5.3: Resources

Activities

Distance Violations

Chapter 5, section 2 covers Types of Nonverbal Behaviors including Proxemics, communication through the use of physical distance or space, and like most communication, it varies from culture to culture.

Hall (1966) developed a four-level classification of social distance. For the US, he defined intimate space, reserved for highly personal relationships, as 9 to 18 inches (23 to 45 cm), and personal distance ("arm's length") at 1.5 to 4 feet (.5 to 1.2 m), the normal spacing for conversations. Social distance he established at between 4 and 12 feet (1.2 to 3.6 m), the spacing normal in casual gathering and work environments. Public distance he defined as being 12 feet (3.6 m) or longer, used for public speaking or large gatherings. Researchers have identified particular cultures as having a preference for closer proximity and a high degree of physical contact (Aiello, 1987).

Student Activity: To begin, ask students to think about their own use of proxemics. When you get in line how close do you stand to the person in front of you? How uncomfortable do you get if the person behind you stands too close? How comfortable would you be in a very crowded environment (e.g. train, festival, etc.)? With this in mind, send students to observe the use of space in various environments on campus. If you are doing this activity online you can give students a designated location, or you can let them choose on their own. You could also assign the task as homework and have them go to a variety of different environments to explore the differences.

Investigation:

1. What were your initial expectations about space in this particular environment?
2. What did you observe about the use of space?
3. Did you see anything that violated your expectations? How/why?
4. What happened when someone violated norms? Do you think it matters who is violating the norms (i.e. children, those who others might find physically attractive, etc.)?
5. Are there certain norms that seem more rigid than others? Why?

*In another variation you could have students set out to violate norms and observe/evaluate what happens. Are there distinct verbal or nonverbal reactions? This variation could be a little uncomfortable for some students so you might want to give them some flexibility.

Cultural Appropriation

Section 5.2 (Physical Appearance and Artifacts) argues:

Physical appearance and artifacts profoundly influence our communication encounters. In other words, how you look conveys as much about you as what you say. Physical appearance includes attributes such as hair, clothing, body type, and personal grooming…Artifacts are the things we possess that influence how we see ourselves and that we use to express our identity to others. They can include rings and tattoos, but may also include brand names and logos.”

Cultures have rules, conventions, and norms for dress and appearance but what happens when other cultures borrow from those traditions? Where is the line between appreciation and appropriation?

Student Activity: Share one or more of the following resources with students:

• My Culture is Not a Costume, Teen Vogue asks six women about Halloween costumes that co-opt their cultures.
• Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation, CBC - Radio Canada. It's almost Halloween, have you picked a costume yet? It seems like every year certain costumes get everyone talking, so with that in mind, here's how we can all do a little more appreciating and a little less appropriating.
• What’s the Difference Between Appropriation and Appreciation?, Vice Asia. We asked London creatives from fashion, photography, art, magazines and music for their take on the term; and ask how we, as a society, can do better.
• Keeping Up with the Kardashians Is Ending. But Their Exploitation of Black Women’s Aesthetics Continues, Cady Lang, TIME, June 10, 2021. This article explores how our culture valorizes curves on wealthy, racially ambiguous white women, but stigmatizes these traits on Black women.
• Who Really Owns the ‘Blaccent’?, Vulture: New York Magazine, Lauren Michele Jackson, August 24, 2018. Appropriation is a tricky thing in the 21st century, yet it has somehow grown only more clichéd in public conversation. This article explores how appropriation exists simultaneously in two spaces - in the traditions and communal enclaves of black folks; on the body of a white or nonblack person.
• Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea and Hip-Hop's Appropriation Problem. Jeff Chang, The Guardian, December 26, 2014. Jeff Chang offers rhyme and reason to the rap beef between the two pop stars that shed light on the genre’s complex relationship with race and identity.

*The last two sources focus on paralanguage (“nonverbal aspects of speech that influence meaning, including rate, pitch, tone, volume, intensity, pausing, and even silence”) as well as physical appearance and artifacts. This discussion is also in section 5.2 under Vocalics.

Investigation:

1. How does this source define cultural appropriation? Is there a comparison to cultural appreciation? Where does the line between the two exist?
2. Share some examples of cultural appropriation.
3. How does history influence our perception of what constitutes appropriation?
4. Does the person’s intent matter in deciding whether or not something is cultural appropriation?
5. Why is cultural appropriation problematic (something to be avoided)?
6. How could these individuals/artists demonstrate an appreciation for these nonverbal aspects of cultural communication without engaging in appropriation?
7. What advice would you provide to others when it comes to Halloween and other times when we might wear a costume?

