COMM 321

INTERCULTURAL SKILLS

Kenan BASARAN 1

Verbal(words)

Non-verbalParalanguage: Vocal Behaviors (volume,stress, pitch, speaking rate)Personal Space: Territory between us & others (contact & non-contact cultures)Eye ContactFacial Expressions: 6 emotionsGesturesTime orientation: Monochronic (punctuality, plans and obligations first)& Polychronic(Personal obligations first)

Personal Space: Territory between us & others (contact & non-contact cultures)

INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

CULTURES HAVE CONVENTIONS FOR THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE APART FOR TWO PEOPLE TO STAND WHILE CONVERSING.

• IN BRITISH CULTURE THE USUAL DISTANCE FOR CONVERSATION IS APPROXIMATELY ARM’S LENGTH, 2-3 FEET, AND ANYONE APPROACHING NEARER MAY BE SEEN AS AGGRESSIVE.

• PEOPLE FROM SOUTHERN EUROPE, TURKEY, ARABIC COUNTRIES AND LATIN AMERICA EXPECT TO STAND CLOSER AND MAY INTERPRET A BRITISH PERSON’S PREFERRED DISTANCE AS COLD OR ARROGANT.

THE AMOUNT OF EYE CONTACT REGARDED AS ACCEPTABLE OR NECESSARY IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC. FOR EXAMPLE:

ARAB A LOT OF EYE CONTACT: TOO LITTLE COULD BE

DISRESPECTFUL, BUT UNRELATED MEN AND WOMEN MAY AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AS THIS COULD BE SEEN AS FLIRTATIOUS.

BRITISH THE SPEAKER MAKES EYE CONTACT BUT PERIODICALLY

LOOKS AWAY TO AVOID ‘STARING’; A SPEAKER WHO DOES NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT MAY BE SEEN AS UNTRUSTWORTHY.

A LISTENER IS EXPECTED TO LOOK AT THE SPEAKER: NOT TO DO SO IS SEEN AS DISRESPECTFUL, OR IMPLIES THE PERSON IS NOT LISTENING.

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SOUTH ASIAN DIRECT EYE CONTACT CAN BE SEEN AS

AGGRESSIVE AND DISRESPECTFUL. JAPANESE AND CHINESE DIRECT EYE CONTACT FOR MORE THAN A

COUPLE OF SECONDS IS DISRESPECTFUL, ESPECIALLY TOWARDS PEOPLE SEEN AS SOCIAL ‘SUPERIORS’.

AFRO-CARIBBEAN THE SPEAKER LOOKS AT THE LISTENER AND

THE LISTENER LOOKS AWAY: LOOKING AT THE SPEAKER MAY IMPLY CHALLENGE AND DISRESPECT.

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WE MAY UNCONSCIOUSLY USE MORE HAND GESTURES THAN NORMAL WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH SOMEONE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ‘EASIER’ FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND US.

HOWEVER, HAND GESTURES MAY CARRY QUITE DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN OTHER CULTURES. FOR EXAMPLE:

A THUMBS UP SIGN, USED IN WHITE BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘THAT’S RIGHT’ OR ‘IT’S GOOD’,

IS AN OBSCENELY OFFENSIVE SIGN IN SOME WEST AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN CULTURES.

•MANY OF US USE HAND GESTURES TO EMPHASISE WHAT WE ARE SAYING.

•MAKING A CIRCLE BETWEEN THUMB AND INDEX/MIDDLE FINGER, USED IN BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘PERFECT’, •THIS IS AN OFFENSIVE OR OBSCENE GESTURE IN SOME SOUTH EUROPEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN CULTURES, AND HAS A VARIETY OF OTHER MEANINGS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.•BECKONING SOMEONE BY HOLDING YOUR PALM FACE UP, CURLING IN FINGERS AND THUMB, AND CURLING THE INDEX FINGER BACK AND FORTH, USED IN BRITISH CULTURE TO MEAN ‘COME HERE’, IS... •IN SOME FAR EASTERN CULTURES RESERVED FOR ANIMALS AND COULD BE INSULTING WHEN USED TO ADULTS. •IN SOME PARTS OF SOUTH AMERICA THE SAME GESTURE IS HIGHLY FLIRTATIOUS.

