Cultural Differences in Non-verbal Communication

Cultural Differences in Non-verbal CommunicationStudents: Durnea IoanaIacob Beatrice-Alexandra

University of Alexandru Ioan Cuza-FEAAWhat is non-verbal communication? Nonverbal communication or body language is an important part of how people communicate and there are differences from culture to culture.

The most important thing to keep in mind about non-verbal behaviors is that they do not translate across cultures easily and can lead to serious misunderstanding.

What are these people saying in your opinion?

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Cultural DifferencesPosture:- standing with the hands on the hips in Argentina suggest anger or a challenge; in our culture this posture is common.- bowing not done in US, often criticized; but shows rank in Japan.- sitting with legs crossed common in our cultures, but offensive in Ghana, Turkey;

Gesture:-the use of a finger or hand to indicate come here please in some cultures is very offensive for Asians, even pointing something with a finger, typically they use their entire hand to point smth.-the Ok sing-meaning perfect in American culture, in Tunisia means Ill kill you, in Japan- money and in Belgium, France, Portugal, Italy, Greece-zero or nothing.- the gesture from the picture in the right in France means I dont believe you and in Somalia means I see you or Look

Cultural DifferencesFacial expressions:-Smiling is an expression of happiness in most cultures, but some Chinese may smile when they are discussing something sad or uncomfortable.-Winking has very different connotations in different cultures: in some Latin American this is a romantic invitation; in Nigeria may wink at their children if they want them to leave the room; or many Chinese consider winking to be rude.

Eye contact and Gaze- Refusing to make eye contact is a sign of disrespect, for example in America or even in Romania; -In Latin America good eye contact is important in both social and business situations.-Arabic Cultures make prolonged eye-contact. They believe that it shows interest and helps them understand truthfulness of the other person.-In Japan, Africa and Caribbean: avoid eye contact to show respect;

Touch- USA,Midle East: handshake hugs, kisses are common; - Cultures like England,Germany,China,Japan,with high emotional restraint concept have little public touch. - In Muslim cultures,touch between opposite gendered is generally inappropiate.

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Paralanguage -in Japan giggling indicates discomfort;in India- belch indicates satisfaction; -Vocal qualifiers(volume, rhythm, tempo and tone) represent strenght in Arabic culture and authority to the Germans,a high tone indicates impoliteness to the Thais or loss of control in Japan. -Vocal segregates(un-huh, shh, uh, ooh, hmm) indicate formality, acceptance, assent, uncertainty in all cultures.

Head movements The signal for Yes and the signal for No are exactly the opposite in a few cultures, for example Bulgarian.They nod back for no and forth for yes. ConclusionNon-verbal communication is as important as the verbal one because it offers plenty of clues of what someone is trying to say.