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!hysical forms of nonverbalcommunication

Stick out your tongue• Einstein Did It

• In the writings' Einstein: A Biographyhe is 1uoted to say' 30tic(ing out mytongue re4ects my political views.3"n interesting way to e press yourpolitical views' isn5t it)


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Stick out your tongue•

In "merica it means being silly' 4irtingor teasing in a lighthearted way. This isonly if there is a close relationship.


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Stick out your tongue• %or babies' stic(ing out their tongue is

developmentally and socially appropriate.In *estern ,ulture' we thin( it is cute and

even encourage it. Meanwhile' the baby islearning how to imitate and manipulatehis or her mouth6 thereby learning thebeginning of communication. 0omewherearound the age of three years old' thechild must learn that stic(ing out his orher tongueis no longer acceptable in life.


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Stick out your tongue• *hen children stic( out their tongue

it is a sign of disrespect.


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Stick out your tongue• This is often heard in a class room in

"merica 30he5s stic(ing out hertongue at me63 it5s considered aninsult. It is showing contempt forwhat one person said or did toanother.

• In *estern culture we learn from avery young age that this gesture isunacceptable and whatever you do'

do not stic( your tongue out at your


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Stick out your tongue• 7epending on the conte t' in the

*estern world it means teasing'4irting' disli(e' being silly' angry'rude' or rebellious.

Around the World it has diferentmeaning.


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0tic( out your tongue

In Tibet' stic(ing out your tongue hasan entirely di-erent meaning. There' itis a greeting and a sign of respect.*hen you 8rst meet someone' youstic( out your tongue. It5s interestingthat a student who was visiting Tibet

could not wait to get o- of the plane togreet the Tibetan people' yet hermother disapproved.


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Maori !eople of New9ealand'

In the culture of the Maori !eople ofNew 9ealand' stic(ing the tongue outwas a part of the war chant' whichpreceded battle. The Maori tattooedtheir faces #each tattoo in its ownpattern$' screamed' danced and stuc(

the tongue out as a sign ofintimidation to the enemy.

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/social-studies-help/122629-cultural-meaning-of-sticking-out-your-tongue/?cid=parsely_rec


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Maori !eople of New 9ealand


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Maori !eople of New9ealand

• Today' it is still practiced to showvisitors their custom and themeaning remains the same8erceness and strength.

• If a Maori woman stuc( her tongueout' it was a sign of great de8ance.


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Eye Contact: Trust or Aggression


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Eye contact• "n interesting e ample of the di-erent

meanings of body language is eyecontact.

• In the /nited 0tates and in many parts of

Europe' direct eye contact is consideredas a means to e press interest' to indicatetrust in the other person and to conveyopenness.

• 0ome of the interpretations of eye contactinclude' 3Loo( me in the eye' I5m honest'and I5m not a liar.3


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"merican Eye ,ontact

If a person will not loo( you in the eyewhile you are tal(ing to each otherreveals the following:• ;ou are ashamed or embarrassed of

your actions• ;ou are lying• ;ou are not con8dent insecure


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Eye ,ontact• In Muslim countries. It is o-ensive for a man

to loo( a woman in the eye or even toglance at her in a more than cursory

fashion.• The same applies to "sia' where eye contactis considered impolite and an invasion ofspace and can cause the opposite reaction

to what a visiting foreigner intends.• In some "sian nations prolonged eye contact

is a challenge' an aggression and a battle ofstrength and power.

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/studying-a-language/37970-aggressive-body-language-in-other-cultures/?cid=parsely_rec


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0outh "merica Latin"merica

• Eye contact between opposite se escan be interpreted as an invitation

• Longer eye contact or staringbetween women is often understoodas criticism of the other woman5sappearance.


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!andshakes and "ack Sla##ing

• "mericans and 0outhern Europeanstend to be more physical.

• Men who greet each other with a

handsha(e and a slap on the arm orthe bac( are &ust being friendly.

• " 8rm handsha(e is appreciated and a

limp one not loo(ed upon favorably.


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+and sha(e• "sian countries' especially 2apan'

would consider such behavioraggressive.

• 7elicate handsha(es' accompaniedwith minimal and brief contact' areacceptable in "sian countries6

however' a slight bow is a morecommon greeting.

• In some "frican countries' the limp

handsha(e is the thing to do.


