Teaching Resources

Cross Culture Communication - Non-Verbals Appearance__________________________________________________ Hair, nails, make-up, clothing and cleanliness tell a story that is distinct for each culture. In the ‘60’s’ long hair for a man indicated that he was not satisfied with the “establishment.” Long hair was a symbol of revolt. Long hair on a man in certain cultures, even today, communicates that the man is effeminate. Such a person in this culture will be scorned and not perceived as one who brings good news. The same will be true of women having short hair. Clothing ______________________________________________________ In a Pacific Island village a group of westerners were welcomed by a young dance group. The women in the dance wore little more than grass skirts and were bare from the waist up. In the same village a Mexican youth was prohibited from doing a Mexican Hat Dance because the hem of her dress would rise revealing her lower legs. In the host country, legs were considered with modesty, while breasts were functional. Body Posture_________________________________________________ Feet are one important part of your anatomy that communicates. In Thailand, like many other Asian countries, feet are thought of as being the part of you which touches the earth. Therefore it is degrading to use your feet to point, to show the bottom of your feet by crossing your legs, or to walk into a home or holy place with your shoes on. To touch someone's feet in these cultures is extremely taboo. Distance_____________________________________________________ In North America, we generally like to stand and talk with at least an arm’s distance around us. If one comes within a foot of our face, or closer, we generally feel uncomfortable. We even have a cliche to describe it, “getting in your face.” In certain cultures it is desirable to get as close as you can. Closeness signifies friendliness. Eye Contact__________________________________________________ The saying “Eyes are the mirrors to the soul” carries a lot of meaning. Again, here is seen a contrast in the way we view eye contact with some other cultures. Generally western cultures encourage direct eye contact. If one looks down or looks away we feel that they are trying to hide something. Whenever I was trying to hide a bad deed my mother would say, “Look me in the eyes.” This way she could see whether my “soul” was in good state. An example of the converse is in Asian countries. To look an elder in the eyes communicates disdain and disrespect. When a younger approaches an elder, they do so with head bowed. A young married woman made a friendly, but nearly costly, mistake while in a middle eastern country. Men will generally tend to attract a women with their eyes. Eyes convey emotion and desire. If a woman reciprocates with a friendly glance back it can be construed as meaning, “Yes, I feel the same way toward you.” Facial Expressions_____________________________________________ A sociological expression is that of “saving face”. You have heard the expression, “being shame-faced.” The face, along with the eyes, is a powerful communication tool. What is in our heart comes out through our face regardless of what we say. “Saving face” means to put on a face that falsifies our feelings, which are linked with our thoughts. So in a culture that “saves face” two people may really hate one another but they will put a smile on their face to hide that. An example was of fender bender that took place in Tokyo. Unlike the high-tempered rage that could take place on an American highway, the two drivers exited their cars, smiled and bowed toward each other. This is saving face. It is important to know that we all tend to put on a face. Shame is a basic human emotion that is covered up by layers of performance. When the performance fails shame is felt. The goal of every human being is to hide this shame. We deal with this in the session, Identifying and Destroying Personal Strongholds.” Hand and Arm Gestures________________________________________ It is enough to say that your hands can save you or they can get you in a lot of trouble. A hitchhiker in Israel (particularly important for females), sticking out a thumb in the traditional western way, will be perceived as a prostitute or someone wanting sex. In Italy, it is offensive to wave with open palm rather than closed, downward finger motion. In varying countries either hand may be considered unclean depending on which is used for toilet purposes. With such hand you do not eat or greet, among other things. Silence______________________________________________________ Periods in which people can be together and not speak vary in culture. It would not be uncommon for Singaporean business men to discuss a difficult problem and punctuate the time with long silence. Many westerners would feel uncomfortable in such a setting. Smell_______________________________________________________ Body odors are accepted to varying degrees in varying places. Other aromas, which may be pleasing to the host culture, may take time to adjust to for a foreigner. Touching and Physical Contact___________________________________ In many cultures, it is prohibited for men and women to touch in public even if they are married. The westernization of the world has made this increasingly less. In Latin cultures people generally like to hug and greet with a kiss. Men will walk down a street with arms around each other. In Arab cultures men will often greet one another with a kiss on the lips. There is no homosexual intent in such. In a tribal village, after a church meeting, I was approached by an elder who took hold of my hand as we walked to the next village. At first I found it difficult because it restricted my freedom, bound me to him for the duration of the walk, and made me feel uncomfortable holding anyone’s hand, no less another man. As the time went on and I realized the only person who thought it was strange was I, my tension eased.

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