EACH CULTURE HAS CLEAR RULES ABOUT WHO MAY TOUCH WHO IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.

IN SOME CULTURES, TOUCHING IN PUBLIC IS ONLY ACCEPTABLE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF THE SAME SEX.

IN SOME CULTURES TOUCHING IN PUBLIC IS ONLY ACCEPTABLE BETWEEN PEOPLE OF OPPOSITE SEXES.

IN SOME CULTURES HIGH LEVELS OF TOUCH ARE NORMAL (E.G. LATIN AMERICAN, SOUTHERN EUROPEAN AND ARAB).

IN SOME CULTURES (E.G. JAPAN) PUBLIC TOUCHING IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.

IN BRITISH CULTURE, PUBLIC TOUCHING IS NORMALLY CONFINED TO A GREETING HANDSHAKE, BUT

TOUCHING AS AN EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY MAY BE ACCEPTABLE.

SOME CULTURES HAVE SPECIFIC PROHIBITIONS ON TOUCHING. FOR EXAMPLE:

IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, PEOPLE MAY REGARD THE HEAD AS THE SEAT OF THE SOUL AND NOT TO BE TOUCHED.

IN SOUTH ASIA AND ARABIC COUNTRIES, THE LEFT HAND IS REGARDED AS UNCLEAN AND

IT IS INSULTING TO TOUCH A PERSON WITH THE LEFT HAND OR

TO HAND SOMETHING TO THEM FROM THE LEFT HAND.

THE WAY THAT A PERSON SPEAKS IS OFTEN ASSUMED TO REFLECT THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE AND INTENTIONS.

YOU MAY DRAW AUTOMATIC INFERENCES ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON BASED ON HOW THEY SPEAK AND LISTEN.

HOWEVER, THE SPEAKING AND LISTENING CONVENTIONS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES VARY WIDELY AND THIS INCLUDES:

• THE NORMAL SPEED AND VOLUME OF SPEECH• THE MEANING OF EMPHASIS GIVEN TO PARTICULAR WORDS • THE MEANING OF INTONATIONS • HOW TO INDICATE IT IS THE OTHER PERSON’S TURN TO

SPEAK• HOW TO SHOW YOU ARE LISTENING• THE MEANING OF NODDING OR SHAKING THE HEAD• HOW TO STRUCTURE THE CONTENT OF SPEECH.

BRITISH ENGLISH USES EMPHASIS TO INDICATE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT OR NEW INFORMATION WITHIN A SENTENCE, OR TO SHOW EXCITEMENT OR ANGER. SPEAKING LOUDLY CAN ALSO INDICATE ANGER AND EXCITEMENT. A STATEMENT CAN BE TURNED INTO A QUESTION BY RAISING THE TONE AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE (“SHE’S ONLY JUST ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL” TURNS INTO (“SHE’S ONLY JUST ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL?”) A LISTENER FROM A DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUND WILL NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THESE IMPLICATIONS.

IN A POLITE EXCHANGE BETWEEN SPEAKERS OF BRITISH ENGLISH, ONLY ONE PERSON SPEAKS AT A TIME, AND

THE SPEAKER PAUSES WHEN THEY HAVE FINISHED TO SHOW THE OTHER PERSON THAT IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.

THE LISTENER NODS AND MAKES BRIEF COMMENTS (‘YES’, ‘I SEE’, ‘REALLY?’) TO SHOW THEIR INTEREST.

LISTENERS APPRECIATE CLARITY, DIRECTNESS, AND LINEAR THOUGHT, AND

EXPECT THE SPEAKER TO MAKE THEIR MOST IMPORTANT POINT FIRST.

