Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication Essay -- Communication

When communicating, only a small percent of the exchange is verbal. The larger part of the message is made up of body language or movements, known as nonverbal communication. The reason for people using nonverbal communication is to enhance the message they are sending to the receiver. One way nonverbal communication differs is through cultural differences. Cultural differences have a significant impact on nonverbal communication as cultures differ greatly in their nonverbal interpretations and responses. Firstly, this essay will prove how kinesics can create barriers between people as types of nonverbal cues differ amongst cultures. It will then show that paralinguistics can be based on cultural expectations and this can create stereotyping in cross-cultural communication. Turning to haptics, it will then show that different perspectives on haptics can cause problems in a cross-cultural context. Finally, it will prove that because of different cultural norms, the use of proxemics can be misinterpreted, therefore proving that cultural differences have a significant impact on nonverbal communication. Kinesics refers to the study of body movements; an understanding of kinesics across culture requires a close look at posture, movement, facial expression, eye contact, and gestures (Tyler, Kossen & Ryan 2005). Particular kinesics do not signify the same meaning for all cultures, the meaning of any kinesics depends on the culture of the expresser and the observer. Kinesics varies from culture to culture; these differences can cause barriers between people from different cultures, it can also create barriers between two countries. For example, Bill Richardson tells of a time when he went to Iraq to negotiate the release of two U.S... ...Cited Delgado, R & Kobayashi, T 2011. Proceedings of the Paralinguistic Information and its Integration in Spoken Dialogue Systems Workshop. 1st ed. Springer. Richmond, V & McCroskey, J 2011. Nonverbal Behavior in Interpersonal Relations. 7th ed. Allyn & Bacon. Knapp, M & Hall, J 2009. Communication in Human Interaction. 7th ed. Wadsworth Publishing. Laver, J, 1994. Principles of Phonetics . Cambridge University Press. Remland, M, 2008. Nonverbal Communication in Everyday Life . 3rd ed. Allyn & Bacon. Hall, E, 1990. The Hidden Dimension. Anchor. Tyler, S, Kossen, C & Ryan, C 2002, Communication: A foundation Course, Prentice Hall, Sydney. Hall, E, 1990. Understanding cultural Differences: Germans, French and Americans. Nicholas Brealey Publishing . Harper, R, 1978. Nonverbal communication: The State of the Art. New York: John Wiley & Sons.