Culture and Body Language Katina M. Brown COM 200: Interpersonal Communication Katie Decker November 16, 2009 No matter where we are from, body language is the one form of communication that all humans have in common. We all communicate using our bodies but many gestures can mean very different things in different parts of the world. When traveling to different countries, it is important to realize that something as simple as a nod of the head can have a different meaning than what you intended.
How we greet others, our eye movements, our facial expressions, how we sit, how we stand, even how we smile can say to others much more than our verbal words. In many countries, the gestures that we make that convey nonverbal communication may be insulting or seen as offensive. For example, nodding your head in North America is a gesture that means yes or shows affirmation. In parts of Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria, nodding the head means no (Rugsaken, 2006). Nonverbal communication can say much more than what we intend to say.Because most nonverbal communication is unconscious, when traveling abroad it is very important to be aware of meanings of some gestures.
In New Zealand, the sign that North Americans use to signal “thumbs up” or thank you is an insult and can lead to arrest if directed toward a police officer. People who are native to Asians countries are more aware of body language than any other groups of people in the world. Direct eye contact in North America signals respect and also lets one know that you are paying attention and listening.In most Asian and African countries, direct eye contact is a sign of disrespect and is challenging. The less eye contact a person shows, the more respect they are showing for a person (Rugasken, 2006).
In North America, we are taught to always look a person in the eye, especially during job interviews and other business transactions. This information is important to human resource directors who may at some point interview a person whose culture demands that there is little or no eye contact.Not having this information could result in someone not receiving fair consideration for an open position. Although hand shaking is being more widely accepted in Asian countries as a greeting, it can still convey different messages. For example, a hand shake with a strong grip in the United States can show a sign of respect and acknowledgement.
In Asia, shaking someone’s hand with a strong grip is a sign of aggression (Rugasken, 2006). The way things are accepted can even send the wrong message.According to Rugasken, in Middle Eastern and some Asian countries, the right hand has special significance while the left hand is considered to be dirty. It is best to accept things with the right hand or both (2006). For most women and some men in North American countries, sitting with crossed legs means nothing. In some countries in Asia and the Middle East, crossing the legs is seen as extremely disrespectful because a solid sitting posture is customary.
Putting your ankle across your knee also risks pointing the sole of your shoe toward a person and this is considered to be an extremely rude gesture.In these countries, you should also never move or point at something with your feet (Rugasken, 2006). In conclusion, while everyone sends messages using body language and non verbal communication, it is very important to realize that different gestures can portray different meanings. Different cultures have different ways of speaking and making points. We all know that the United States is a melting pot of different people, cultures and languages.
People in other countries often see the United States as the land of opportunity.As a result, there are now many different things we must take into consideration in order to make sure that we are being respectful and tolerant. It seems our non verbal communication is something that we should take care to be more aware of. References Rugsaken, K. (2006).
Body speaks: Body language around the world. Retrieved November 16, 2009, from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site: http://www. nacada. ksu.
edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/body-speaks. htm
