Nonverbal

communication
across culture
 01
Communication
Communication is the process of
passing information (sending) and
understanding (receiving) the same
from one person to another through
verbal or nonverbal means.
 1.
02 2.
Writte
Verba
n
Different l

types/categories 3.
Nonverb
of communication al

according to 4.
drexel.edu 5.
Visu
Listenin
al
g
 0 ‘Nonverbal
Troppa 3 communication’
(2009)
bynonverbal
Explained that experts: communication is
beyond the conventional sending and receiving of
messages for the sole purpose of communicating, but
Madonik,
(2001)also affects the form of relating and interacting.
Nonverbal communication means “a process in
which people transmit and receive the message
without using words”
 The characteristics
of nonverbal
04 communication
1. Nonverbal Communication Can Be
Conscious or Unconscious
2. Nonverbal Communication is Continuous
and Ongoing
3. Nonverbal Communication Uses Multiple
Channels
4. Nonverbal Communication is Culture-
Bound
 The function of
05 nonverbal
communication
• Complementing
• Repeatin
• Contradicting
g
• Accenting
• Emblems
• Regulating
• Substitut
ing
 Types of
nonverbal
06
communicati
on
1.
Characteristics of vocal communication
Paralinguist
considered marginal or optional and therefore
excludable from the linguistic analysis are referred
ic
to as paralanguage.
Paralinguistic
There are 3 categories examples:
of paralinguistic:
- high pitch level or fast tempo with fear,
- Voice qualifiers.
surprise, or anger; and low pitch level
- Voice characterizers.
or slow tempo with boredom and
2.- Vocal segregate..
sadness
The basic assumption that underlies kinesics is that no body
Kinesics
movement or facial expression is likely to lack meaning
- Facial
Several basic
expressions
components, - The nature of
all of which
eye contact
are
3.
Proxemics is defined as The space around
Proxemic
the study of the nature, us can be defined
degree, and effect of the by four proxemics
sspatial separation individuals zones:
naturally maintain (as in • Public
various social and • Social
interpersonal situations) and • Personal
4. Sign
how this separation relates • Intimate
to environmental and cultural
Sign language, any means of communication
language
factors (Merriam-Webster).
through bodily movements, especially of the
hands and arms, used when spoken
communication is impossible or not desirable.
primary sign languages used by the deaf are
highly structured, complete, and independent
 Nonverbal
07 Communication in
intercultural
Continuous, context
nonverbal communication is communication
that takes place without the use of words. Any
communication involves both body language and the
surrounding situation. What matters is how something is
expressed, not what is said. Non-verbal cues include things
like eye contact, hand gestures, facial expressions, touch,
and many others.
From person
Since to
manyperson and especially
of them, from to
like the ability one culture
smile and cry,
to another, nonverbal communication varies. Their
are natural, facial expressions are generally consistent
nonverbal communication
throughout is defined by their cultural
cultures.
history because many forms
Researchers have of nonverbal
shown communication,
that six emotions are
such signs and signals,
universal: are taught
joy, sorrow, behaviors.
disgust, fear, rage, and surprise.
However, other factors may also vary, such as how much
 Nonverbal communication
08
Eye Contact differences between
cultures
Eye contact signals confidence in the West, but can be seen as rude or
challenging in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Also, there are gender
rules around eye contact, with many Eastern cultures discouraging
women from making eye contact .
Time
Customs can differ across cultures in terms of:
-Preparatory Communication
-When communication starts
-During the communication process
-Currently
Touch
Touch often is used frequently in communication, even in a business
Gestures
setting, with pointing
customs at
such as the else
someone handshake. But in
is an insult other
mostcultures consider
parts of the
touching other people
world, butinappropriate.
in some places, it is often used simply as a
reference. Polynesians stick out their tongue to greet
Physical Distance
The rule of thumb here, no matter where you are in the world, is to
give people more space than you think they might need. Only get close
if invited. People in different cultures view physical distance differently.
However, it’s best to never enter anyone’s personal space, about 2 feet.
If it’s not personal intimacy, many people find such proximity
uncomfortable.
Facial Expressions
The good news is that facial expressions for happiness, sadness,
anger, and fear are universal. The bad news is that not every culture is
OK with using them in a business setting. The Japanese, for example,
try to remain a neutral facial expression, believing that showing your
emotions burdens the other person.
Appearance
Conservative attire is the safest bet. Some places in the United
States are fine with very relaxed appearances, while others see even an
exposed shoulder or leg as cause for offense. The best choice is to
simply dress conservatively. You can also loosen up your wardrobe if it
becomes apparent that is acceptable.
 Paralanguage
Paralanguage refers to communication that is vocalized
but not words. This includes tone of voice, loudness,
speed of speech and inflection. Paralanguage is key to
understanding the context or meaning of the words
used. It’s important to be mindful of these
issues, and to understand they are not discernible in
emailsvs.
High-Context and texts, so great care must be used in the
Low-Context
Anotherwords
way toyou
helpchoose.
with understanding the cultural difference
in nonverbal communication is understanding the difference
between high context and low context cultures.
High-context cultures rely more on nonverbal communication
than low-context cultures. They use personal relationships,
social hierarchies and cultural knowledge to convey meaning.
In “low-context” cultures, words are more important.
Communication is direct, relationships begin and end quickly,
 cultures/
languages think
about space,
posture, and
gestures
09
 Different cultures have different ways of
making nonverbal communication and different
people have different gestures of conveying their
expressions. Many gestures involve the hand, but
other forms of body language are also used to
convey meaning. Japanese practice of bowing, for
example, involves a rigid, hierarchical scale,
based on status and rank.
In America, for example, Italian migrants
typically gesture much more than British or
Jewish migrants do. The use of facial expressions
and physical gestures by people in communities
near the Mediterranean Sea was much higher
than that of, for example, societies in
Scandinavia or Japan, as observed by curious
travelers centuries ago. Birdwhistell provides a
10 Expectations violation model and its
relation to culture (Judee Burgoon
and Hale, 1988)
Burgoon and his colleagues are continuing their study by
looking at the ways in which humans respond when their
expectations are not met or are violated. .2 Their observations
resulted in a theory known as expectancy violation theory (EVT) in
1978 to explain the consequences or impacts of changes in
personal distance and space during interpersonal communication
interactions.
Everyone has expectations about the behavior of others based
on:
The interesting
1) social norms; thing is that the violation of expectations
can cause the
2) previous person receiving
experience with thatitperson;
to be 'aroused'.
and The arousal
that
3) thearises does
situation in not
whichalways have aoccurs.
the behavior negative meaning, in
some cases it can be pleasant, especially if the other person
has an interest in us or vice versa. However, unexpected
Than
ks!