Effects of Non-Verbal Communication across Cultures - Research Paper Example

? Effects of Non-Verbal Communication across Cultures Many countries around the globe have different cultures with different values making cross-cultural communication a difficulty (Levine and Adelman, 1993). In an environment where people are deeply immersed in the use of expressions such as body gestures and eye contact that are unfamiliar with their own experience, frustration and disorientation is likely to be the outcome of their efforts to communicate. As a result, it is quite essential to familiarize with the non-verbal language from different cultures. This paper focuses on effects associated with the use of non-verbal communication across cultures Effects of Non-Verbal Communication across Cultures Verbal Communication and Nonverbal Communication During daily activities, people encounter others with different beliefs, values, opinions, and needs. The ability for one to exchange ideas with another, understand one another’s opinions, and solve problems is highly dependent on the effectiveness of the communication process (Agliati, Anolli, and Vescovo, 2006). According to Kirch (1979), verbal communication refers to the message content, arrangement and choice of words while communicating nonverbally addresses the message sent using body language. Non-Verbal Communication across Cultures The most common of all forms of non-verbal communication is facial expression (Levine and Adelman, 1993). Nevertheless, interpretation of the different facial expressions across cultures is quite hard. Lists of expressions exist with respect to situations, for instance; those that indicate happiness, fear, sadness and anger. This makes it hard for one to identify what expression is being conveyed and for what reason. Carey (1998) reports that “facial expressions are the most obvious ones that can be quite misleading, because most are pretty good at covering a lie” (350). In the U.S, most people focus on facial expressions since they help to understand the message being conveyed by the speaker. Many cultures across the world consider eye contact as a critical aspect of communication. Levine and Adelman (1998) state that, “in a conversation too little eye contact may be seen negatively because it conveys lack of interest, inattention or even mistrust” (346). A suitable example is the United States where eye contact and a firm handshake are considered a basic type of nonverbal communication whereas French people toss while looking at each other’s eyes as a symbol of respect and politeness. However, Kirch (1979) argues that other countries or rather other cultures consider avoiding eye contact as a sign of respect, for instance Africa, some parts of Asia and Latin America. Another common form of nonverbal communication used by people on a daily basis is body gesture (Carey, 1998). Good examples of using body gestures include greeting people using visual signals when initiating a presentation, and beckoning to a waiter instinctively. For instance, in a U.S bar, people walk over to the counter to get their bills while in Thailand, people snap their fingers to get their bills from the waiters in charge. In addition, Thai people greet each other by putting their hands together while in the U.S and with many Christians, people put their hands together while paying respect to the Lord God. In some cultures, bidding someone farewell is done by waving hands while in others it is done by embracing each other (Carey, 1998). Furthermore, people in other cultures hug and touch each other more. Habitats of Northern European countries do not fancy this type of bodily contact as compared to residents of southern countries. Some cultures have limited body contact between sexes to relatives only. Bulgarians nod their heads to signify rejection of a prevailing situation while other people in other cultures nod their heads to signify compliance (Carey, 1998). Culture and Nonverbal Communication The way in which people across different cultures communicate is greatly affected by the variations in the respective cultures of the communicating parties. One action may not be seen as offensive in one culture yet another culture regards the action as an offense. There exists a host of cultural variations but below only the core few are discussed (Levine and Adelman, 1998): i. Expressiveness and immediacy – the two signify availability of someone for communication. Cultures with high immediacy are referred to as contact cultures and are found in warm temperatures while cultures with low immediacy are referred to as low contact cultures and are found in cold countries, for instance Arab countries and for the most parts of Northern Europe respectively. ii. Individualism v. Collectivism – an individualistic culture is that which is remote with less use of nonverbal communication while a collectivistic culture puts emphasis on pulling together as a group as well as spending time within each others proximity. iii. Masculinity – in high masculine cultures, women show more synchrony while walking as compared to those in low masculinity cultures. iv. Power distance – research has it that cultures with high power distance are untouchable with a tense movement of the subordinates who tend to smile so as to appease their superiors or to show politeness. In addition, these cultures are aware that loud vocals offend others. v. High and low context – cultures with a high context are likely to be more implicit verbally, see people that are highly verbal as less attractive, are likely to over rely on and are tuned to communicate non-verbally, and they hope for more non-verbal codes to communicate with. Variations in culture have varied effects on the way people communicate and by recognizing and adjusting to these global variations, one can succeed in their global endeavors. Cultural Differences in Non-Verbal Form of Communication As earlier seen, variations or differences in cultures have a great effect on the way people from different cultures interact. Some emotions are universal and as a result their expressions are universal too, for instance, happiness, sadness, and fear. However, some feelings are expressed differently across cultures, for instance, expressions showing friendship may vary in that some cultures may view men embracing and women holding hands as a symbol of friendship