Friday, March 13, 2009
Chapter 5 Question 2
Some of the differences in nonverbal messages that I have picked up from other cultures is personal space, hand shakes and eye contact. "They allow us to express certain emotional themes that are hard to describe verbally" ( Trenholm 111). Personal space has limited boundaries when people are on a subway, bus, busy street or in a after hours venue in Argentina. People will stand right next to you if not leaning on you because it is something that never has been an issue in their culture. I America we are not a culture that like to have our personal space violated be a stranger we don't know anything about. Shaking hands with people can be universal but in the middle east men in Jordan men will Shake your hand for the whole conversation like you are two strangers giving honesty and respect to each other. In Argentina only foreigners shake hands everyone else hugs and gives a kiss on the cheek like Italians in Italy. Eye Contact is common in conversations and glances at people to make acknowledgment to another. Argentina has been a country that accepts eye contact as more of a respect issue but people love their three hour lunches and people watching where eye contact is something that people do a lot of.
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I like the way you incorporated other cultures and examples of how they view space or even simple gestures like greetings. Americans do view their own personal space very valuable, even when we are kids, we view our bedrooms as our sacred space. We shut out our parents, siblings and anyone else who do we do not feel comfortable in our space.
ReplyDeleteIn some of these other cultures where the view space differently than Americans, I am curious to know how they were raised as children to view space.
The different nonverbal messages you mentioned were really interesting. It’s also really interesting the amount of personal space each culture is accustomed to. By shaking someone’s hand for the entire conversation sounds very intimate and so does kissing someone else’s cheek. . I’ve experienced situations where a person has stood too close for my comfort, but in some cultures, that particular distance is very commonplace. I think that personal space or someone’s space bubble has a lot to do with nonverbal messages—and you’re right, America seems to have a little more conservative ideas on how much personal space we’re willing to give strangers.
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