non-verbal language writing.docx

Non-Verbal Communication in different culturesIntroductionNon-verbal communication is an important part of the communication that includes all aspects of a communicative exchange which is the literal meaning of words in the message itself but using the body language for example we can refer to the spoken communication between people.The common view tends to consider this type of communication as universally understood, to the point that can transcend language barriers. According to the professor and British sociolinguist Michael Argyle in a face-to-face use facial expression, eye contact or gaze, gesture, posture, touch, and spatial behavior or proxemics. Body language is partly innate and partly depends on the processes of socialization. The mechanisms by which flows the non-verbal communication are very similar in all cultures, but each culture tends to elaborate the non-verbal messages in a different way. This means that forms of non-verbal communication that are perfectly understandable for people belonging to a particular culture may instead for those who have a different cultural heritage, be incomprehensible or even have a meaning opposite to what was intended to convey.Therefore, several examples in different aspect of non-verbal communication are given in this article since it is necessary for us to understand non-verbal communication in different cultures and social contexts in order to avoid misunderstandings or unintentional offensiveness. Furthermore, a better understanding of non-verbal communication leads us to a more effective communication with people from overseas whatever during a business meeting or daily conversation. The importance of understanding non-verbal communication in different cultures It might be surprising that more than 90% of our daily communication is in fact non-verbal. It is therefore a huge contribution to verbal language and, since communication is strictly ambivalent, we can easily understand that it is greater than the risk of not understanding for example when you are on the phone than when talking face to face.A study conducted in 1972 by Albert Mehrabian ("Non-verbal communication") has shown that what is perceived in a voice message can be divided as follows:Body movements (mostly facial expressions) 55%Appearance voice (volume, tone, rhythm) 38%Appearance verbal (words) 7% (In text reference)The effectiveness of a message depends, therefore, only a small part of the literal meaning of what is said, and the way in which the message is received is heavily influenced by the factors of non-verbal communication.Nonverbal Communication in Different Cultures One may consider nonverbal communication as a universal language, while it is not the case all the time. In every culture we can see quite a different interpretation and understanding from the body language, eye contact, gestures and posture. Certain messages in different cultures might be sent in a variety of different ways. For instance, in some countries, nodding head up and down would be the evidence of agreement such as in some Arab countries in the Middle East or countries like Iran, Afghanistan etc. However nodding it up is a sign of disagreement whilst in Japan, an up-and-down nod might just indicate that a person is following another persons words. While in Ethiopia, the message of signifying the affirmation is sent by throwing the head back with sharply thrusting the head forward between the Semang of Malaya, and by raising the eyebrows between the Dyaks of Borneo.( 原创？改写？标明出处) (reference 里加了出处)Another example relates to the body language is that in Iran, the thumbs-up is vulgar and offensive behavior, however in China it means OK or good luck. If we use our hands to form a circle with the thumb and forefinger, it would be seen as a sign of “money” in some countries, while in others it is an extremely offensive indication to a private body part. Other examples include pointing with the wrong finger or with anything less than your entire hand might takes a risk of offending somebody and while some cultures consider the eye contact as a sign of respect.There are many more examples to show these differences in the interpretations of non-verbal language in different countries, such as considering a handshake rude in some of the countries but it even seems more complicated to face with the situations that the way one may use this way of communication may have different meaning. For example it is always impolite to hand an object to another person with your left hand in some of the Middle Eastern counties.Making different sounds are also considered as a way of communication some of the times. In India, burping after a meal is to show the amount of appreciation while it is considered as an impolite manner in some other countries.“Rosenblatt shows his belief to the same idea by noting, “What emotions are felt, how they are expressed, and how they are understood are matters of culture”. (in text reference) The main point here is that the culture has taught you what nonverbal actions can express. “Some of the facial expressions might be the only form of nonverbal communication that could be considered universal. It was Charles Darwin who first proposed that all cultures express emotions the same way with their faces, a hypothesis that was supported by laboratory studies in the 1960s” (M.Edmonds, 2012). Laughing or crying, can refer to happiness and sadness and the contextual backdrop of those actions, wedding or funeral. Recently, researchers have identified six universal facial expressions including anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise (Matsumoto, 2010). “In more recent years, other researchers have argued that looks of contempt and embarrassment may also constitute universal expressions. No matter where you are, it seems you must remember that your body is always saying something, even when you're not speaking” (M. Edmonds, 2012 ).By understanding the cultural differences in nonverbal communication, it does not only cause one to understand the notion of some of the points being conveyed during an interaction but also it enables the ability of gathering suggestions about the main virtues and values. For example “In some places, people value a certain degree of personal space in conversation, while those from the Middle East might get right up in your face when they want to converse” (M, Edmonds 2012). In fact, how far people stand away from each other for a normal conversation can makes it clear or gives us some clues to guess their cultural views on privacy.“The relation between nonverbal communication and cultural background is even more evident when the culture is invisible, omnipresent, and learned” (Samovar, Porter and McDaniel, 1991).There are also other kinds of nonverbal communication, which can clearly show these differences in cultural background in different countries, such as appearance, clothing color and etc.Mentioning an example of these different types may help us to have a understanding of how would they perform in a communication or in conveying signals or messages from someone to the others.AppearanceBy ones appearance you can see what he or she wants to convey or how someone feels. For example, a beard may indicate wisdom, or also stand for frowziness( 胡子代表智慧又或者代表不整洁) . The same applies to long hair in men, but a short hair for women may arouse suspicion that they are lesbian, which is often a prejudice.ClothingClothing is also a means of communication. Based on ones clothing you can for example see what kind of job a person might have. You can also understand from someones dress that what kind of music he may love (punk, hardcore, R & B and etc.). Among the young people a famous brand for designed clothes often has a great importance. It gives a certain status and suggests as well as a certain quality.ColorWith the help color you can see how someone might be in life. For example, in someone who is wearing lots of bright, cheerful colors might be an optimistic person while someone with a full black dress may refer to a person who is depressed or sad.ConclusionCommunication is the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas during interactions between human. The most frequently used, however we might not have noticed, is the nonverbal communication. When nonverbal communication can be relatively easier to use between different nations with different cultures, some visual communication might be realized and understood between the different people all around the world. The latter is explained with any kind of communication methods that includes facial expressions, eye contact, posture, gestures, patterns of touch, expressive movement, tones of voice, spatial arrangements, and so on in the different cultures. So in other words, our culture controls the attitude in which one may consider in each of the mentioned aspects of superficial expression.References:Larry A. Samovar, Rechard E. Porter and Edwin R. McDaniel(2009). Communication between cultures, seventh editon, Wadsworth Cengage learning, Chapter 7, p254. Molly Edmonds (2012). How do culturally different people interpret nonverbal communication? Retrieved from 16th, October, 2012. Web site: Matsumoto, David (May 21, 2010). "Culture and Nonverbal Behavior." Handbook of Nonverbal Communication. Retrieved from 6th, October, 2012.Website : http:/www.davidmatsumoto.info/Books/Chapter1.pdfMehrabian, Albert (1972). Nonverbal Communication. Chicago, IL: Aldine-Atherton. ISBN 0-202-30966-5.Michael Argyle (March 31, 1980) “Sociolinguistics” (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics). ISBN-10: 0521228336Gary Ferraro, Susan Andreatta (February 26, 2007) “Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective” ISBN-10: 0495100080Roger Rosenblatt (Jan. 25, 1982 )“The Man in the Water”