Don’t ever trivialize the place of culture if you really want to be a pro in body language reading. Context and culture are two vital ingredients that dictate the direction in which body language signals are interpreted. Amos (2012) submits thus: “It used to be that the study of body language across cultures was an academic pursuit interesting but not really vital in the course of daily living. Now, however, with our globalized economy and greater exposure to diverse cultures, understanding differences in body language can have a huge impact on many aspects of work, business, and personal life.” Even if we had wanted to feign ignorance of the importance of culture in body language interpretation, the practical daily demands on us will make that impossible. Culture Vulture (2016) notes that “Cultures differ in the way we use our bodies to communicate. Sometimes it is very obvious, many times very subtle. Gestures are a very obvious example of such a difference.” The above quote doesn’t only affirm what we have been saying since the beginning of the article, it also opens up our mind to another dimension. That is, most times, some of these gestures are subtle. Whether subtle or pronounced, a fact that cannot be denied is that the complexity of body language across cultures cannot be questioned. What is required of a serious-minded fellow is to arm himself with its knowledge.
Cultural differences in body language may show up in a wide variety of ways, such as the amount of physical touch, the conversational distance between people, the interactions between same genders, the interactions between different genders, and the like. For example, some cultures are very expressive when it comes to physical touch. Think about Italy where a big hug and kiss on each cheek is considered a common and acceptable greeting, and then compare it to Japan where a proper greeting consists of a respectful bow and no touch at all (Amos, 2012).
Personal space and comfort distances are very personal, of course, but they also are influenced by cultural expectations. In South America, for instance, personal space and comfort distances tend to be quite small. People stand very close to each other to talk, even when they don’t know each other very well. Go to the United States, though, and personal space becomes much larger; people are not as comfortable when others stand close to them, especially if they are not very well acquainted. Cultural differences in body language extend to gender interactions as well. Many cultures still view men as dominant and of higher status than women, and their body language expectations reflect this view. Women may be expected to avert their eyes in the presence of a man, or walk a few steps behind him. Western cultures, in general, have gradually revised their gender expectations to allow men and women to share more equal status in terms of acceptable body language (Amos, 2012).
Handshaking differences can make for some embarrassing and humorous cultural encounters. British, Australian, New Zealander, German and American colleagues will usually shake hands on meeting, and again on departure. Most European cultures will shake hands with each other several times a day, and some French have been noted to shake hands for up to 30 minutes a day. Indian, Asian and Arabic cultures may continue to hold your hand when the handshake has ended. Germans and French give one or two firm pumps followed by a short hold, whereas Brits give three to five pumps compared with an American’s five to seven pumps. This is hilarious to observe at international conferences where a range of different handshake pumping takes place between surprised delegates. To the Americans, the Germans, with their single pump, seem distant. To the Germans however, the Americans pump hands as if they are blowing up an airbed.
When it comes to greeting with a cheek kiss, the Scandinavians are happy with a single kiss, the French mostly prefer a double, while the Dutch, Belgians and Arabs go for a triple kiss. The Australians, New Zealanders and Americans are continually confused about greeting kisses and bump noses as they fumble their way through a single peck. The British either avoid kissing by standing back or will surprise you with a European double kiss. In his book A View from the Summit, Sir Edmund Hillary recounts that on reaching the peak of Everest, he faced Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and offered a proper, British, congratulatory handshake. But Norgay leaped forward and hugged and kissed him – the proper congratulations of Tibetans (WSTM, 2018).
When Italians talk they keep their hands held high as a way of holding the floor in a conversation. What seems like affectionate arm touching during an Italian conversation is nothing more than a way of stopping the listener from raising his hands and taking the floor. To interrupt an Italian you must grab his hands in mid air and hold them down. As a comparison the Germans and British look as if they are physically paralyzed when they talk. They are daunted when trying to converse with Italians and French and rarely get an opportunity to speak. French use their forearms and hands when they talk, Italians use their entire arms and body, while the British and Germans stand at attention (WSTM, 2018).
If you are planning a visit to other countries or you want to engage people of other nationality, you should always pay attention to the body language expectations. For instance, if you get lost in Japan you’re much more likely to get help from a local citizen if you know to show respectful body language and follow local customs of bowing and avoiding touch.
The bottom line when it comes to cultural differences is that knowledge is the key. If you go to a different culture it only makes sense to learn about their expectations and adhere to those expectations during your time there. It shows respect for the culture, respect for the people, and may even keep you from inadvertently breaking the law in some very conservative countries. When you understand and apply appropriate body language behaviors, your entire experience is likely to be more pleasant and successful (Amos, 2012).
References
Amos, J (2012). Body Language Across Cultures. Retrieved from http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/bodylanguageacrosscultures.html
Vulture, C (2016). Cultural Differences in Body Language. Retrieved from https://www.commisceo-global.com/blog/cultural-differences-in-body-language
WSTM (2018). Cultural Variations in Gestures. Retrieved from http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap5.html
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