SPEED AND EMPHASIS IN SOME LANGUAGES A PERSON SPEAKS MORE SLOWLY TO SHOW

THAT THE INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT, AND IN OTHER LANGUAGES A PERSON SPEAKS MORE QUICKLY TO

CONVEY IMPORTANCE. INTONATION

MANY LANGUAGES USE A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF INTONATION THAN BRITISH ENGLISH.

SOME LANGUAGES SUCH AS CHINESE ARE TONAL, AND THE MEANING OF INDIVIDUAL WORDS IS CHANGED BY CHANGING THE INTONATION.

A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY ASSUME THAT A PERSON WHO IS USES A LARGE TONAL RANGE IS ANGRY OR OVER-EXCITED,

WHILE THAT PERSON MAY ASSUME THAT THE SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH (WITH THEIR LIMITED TONAL RANGE) IS UNINTERESTED.

A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY TURN A STATEMENT INTO A QUESTION BY RAISING THE TONE OF THE END OF A SENTENCE,

BUT THIS MAY NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AS A QUESTION BY SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES.

VOLUME

THERE IS A WIDE VARIATION IN THE ‘NORMAL’ VOLUME OF SPEECH, AND

THEREFORE IN THE PERCEIVED MEANING OF ‘LOUDER’ OR ‘QUIETER’ SPEECH THAN THE LISTENER USES AS A BASELINE. FOR EXAMPLE:

A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH MAY BELIEVE A PERSON IS ANGRY OR OVER-EXCITED IF THEY SPEAK AT WHAT IS, FOR THEM, A NORMAL VOLUME,...

BUT WHICH IS LOUDER THAN THAT COMMONLY USED IN BRITISH ENGLISH.

A PERSON FROM LATIN AMERICA, WHERE NORMAL SPEECH IS QUIETER THAN BRITISH ENGLISH, MAY THINK A SPEAKER OF BRITISH ENGLISH IS SPEAKING ANGRILY TO THEM,...

AND MAY IN TURN BE PERCEIVED AS SHY AND WITHDRAWN.

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: Dem

ian S

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TAKING TURNS

CULTURES VARY IN HOW THEY SHOW IT IS SOMEONE ELSE’S TURN TO SPEAK.

IN SOME CULTURES, A SPEAKER STOPS TALKING TO SHOW IT IS THE OTHER PERSON’S TURN, AND

IT IS RUDE FOR THE OTHER PERSON TO BEGIN UNTIL THE FIRST PERSON HAS STOPPED.

IN SOME CULTURES, A SPEAKER MAY SHOW THAT SHE HAS FINISHED BY SPEAKING MORE SLOWLY AND QUIETLY, OR MAY BEGIN TO REPEAT HERSELF.

IN SOME CULTURES, TALKING AT THE SAME TIME AS SOMEONE ELSE IS POLITE AND FRIENDLY.

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: Andre

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LISTENING

A PERSON MAY DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE LISTENING IN A RANGE OF WAYS. FOR EXAMPLE,

IN SOME CULTURES A LISTENER IS NOT EXPECTED TO GIVE ANY AUDIBLE OR VISIBLE SIGN OF LISTENING.

IN BRITISH CULTURE A LISTENER IS EXPECTED TO LOOK AT THE SPEAKER, AND TO RESPOND WITH FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, NODS AND BRIEF COMMENTS.

A JAPANESE PERSON MAY CLOSE THEIR EYES TO SHOW THEY ARE LISTENING CAREFULLY.

IN SOME CULTURES, IT IS RESPECTFUL NOT TO LOOK AT THE PERSON WHO IS TALKING TO YOU.  

NODDING AND SHAKING THE HEAD

IN MOST CULTURES NODDING THE HEAD MEANS ‘YES’ OR ‘I AM LISTENING’, BUT IN OTHERS (E.G. BULGARIA) IT MEANS ‘NO’.

IN SOME CULTURES SHAKING THE HEAD MEANS ‘NO’, IN OTHERS IT MEANS ‘YES’ OR ‘ALRIGHT’.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER CULTURAL VARIATIONS FOR INDICATING ‘YES’ AND ‘NO’.

FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE FROM THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT MAY BOBBLE THE HEAD FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO SHOW AGREEMENT.

SMILING IN SOME CULTURES, SMILING INDICATES HAPPINESS, OR IS USED BY A LISTENER TO ENCOURAGE THE SPEAKER AND TO

SHOW ATTENTION. IN SOME FAR EASTERN CULTURES, SMILING MAY BE USED IN

SITUATIONS OF HAPPINESS, ANGER, EMBARRASSMENT, SADNESS OR APOLOGY.

DIRECT/INDIRECT STYLE

IN SOME CULTURES, THE CONTEXT OF THE CONVERSATION IS A HIGHLY IMPORTANT PART OF ITS MEANING, AND MUCH IS IMPLIED WITHOUT BEING SAID.

LISTENERS FROM THIS TYPE OF CULTURE MAY PAY AS MUCH ATTENTION TO THE SPEAKER’S BODY LANGUAGE, FACIAL EXPRESSION, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME GIVEN TO THE CONVERSATION AS TO THE...

ACTUAL WORDS USED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SPEAKER IS ‘REALLY’ TRYING TO SAY.

IN SOME CULTURES, THE MEANING OF A CONVERSATION IS STRAIGHTFORWARDLY CONTAINED IN THE WORDS, AND LISTENERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO ATTACH SIGNIFICANCE TO THE CONTEXT.

SOME CULTURES LIE IN THE MIDDLE: THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS WHERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS IMPLIED RATHER THAN STATED OPENLY, AND OTHERS WHERE A DIRECT STYLE IS USED.

ACTING WITH DEFERENCE (RESPECT)

SOME CULTURES HAVE STRONGLY HIERARCHICAL ATTITUDES, WHILE OTHERS ARE MORE EGALITARIAN (EQUAL RIGHTS).

IF A PERSON FROM A HIERARCHICAL CULTURE (SUCH AS MANY ASIAN AND AFRICAN CULTURES) PERCEIVES A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AS A SOCIAL ‘SUPERIOR’, HE/SHE MAY:

BEHAVE DEFERENTIALLY TRY TO AVOID SAYING ‘NO’ SHOW ONLY POSITIVE EMOTIONS, AND

NOT EXPRESS HER TRUE FEELINGS SMILE A LOT TO SHOW POLITENESS AND

COMPLIANCE BE VERY CONCERNED TO AVOID

ANNOYING OR CREATING WORK FOR THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.

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: D.J. Jo

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SAYING ‘NO’, SAYING ‘YES’

IN HIERARCHICAL CULTURES IT MAY BE RUDE TO SAY ‘NO’ TO A HIGHER STATUS PERSON,

BUT THESE CULTURES HAVE WAYS TO EXPRESS ‘NO’ WITHOUT SAYING IT DIRECTLY.

THESE MAY NOT TRANSLATE READILY INTO ENGLISH, SO A PERSON MAY RESORT TO ‘YES’ WITHOUT MEANING IT LITERALLY.

‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’

• BRITISH ENGLISH USES ‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’ TO FRAME POLITE REQUESTS:

• WITHOUT ‘PLEASE’ (OR AN EQUIVALENT SOFTENER SUCH AS ‘WOULD YOU MIND...’), A REQUEST BECOMES AN ORDER.

• SOME LANGUAGES DO NOT USE A SEPARATE WORD ‘PLEASE’, BUT INCORPORATE POLITENESS INTO THE REQUEST BY USING A DIFFERENT FORM OF THE VERB OR PRONOUN.

• WHEN A PERSON FROM SUCH A LINGUISTIC BACKGROUND (E.G. URDU) SPEAKS IN ENGLISH, HE OR SHE MAY OMIT ‘PLEASE’ WITHOUT ANY INTENTION TO SOUND ARROGANT OR DEMANDING.

• IN SOME LANGUAGES, ‘PLEASE’ AND ‘THANK YOU’ ARE RESERVED FOR SITUATIONS OF PARTICULAR KINDNESS AND GRATITUDE, AND NOT EXPECTED WHERE A PERSON IS DOING THEIR ORDINARY WORK.