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+and 0ha(e• In Middle Eastern and some "sian

countries' #India$ only the right handis used to sha(e hands' because theleft hand is considered dirty andsanitary.

• In these countries the people only

clean themselves after going to thebathroom with their left hand.


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+and and 8nger signals

"n interesting sign with verydi-erent meanings is the


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+and signs• The thumb is po(ing out between the

inde and middle 8nger. In ancient=ome' it was a sign for good luc( andthat meaning has survived in!ortugal and Bra>il.

• In Indonesia' Tur(ey' ?reece ormodern =ussia' it is a very rudesignal and obscene sign.


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Nonverbal sign


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+and Thrust

• In "merica and many other countriesthe hand thrust out with the palmheld upward and outward isunderstood as a well meant warning'in the sense of 3stop3' or 3danger3.


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+ands• But if you travel to ?reece' beware@ If

the 8ngers are splayed' you are inthe presence of a sign (nown as3mout>a3' which is an e tremelyo-ensive and aggressive gesture.,uriously' the signal has the same

meaning in !a(istan.


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$sing %our !ead• ?estures such as bowing' chee( (issing and

nodding carry various meanings in di-erentcultures.

•

"o&ing

Ane of the most important head movementsused in body language is bowing. "ccordingto culture and custom' the bow signi8esdi-erent things and is e ecuted in di-erentways.


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Bowing

• Bowing generally is a body language all byitself in East "sia.

• "lways e ecuted from the waist with the

hands by the side' the bow conveys di-erente pressions such as' greeting' apology'gratitude' humility' respect or remorse.

• In "sia #2apan$ it is considered impolite toma(e eye contact whilst bowing. It mightconvey distrust #I do not dare ta(e my eyeso- you@$


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Europe Bowing• The bow is a form of greeting and

respect and is often accompanied bya handsha(e.

• It is not impolite to loo( the otherperson in the eye while bowing inEurope6 it is instead a courtesy to do

so and considered rude or even shiftynot to.

• Bowing is an e clusively male

gesture. *omen do not bow whilst


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Europe Bowing• The depth of the bow depends on the ran(

and sometimes the gender of the greetedperson.

•

The European style bow is not e ecuted fromthe waist but by an inclination of the head.• Alder and very formal men ' particularly

?erman and "ustrian' often accompany the

bow with a hand (iss when greeting an olderwoman.• Teenagers do not get their hands (issed

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/studying-a-language/17894-body-language-in-different-cultures/?cid=parsely_rec


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Cheek 'issing


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issing the chee(• issing the chee( is a very common

form of greeting in 0outhern Europeand Latin "merica.

• 0ometimes both chee(s are (issed6sometimes only one chee( is touchedlightly by the lips.

• The (isses are accompanied by ahandsha(e or by putting one5s handson the other person5s shoulders.


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,hee( (issing• *omen often air (iss to avoid leaving

a trace of lipstic( on the greetedperson5s chee(.

• "lthough chee( (issing is a sign ofa-ection' it can also be conceived asan invasion of private space.

• Ane should therefore be guided bywhat the other person does.


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,hee( (issing• In 0outheast "sia and any other

country in4uenced by Muslim or+indu culture' chee( (issing especially a woman is o-ensiveand must be avoided.

• 0audi "rabia and other Middle

Eastern countries and India.


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(odding

• "nother body language signal involving thehead is nodding.

• The head is bobbed vertically once or severaltimes and the gesture generally conveysapproval and consent.

• In Bulgaria and Thailand' nodding means theopposite: a very de8nite 3no3. Vigorousnodding usually means strong approval'whereas nodding slowly several times canconvey' 3Maybe' but I5ll have to thin( about it.3


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)reetings in Diferent Cultures

– ?reat Britain British verbal greetingsmay be accompanied by a handsha(e.

– " small (iss #&ust a pec( on the chee($

may be given between females' orperhaps between a female and a male' – but not between two males.


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)reetings in France• %rance Ane common %rench greeting is a

light handsha(e.• "nother common greeting is a (iss on the

left chee( followed by a (iss on the rightchee(.• 7epending on the situation or the people

greeting' the (iss may be &ust a touchingof chee(s or a real (iss.