while others do not allow same sex embracing (Levine and Adelman, 1998). Generally, with nonverbal communication; one act may be considered usual or polite in a given culture but regarded unusual or rude in others thus calling for more studies into the silent language practices. Gestures and Positioning of the Body Gestures are certain movements of the body carrying a given meaning. These gestures differ across countries and cultures. For instance, beckoning people in the USA to come using a raised hand is common while the practice in some Latin American countries, Korea and the Philippines is considered rude, only suitable for an animal (Park and Guan, 2009). A gesture in the US to indicate O.K. indicates money in Japan while the same gesture in some Latin countries is regarded obscene. Similarly, relaxing in an office with feet on table/desks is a common practice among many American executives. On the contrary, showing a sole of someone’s foot to a person in Thailand or Saudi Arabia is regarded as an insult since the foot is regarded as the dirtiest part of a human’s body. Facial Expressions Determinants of meanings of facial expressions are relationships and situations (Ekman, 1989). In America, for instance, pleasure is symbolized by a smile. However, a smile has a host of other functions too; for instance, a woman’s smile to a police officer is dissimilar to that she gives to a small kid. A smile can be used for various purposes including exemplifying affection, politeness or a disguise of true feelings (Ekman, 1989). A suitable example is where Americans consider public smiling to a stranger as politeness whereas Russians perceive it as an unusual and suspicious behavior. Consequently, Americans feel Russians smile less while Russians feel that Americans do not smile in the right places (Semnani-Azad and Adair, 2011). When people walk around, their faces carry different expressions but it is not advisable to study faces of people from different cultures besides one’s own as it may lead you into problems due to misinterpretation. Individuals and cultures have different ways of exhibiting their emotions facially. Consequently, a person from a different culture can express his/her emotions openly while others do not. This does not mean that the latter person does not have emotions, somewhat there are cultural constraints preventing the person from reacting in a certain manner. For instance, Americans will openly show their emotions in public while Japanese people only show their emotions freely when with friends and family members (Semnani-Azad and Adair, 2011). An example is where teachers in American schools fail to understand whether their Japanese students are understanding and enjoying their lessons since they look for certain facial expressions that these students cannot exhibit in the classroom setup. People from different backgrounds have different facial expressions with respect to the situations. Thus, Ekman (1989) believes that it is vital not to try to judge people with different ways of expressing their emotions since the perspective of a situation may be an incorrect deduction of the same from a different culture. Eye Contact Eye contact is vital in that it can create communication barriers incases where it is intense or minimal (Levine and Adelman, 1998). In a relationship, eye contact is a symbol of intimacy, influence and may be attention. Apart from some considerations that staring at people, mostly strangers is rude, eye contact behavior has no some common rule in America. Some parts of America are characterized by brief eye contacts and smiles between people when they meet on the streets to an extent of some saying “Hi” to each other before looking away immediately. This form of eye contact is not considered rude but simply a way to acknowledge the presence of another person. Furthermore, Carey (1998) argues that Americans in public places make little eye contact as compared to people in a comfortable setting such as a learning institution. Different cultures have different patterns of eye contacts. For instance, some Americans dislike the gaze which is sometimes associated with Indian or Arab communication patterns as they feel it is too intense. On the contrary, little eye contact can symbolize lack of interest, lack of attention and/or even mistrust. Americans justify the relationship between little or no eye contact and mistrust via the frequent use of the statement "Never trust a person who doesn't look you in the eyes."On the other hand, other cultures in some Asian countries view little or no eye contact as a symbol of respect. Conversation Distance People keep an unconscious distance around them when addressing or talking to other people with names like personal space, comfort zone, interpersonal distance and body bubble being used to refer to this space. This space is used to form an invisible wall that defines the level of comfort felt when people are interacting at various distances. As the nature of relationships changes, the amount of space also changes. A suitable example is where one feels more comfortable standing next to a family member than to a stranger. Personality also plays a considerable role in determining the space people are comfortable in when conversing with others. Shy people often prefer distant interactions as compared to outgoing people. Cultural differences also play a role in determining this space. In Japan, Levine and Adelman (1998) affirm that an employee and his/her employer stand farther while conversing as compared to their corresponding Americans. Furthermore, the space held by Americans while talking to each other is larger compared to Latin Americans and Arabs. Many Americans feel that an arm’s length to four meet is the ideal distance for holding conversations (Carey, 1998). In case there is less space, then the behavior is considered to be intimate or aggressive. The common use of the phrase “excuse me” when someone in America comes into slight contact with another signifies the discomfort felt when people get too close. A person with the feeling that his/her space has been intruded by another can react aggressively to the situation or sometimes feel threatened. As a result, cultures which have allowed for physical contact of people may be of the view that Americans are distant and cold. The message contained in a nonverbal medium of