How rude! Who does she think she is?

Hold my baby!

- LIKE ANY SPOKEN LANGUAGE, BODY LANGUAGE HAS WORDS, SENTENCES AND PUNCTUATION.

- EACH GESTURE IS LIKE A SINGLE WORD AND ONE WORD MAY HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MEANINGS.

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ACCORDING TO THE SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGIST, EDWARD T. HALL, IN A NORMAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO PERSONS, LESS THAN 35% OF THE SOCIAL MEANINGS IS ACTUALLY TRANSMITTED BY WORDS.

SO, AT LEAST 65% OF IT IS CONVEYED THROUGH THE BODY (NON-VERBAL CHANNEL).

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- NODDING THE HEAD- “YES” IN MOST SOCIETIES- “NO” IN SOME PARTS OF GREECE,

(Former)YUGOSLAVIA, BULGARIA, AND TURKEY- TOSSING THE HEAD BACKWARD- “YES” IN THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES, INDIA, LAOS- ROCKING HEAD SLOWLY, BACK AND FORTH- “YES, I’M LISTENING” IN MOST ASIAN CULTURES

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Moving the head from side to side could indicate agreement in Asia,

whereas elsewhere in the world a similar shaking of the head means the opposite.

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* FACIAL EXPRESSIONS REFLECT EMOTION, FEELINGS AND ATTITUDES, BUT…..

* THE ASIANS ARE SOMETIMES KNOWN AS

- EMOTIONLESS- MIXED-UP EMOTION

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* EYE CONTACTS- ENCOURAGED IN AMERICA, CANADA, EUROPE- RUDE IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES AND IN AFRICA

* RAISING EYEBROWS- “YES” IN THAILAND AND SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES- “HELLO” IN THE PHILIPPINES

* WINKING EYE- SHARING SECRET IN AMERICA AND EUROPE- FLIRTATIOUS GESTURE IN OTHER COUNTRIES

* CLOSED EYES- BORED OR SLEEPY IN AMERICA- “I’M LISTENING AND CONCENTRATING.” IN JAPAN,

THAILAND, CHINA

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* EAR GRASP- “I’M SORRY.” IN PARTS OF INDIA

* CUPPING THE EAR- “I CAN’T HEAR YOU.” IN ALL SOCIETIES

* PULLING EAR- “YOU ARE IN MY HEART” FOR NAVAJO

INDIANS

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* HOLDING THE NOSE

- “SOMETHING SMELLS BAD.” UNIVERSAL

* NOSE TAP

- “IT’S CONFIDENTIAL.” ENGLAND

- “WATCH OUT!” OR "BE CAREFUL.” ITALY

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* POINTING TO NOSE

- “IT’S ME.” JAPAN* BLOWING NOSE

- IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES, BLOWING THE NOSE AT SOCIAL GATHERING IS ‘DISGUSTING.’

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* CHEEK SCREW- GESTURE OF ADMIRE - ITALY- “THAT’S CRAZY.” GERMANY

* CHEEK STROKE- “PRETTY, ATTRACTIVE, SUCCESS” MOST

EUROPE

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* WHISTLE, YAWN, SMILE, BITE, POINT, SNEEZE, SPIT, KISS..

* KISS. IN PARTS OF ASIA, KISSING IS CONSIDERED AN INTIMATE SEXUAL ACT AND NOT PERMISSIBLE IN PUBLIC, EVEN AS A SOCIAL GREETING.

* KISSING SOUND. TO ATTRACT ATTENTION IN THE PHILIPPINES, TO BECKON A WAITER IN MEXICO.

* FINGER TIP KISS. IN FRANCE, IT CONVEYS SEVERAL MESSAGES, “THAT’S GOOD!” “THAT’S GREAT!” “THAT’S BEAUTIFUL!.”

