Body
Speaks: Body language around the world
Kris
Rugsaken
Advising Center Coordinator
Ball State University
Each
of us knows how to use our body parts to send messages but not
many of us realize that people in different parts of the world
"speak" different body languages. A signal for "yes" in one culture
may mean "no" in another; a gesture for "good-bye" in one culture
can be interpreted as "come here" in another.
Business
people and politicians have long recognized the importance of
body language or non-verbal communication; many receive training
in nonverbal communication before serving overseas. Since 9/11,
airport and transit police have been trained on body language
recognition. But training in body language is still relatively
new for educators even though most American campuses include faces
from different parts of the globe. It is therefore important that
educators understand not only how to receive messages through
body language but also what messages they may be sending even
when they are not talking. Misunderstanding of body language may
not only cause a long-lasting embarrassment but also be a life
threat.
Definition.
"Body
language," includes all the communication through the non-verbal
channel. This can include how we greet others, how we sit or stand,
our facial expressions, our clothes, hair styles, tone of voice,
eye movements, how we listen, how we breathe, how close we stand
to others, and how we touch others. The pressure of body language
can especially be felt in emotional situations where body language
usually prevails over words. This article will use the terms "body
language" and "nonverbal communication" interchangeably.
The
Importance of Body Language .
Edward
T. Hall (1959), a well-recognized social anthropologist, maintained
that in a normal conversation more than 65 percent of social meanings
are transmitted through the non-verbal channel. People in other
parts of the world, especially Asians, are more perceptive to
body language than the North Americans.
Misuse
of body language can be an unpleasant or even dangerous experience
for message encoders. Consider the following examples:
In
1988, two Laotian men walked into a Los Angeles bar where a singer,
who was also from an Asian country, was entertaining patrons.
The men sat at empty spaces near the front with their feet pointed
straight to the singer. After the bar was closed, the singer followed
the two men to a parking lot where they got into an argument about
how the men pointed their feet at the singer's face. The argument
became fierce when the singer pulled out a gun and killed one
of the men.
In
1992, then President George H.W. Bush made a state visit to Australia
. People lined up along the
roadside to welcome the American President who greeted them with
raised fingers in the form of "V" with the back of his hand toward
the onlookers. The following morning a headline in a local newspaper
proclaimed that the "American President insulted the Australians."
In
1998, a newly married American couple went to New
Zealand for their honeymoon.
They rented a car and toured until they missed a stop sign. A
police officer pulled them over. They explained that they were
new in town and didn't know about the local traffic so were given
a warning instead of a ticket. As a "thank you" gesture, the husband
gave the "thumb up" sign. The police officer called for back up
and hand cuffed the American man. (A "thump up" is seen as a rude
gesture in New Zealand .)
Understanding
Body Language from Head to Toes .
According
to Argyle (1978), humans have more than 700,000 forms of body
language. This article will give a few examples of how body parts,
from head to toes, are used for communicating in different parts
of the world. Interested persons can read further from the references
given at the end of this article.
Head
. In most societies, a
nodding head signifies agreement or approval. But in some cultures,
like parts of Greece ,
Yugoslavia ,
Bulgaria
and Turkey ,
a nodding head means "no." In most Asian cultures, head is where
spirit resides and one should not touch another's head.
Face
. Facial expressions reflect
emotions, feelings, and attitudes. While expressing "true" feeling
and emotion is valued in the West, it is prohibited in the East.
The Asians, who are taught to practice self-control, are often
labeled as "emotionless" and of possessing "mixed-up emotions."
Smiling in the East is not necessarily a sign of happiness; rather
it signifies "yes," "I don't understand what you said," or can
be a cover-up for embarrassment.
Eyes
. While good eye contact
is praised and expected in the West, it is seen as a sign of disrespect
and challenge in other cultures, including Asian and African.
The less eye contact these groups have with an individual, the
more respect they show.
Closing
eyes . In 1975, former
Vice President Walter Mondale was invited to speak to the Japanese
Diet. He became irritated when he noticed that more than half
of the audience closed their eyes. When the talk was over, Mondale
snapped at the U.S.
ambassador, "Why did I bother to come and talk to them?" "Why,
Sir?" the ambassador asked. "They didn't care to hear what I had
to say; they were sleeping." "No, Sir," the ambassador replied,
"they closed their eyes to close out everything else in order
to digest your speech."
Nose
. Tapping the nose is
more common in Europe
than in the United States .
It means "confidential" in England
but "watch out!" in Italy
. Blowing the nose on public
streets, while seen as an impolite gesture in North
America , is a common practice
in most Asian countries. This rids the body of waste and; therefore,
it is seen as healthy. At the same time the Asians do not understand
why the Americans blow their noses onto a Kleenex that is put
back in their pocket and carried with them throughout the day.
Lips
and Mouth. Kissing is
a sign of love or affection in the West. People kiss when they
meet or when they say goodbye. But kissing is viewed as an intimate
act in Asia
and is not permissible in public. In some cultures, such as Filipino,
Native American, Puerto Rican, and several Latin American, people
use their lips to point, instead of a finger.
Arms.
Some cultures, like the
Italians, use their arms freely. Others, like the Japanese, are
more reserved; in Japan it is considered impolite to gesture with
broad movements of the arms.
Hands.
Of all the body parts,
the hands probably are used most for communicating non-verbally.
Hand waves are used for greeting, beckoning, or farewell. The
American "goodbye" wave can be interpreted in many parts of Europe
and Latin
America as the signal for
"no." The Italian "goodbye" wave can be interpreted by Americans
as the gesture of "come here." The American "come here" gesture
can be seen as an insult in most Asian countries where they use
it for calling an animal. Asians call others with a similar hand
movement but with their palm downward.
Handshaking
is the common form of greeting and leave taking in the Western
culture. While it is being accepted in Asia
, the Asians still prefer a
different form of greeting: a bow in East
Asia , a "wai" (joining the
two hands together like in prayer) for some Southern and Southeastern
Asian countries. Asians and Middle Easterners prefer a soft handshake.
Strong grips are interpreted as a sign of aggression.
While
both right and left hands have equal status in the West, the right
hand has special significance and the left hand is "dirty" in
the Middle Eastern and some Asian countries. It is best to accept
or offer cards or gifts with the right hand or both. The "O.K."
sign (the thumb and the forefinger form a circle) means "fine"
or "O.K." in most cultures. However, it means "zero" or "worthless"
in France
and many European countries. The same signal is an insult in Greece
, Brazil
, Italy
, Turkey
, and Russia
. A "thumb-up" sign indicates
an "O.K." or "good job" in most cultures but it is an insult in
Australia ,
New Zealand ,
and in most African countries.
Legs
and Feet. Sitting cross-legged
is common in North America
and some European countries
but it is viewed as disrespectful in Asia
and the Middle
East where a solid and balanced
sitting posture is the prevailing custom. In Asia
and the Middle
East , resting the ankle over
the other knee risks pointing the sole of your shoe at another
person, which is considered a very rude gesture. One should never
point or move an object with their feet in these cultures.
Conclusion
.
Becoming
sensitive to the clues of body language can help us communicate
more effectively with students or scholars from other cultures.
We can understand what they are saying even when they are not
talking. We can sense when students are silent and digesting information,
or when they are silent and confused. We can share feelings too
strong or too difficult to be expressed in words, or decode a
secret message that passes silently from person to person. Body
language can help us spot contradictions between what students
say and what they really mean. Finally, we can learn to be more
sensitive to our own bodies, to see what messages they are sending
and to see ourselves as others see us. We are our bodies.
References.