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New 9ealand #Maori people$• The Maori greeting' called the 3+ongi'3

means' 30haring of breath.<• In this greeting' the two people touch or

rub their noses together and inhale.


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/nited 0tates• "lthough sometimes &ust a smile

accompanies the greeting' a 8rm handsha(eis a common greeting between males' andhappens #less commonly$ between a maleand a female.

• *omen tend to sha(e hands with oneanother only if it is their 8rst time meeting'

or if it is a business situation.• Anly very close male friends or relatives

greet with a hug.• %emale friends often greet with a hug.


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Me ico• +andsha(es are common' and may be

accompanied by a strong 3abra>o3 #hug$and a few hearty pats on the bac(

between men ' if they (now each otherwell.• " (iss is also a common form of greeting'

and is usually &ust a touching of chee(s

with a (issing sound rather than a real(iss.

• /nli(e the %rench double (iss' the (issgreeting in Me ico is &ust done on onechee(.

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/language-learning-tips/43902-greeting-cultural-differences-in-body-language/?cid=parsely_rec


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2apan• Bowing is a common form of

greeting.• The bow can range from &ust a slight

nod of the head to a full bow wherethe person is bent ninety degrees atthe waist.

• If the greeting happens in the home'on the 4oors that are covered bytatami mats' it is common for people

to get on their (nees to bow.


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Flirting )estures in Diferent Cultures

• The playful' romantic overtures (nown as4irting come naturally to many of us.

• +owever' when in another country' yournatural 4irting behavior can give an entirely

di-erent message than you intended.• Learn how covert glances' 4eeting touches

and (isses are viewed in di-erent countries.

Fli i ) i Dif


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Co*ert )lances and Eye Contact • 0hooting fre1uent sideways glances

from beneath the lashes' see(ingopen eye contact or even win(ing areall common 4irting gestures in the/.0.

• The 4irtatious meaning of eyecontact is even more pronounced inEurope' where it is a sign of open

admiration.

Flirting )estures in DiferentCultures


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%lirting with the eyes• The same behavior' however' is not

acceptable in Muslim countries.• Eye contact' e cept the most 4eeting' is

not allowed between men and women in"rabic countries for religious reasons.• The gesture is considered as 3adultery of

the eyes3 and can have dire conse1uencesfor foreigners' who in the worst of casesmight get themselves arrested.


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%lirting with the eyes• That does not mean that "rab men will not

stare at a *estern woman' but if shereturns the glance' thin(ing that she is

only 4irting' she could be in for anunpleasant surprise.• ?lancing bac( means that she is se ually

interested in the man in 1uestion and

could be construed as an open invitation tohave se .

• 0he might be considered a prostitute andbe treated as such.

l h h


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%lirting with the eyes• In many "sian cultures women will not initiate

eye contact it is considered rude and a sign ofdisrespect and the same applies to a mansee(ing prolonged eye contact.

•

In Latin "merica' steady eye contact is not asign of openness and trust' but often indicatesaggression and a challenge.

• Men5s staring at a woman' do not mean

4irtation with a particular woman either' butare a general e pression of admiration for thefemale se .

%li i i h


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%lirting with eyes

• 0panish women' on the other hand' arestill guided by s rules of eye contact and

4irtatious glances. These rules stem fromthe centuries old


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%lirting with eyes• %anning oneself vigorously means


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!and 'isses

• issing a womanDs hand is very mucha European habit and has recentlyseen a revival in ?ermany and

"ustria.• Neither Englishmen nor "mericans

(now much about hand (issing' let

alone how to do it properly.


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+and issing• " hand (iss' which involves only one

hand each and no touching of the s(inby the lips at all' is a sign of respect

when a man greets a woman.• +owever' the greeting becomes 4irting'

when the man grabs the woman5s handwith both his hands' s1uee>es' plants a(iss on the bac( of the hand andaccompanies the entire ceremony withan open or seductive glance.


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+and issing in Middle East• Trying to (iss or even sha(e a

woman5s hand in "rabic cultures isan absolute no no.

• Islam forbids any bodily contactbetween the se es' other thanhusband and wife or close family.

• In Tur(ey an e ception might be' youcould possibly (iss the hand of amuch older woman as a sign of

respect.

di i d N b F


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=eading assignment due November F• =ead this article• Knowing Your Cultural Style it is found in

PP Body Language #3

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