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* SPITTING. * SPITTING IN PUBLIC IS CONSIDERED RUDE

IN MOST WESTERN CULTURES. * IN THE PRC AND MANY OTHER ASIAN

COUNTRIES, SPITTING IN PUBLIC IS TO RID A PERSON’S WASTE AND, THEREFORE, IS HEALTHY.

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* LIP POINTING* (A SUBSTITUTE FOR POINTING WITH

THE HAND OR FINGER) IS COMMON AMONG FILIPINOS, NATIVE AMERICANS, PUERTO RICANS, AND MANY LATIN AMERICANS.

* OPEN MOUTH. * ANY DISPLAY OF THE OPEN MOUTH IS

CONSIDERED VERY RUDE IN MOST COUNTRIES.

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* SOME CULTURES, LIKE THE ITALIANS, USE THE ARMS FREELY. OTHERS, LIKE THE JAPANESE, ARE MORE RESERVED; IT IS CONSIDERED IMPOLITE TO GESTICULATE WITH BROAD MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMS.

* FOLDING ARMS * ARE INTERPRETED BY SOME SOCIAL

OBSERVERS AS A FORM OF EXCLUDING SELF, “I AM TAKING A DEFENSIVE POSTURE,” OR “I DISAGREE WITH WHAT I AM HEARING.”

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* ARMS AKIMBO. * IN MANY CULTURES, THIS STANCE

SIGNALS AGGRESSION, RESISTANCE, IMPATIENCE, OR EVEN ANGER.

* ARMS BEHIND BACK, HANDS GRASPED * IS A SIGN OF EASE AND CONTROL. * ARMS IN FRONT, HANDS GRASPED,

COMMON PRACTICE IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES,

* IS A SIGN OF MUTUAL RESPECT FOR OTHERS.

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* OF ALL THE BODY PARTS, THE HANDS ARE PROBABLY USED MOST FOR COMMUNICATING NON-VERBALLY.

* HAND WAVES ARE USED FOR * GREETINGS, * BECKONING, OR * FAREWELLS.

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* THE ITALIAN “GOOD-BYE” WAVE CAN BE INTERPRETED BY AMERICANS AS THE GESTURE OF “COME HERE.”

* THE AMERICAN “GOOD-BYE” WAVE CAN BE INTERPRETED IN MANY PARTS OF EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA AS THE SIGNAL FOR “NO.”

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Wave hand with the palm facing outward to greet someone.

In Europe, waving the hand back and forth can mean “No.”

This is also a serious insult in Nigeria if the hand is too close to another person’s face.

* BECKONING. * THE AMERICAN WAY OF GETTING ATTENTION

(RAISING A HAND WITH THE INDEX FINGER RAISED ABOVE HEAD) COULD BE CONSIDERED RUDE IN JAPAN, AND ALSO MEANS “TWO” IN GERMANY.

* THE AMERICAN “COME HERE” GESTURE COULD BE SEEN AS AN INSULT IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES.

* IN CHINA, TO BECKON A WAITER TO REFILL YOUR TEA, SIMPLY TURN YOUR EMPTY CUP UPSIDE DOWN.

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* HANDSHAKING IS A FORM OF GREETING IN MOST WESTERN CULTURES. * IN THE MIDDLE EAST, A

GENTLE GRIP IS APPROPRIATE.

* IN MOST ASIAN CULTURES, A GENTLE GRIP AND AN AVOIDANCE OF DIRECT EYE CONTACT IS APPROPRIATE.

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* HAND-HOLDING AMONG THE SAME SEX IS A CUSTOM OF SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP AND RESPECT IN SEVERAL MIDDLE EASTERN AND ASIAN COUNTRIES.

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* RIGHT HAND. * THE RIGHT HAND HAS SPECIAL

SIGNIFICANCE IN MANY SOCIETIES. IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND IN ASIA, IT IS BEST TO PRESENT BUSINESS CARDS OR GIFTS, OR TO PASS DISHES OF FOOD, TO GET AN ATTENTION, USING ONLY THE RIGHT HAND OR BOTH.