Emoticons

In section 5.1 we are introduced to the Principles of Nonverbal Communication, the start of this discussion focuses on the relative importance of nonverbal communication in conveying messages. “Recent studies have indicated that determining the impact of nonverbal elements on communication meaning is extremely difficult, and results can vary from 60-93%. In the bigger picture, the exact results don’t matter as much as the fact that nonverbal communication can contribute to well-over half of the emotional or relational meaning of any given message.” Given how important nonverbal messages are in conveying meaning, the question arises, what do we do in channels that limit our ability to use nonverbal messages, like written communication. When we use a written channel (e.g. email, text message, social media post, etc.) to convey our verbal messages our options for nonverbal messages are limited. To help fill this gap we have adopted emoticons.

Emoticons are such a valuable form of nonverbal communication that different teams of neuroscientists have studied the reactions they trigger in the human brain. All studies came to pretty much the same conclusion: emoticons triggered strong activity in the brain area connected to processing emotions, even though they would trigger no response in the brain area connected to recognizing human faces. In other words, people are able to read the emotions conveyed by emoticons while being aware of the fact that they do not represent real human faces. In this activity, you will have students see how well they can interpret the emoticons that others use.

Student Activity: Have students share three emojis (emoticons) that they like to use (use the faces, not the images of random objects). You can have them share electronically if that works for your classroom setting or students can draw the emoticons in a face-to-face classroom. Beyond sharing the specific emoticons, don't have students tell us anything else about them. Once the emoticons have been shared either on paper or on a discussion board let the class see them and have peers explain (guess) what the emojis are (what emotion do they convey, when and how would you use them).

Investigation:

1. How accurate were the guesses from your classmates? Why do you think they were easy or hard to guess?
2. Was there significant overlap in the emojis shared? What can that teach us about the kind of emotions that are more difficult to convey in written channels? Is clarity of these emotions important in your culture?
3. Have you ever had someone misinterpret your use of an emoticon? What was the result?
4. Does your use of emojis change depending on the specific written channel that you are using?
5. How else might we fill in the missing nonverbal messages when using written channels?

Discussion

1. Section 5.3 details the impact of the Environment on Conversations. Quiet, isolated environments are likely to lead to different conversation dynamics than a crowded, noisy environment. What makes an environment high load instead of low load (section 5.3:The Impact of the Environment on Conversations )? Provide some examples of high versus low load environments. What kind of communication would you engage in if you were in a low load environment? If you needed to engage in the same communication in a high load environment, could you? What adjustments would you have to make?
2. Even though human beings are by nature social, we also need time alone. “The degree to which people seek and value solitude vary across cultures, as does the means and mechanisms for being alone” (section 5.3: Privacy across Cultures). Lang (1987) identified four types of privacy: solitude, intimacy, anonymity, and reserve. Explain what these 4 types of privacy entail and how they differ? Provide examples from your own life that help illustrate how you engage in each type. Are sometimes more important to you than others? Why? How do you make sure that your privacy needs are met? Is it difficult? Why?

Supplemental Materials

The Power of Nonverbal Communication, Joe Navarro, TED Talk

For 25 years, Joe used nonverbal communication as his primary professional tool in the FBI to catch and interview spies, criminals, and terrorists. Since leaving the FBI his life’s work has been in building awareness about the power of nonverbal communication, debunking myths and falsehoods about nonverbals, and giving people insight into how to better utilize nonverbals to enhance their communication skills.

Why Americans Smile So Much; How immigration and cultural values affect what people do with their faces. Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, May 3, 2017.

Americans tend to smile more often than people in other countries. Olga Khazan digs into a couple of scientific findings why — it turns out that American smiles signal excitement, and confidence, and also have to do with a long history of immigration.

Why do Americans Smile so Much, Alice Roth, Olga Khazan, Jeremy Raff, Caitlin Cadieux, The Atlantic, May 25, 2017. A short video that explores these ideas.

Braids and Appropriation in America | ELLE

Lupita Nyong'o, Young M.A, Ayana Bird, Lacy Redway, Vernon François and more talk about braids and black hair culture in America.

Good Hair

Good Hair is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. The film focuses on the issue of how African-American women have perceived their hair and historically styled it. The film explores the current styling industry for black women, images of what is considered acceptable and desirable for African-American women's hair in the United States, and their relation to African American culture. The Movie is available on a number of streaming devices including Amazon prime. The clips on Relaxer are particularly relevant.

Intercultural Communication: Gestures, Activity by Elizabeth Jones

The learner will recognize common gestures and identify the meanings associated with those gestures (CC BY-NC 4.0)