communication is not only determined by culture, rather, Levine and Adelman (1998) argue that it is also influenced by the personality of the individual, the context and the relationship of the conversing parties. Nonverbal communication is usually associated with the cultural background of the individual. People feel comfortable when in presence of people with a similar body language as theirs. Carey (1998) reports that a British research showed that some British students who tried to adopt the nonverbal behavioral patterns of their Arab counterparts (increased eye contact, direct facing and smiling to the Arab students) resulted in the Arab students liking and trusting them more than other British students. When the nonverbal language of one person is similar to another’s, the two are more comfortable around each other as compared to those with differing body languages. Effects of Nonverbal Communication on Cross-Cultural Communication Communicating nonverbally drastically affects the way in which people perceive each other. As seen earlier, different cultures have varied perspectives about a conversation distance as well as the use of gestures in conversations. To contain this situation, Levine and Adelman (1993) believe that one needs to have vast knowledge of their fellow interlocutor (s). Conversation distance – variations exist with respect to cultures regarding conversation distances. Americans need an arm’s length free space to converse while some Arab countries need lesser space. Trespassing in to someone’s zone means violating their privacy and this has a negative effect on the efficiency of communication of the person talking person. Physical contacts during conversations – many in the West express their friendship by a simple shake of hands and rarely touch each other during conversations. In other areas like Italy, physical contact up to face touching can happen even with strangers (Levine and Adelman, 1993). The result of this is highly unpredictable since not everyone likes being touched especially by strangers with respect to different cultures and hence one need to learn the local communication codes to help overcome or avoid negative results. Communicating in gestures – some cultures involve frequent use of gestures in passing information. Gesturing actively to a person with no previous experience of using gestures can be a symbol of aggressiveness while its absence to others from a culture conversant with gesturing may be regarded as being cold. Traditional Interacting – some countries like Korea regard bowing as an element of conversational etiquette (Park and Guan, 2009). It is a belief that one’s fluency in Japanese or Korean is inappropriate and artificial unless a certain code of behavior is met. For instance, Park and Guan (2009) assert that passing of an item is done using both hands and not one, bowing before a meeting is inevitable etc. Islamic women do not maintain eye contact with interlocutors as this is considered staring which is a sign of disrespect whereas western nations prefer maintaining eye contact with the interlocutor as a sign of honesty. Threatening – People in different situations or environments are accustomed to a certain body language. Some forms of nonverbal communication can be scary, for instance, people in mental clinics are aware of body language that indicates a rise in tension, for instance staring, restlessness, pacing, coming close to other persons. The effects of these actions can intimidate or frighten such people in unfamiliar environments. Power and Non-verbal Communication Power, just like culture, affects how people communicate with each other both verbally and nonverbally (Coats, Hall, and Lebeau, 2005). Managers, executives and/or bosses present their body language to their subordinates in a way that is more relaxed. They can use an open body language as well as sit in a manner that symbolizes relaxing. On the contrary, a prospective employee, a subordinate, and/or an employee sits in a tense and upright manner; or a lady sitting with her hands held together and placed on her laps. This form of nonverbal communication may be seen as faint yet so powerful (McShane, 2004). To understand the potential strength of this form, think of a case where an interviewee comes into an interviewer’s office and sitting while leaning back in the chair in a relaxed manner. In conclusion, people not only use verbal communication in conversations but also use nonverbal communication with or without their knowledge to communicate their emotions. In essence, nonverbal communications may have a specific meaning in some culture and have a different understanding in a different culture, thus it can easily lead to misunderstandings. As a result, it is essential for an interlocutor to learn the nonverbal language of their fellow interlocutors in order to communicate smoothly across cultures. References Agliati, A., Anolli, L., & Vescovo, A. (2006). A new methodological approach to nonverbal behavior analysis in cultural perspective. Psychonomic Society. 38(3), 364-371. Carey, B. (1998). How to spot a liar. Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies. Ilona Leki. New York: Cambridge University Press, 349-352. Coats, E., Hall, J., & Lebeau, L. (2005). Nonverbal behavior and the vertical dimension of social relations: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. 131, 898-924. Ekman, P. (1989). The argument and evidence about universals in facial expressions of emotions. Handbook of Social Psychophysiology. 144-164 Kirch, M. (1979). Non-verbal communication across cultures. The Modern Language Journal, 63, 416-423. Levine, D. R., & Adelman, M. B. (1993). Beyond language, Prentice Hall. Levine, D. R., & Adelman, M. B. (1998). Nonverbal communication. academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies. Ilona Leki. New York: Cambridge University Press, 344-347. McShane, S. L. (2004). Communication in teams and organization.” Canadian Organization Behavior. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. 314-355. Park, H. S., & Guan, X. (2009). Cross-cultural comparison of verbal and nonverbal strategies of apologizing. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication. 2, 66-87. Semnani-Azad, Z., & Adair, W. (2011). The display of "dominant" nonverbal cues in negotiation: the role of culture and gender, 16, 451-479. Read More