* LEFT HAND * IS CONSIDERED UNCLEAN IN MUCH OF THE

MIDDLE EAST AND IN PARTS OF INDONESIA.

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Pass an item to someone with one hand. In Japan this is very rude. Even a very small item such as a pencil

must be passed with two hands. In many Middle and Far Eastern

countries it is rude to pass something with your left hand which is considered “unclean.”

* HANG LOOSE. (THUMB AND LITTLE FINGER EXTENDED)

* COULD CONVEY DIFFERENT MEANINGS:* IN HAWAII, IT’S A WAY OF SAYING, “STAY

COOL,” OR “RELAX.”* IN JAPAN, IT MEANS SIX.* IN MEXICO (DO VERTICALLY), IT MEANS,

“WOULD YOU LIKE A DRINK?”

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* CLAPPING HANDS.* RUSSIANS AND CHINESE MAY USE APPLAUSE

TO GREET SOMEONE.* IN MANY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE,

AUDIENCE FREQUENTLY CLAP IN RHYTHM.

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* THE “O.K.” SIGNAL. (THE THUMB AND FOREFINGER FORM A CIRCLE) MEANS* “FINE,” OR “O.K.” IN MOST CULTURES,* “ZERO” OR “WORTHLESS” IN SOME PARTS

OF EUROPE* “MONEY” IN JAPAN* AN INSULT IN GREECE, BRAZIL, ITALY,

TURKEY, RUSSIA AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES

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* “THUMB-UP” MEANS:* “O.K.” “GOOD JOB” OR “FINE” IN MOST

CULTURES,* “FIVE” IN JAPAN; “ONE” IN GERMANY

* AVOID A THUMB-UP IN THESE COUNTRIES: AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, GREECE, TURKEY, IRAN, RUSSIA, AND MOST AFRICAN COUNTRIES.

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The thumbs up sign has positive connotations in the UK and US

In Iran and Spain the 'thumbs up' sign is considered obscene

The 'okay' sign is obscene in Greece, parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America. It could also mean 'worthless' or 'zero' in France. In Japan, this means “money”.

* POINTING.* POINTING WITH THE INDEX

FINGER IS COMMON IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE.

* BUT IT IS CONSIDERED IMPOLITE IN JAPAN AND CHINA WHERE THEY FAVOR USING THE WHOLE OPEN HAND.

* MALAYSIANS PREFER POINTING WITH THE THUMB.

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* IN ASIA, DO NOT POINT WITH YOUR TOES.

* IN ASIA AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, PUTTING FEET UP ON A DESK OR ANY OTHER PIECE OF FURNITURE IS VERY DISRESPECTFUL.

* SITTING CROSS-LEGGED, WHILE COMMON IN NORTH AMERICA AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, IS VERY IMPOLITE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

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* IN MOST ASIAN COUNTRIES, A SOLID AND BALANCED SITTING POSTURE IS THE PREVAILING CUSTOM. SITTING CROSS-LEGGED SHOWS THE SIGN OF DISRESPECT.

* IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND MOST PARTS OF ASIA, RESTING THE ANKLE OVER THE OTHER KNEE RISKS POINTING THE SOLE OF YOUR SHOE AT ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A RUDE GESTURE.

* WALKING CAN REFLECT MANY CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULTURE. FOR EXAMPLE,* IN PARTS OF ASIA AND SOME OF THE

MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES, MEN WHO ARE FRIENDS MAY WALK HOLDING EACH OTHER’S HAND.

* IN JAPAN AND KOREA, OLDER WOMEN COMMONLY WALK A PACE OR TWO BEHIND MALE COMPANION.

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FINALLY, WE CAN LEARN TO BE MORE SENSITIVE TO OUR OWN BODIES –

TO SEE HOW THEY EXPRESS OUR FEELINGS AND

TO SEE OURSELVES AS OTHERS SEE US. WE DO NOT HAVE BODIES; WE ARE OUR BODIES.

YOUR THOUGHTS EXPERIENCES QUESTIONS

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