Reading Body Language

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Part I: In the Beginning Was the Gesture
The meaning of a gesture depends on the context in which it’s used, as well
as on what other signals are being sent out at the same time.
Kinesics: The categories of gesture
The American anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell was a pioneer in the study
of non-verbal behaviour. He labelled this form of communication ‘kinesics’
as it relates to movement of individual body parts, or the body as a whole.
Building on Birdwhistell’s work, Professor Paul Ekman and his colleague
Wallace V Friesen classified kinesics into five categories: emblems, illustrators,
affective displays, regulators, and adapters.
Kinesics convey specific meanings that are open to cultural interpretation.
The movements can be misinterpreted when communicating across cultures
as most of them are carried out with little if any awareness. In today’s global
environment, awareness of the meanings of different kinesic movements is
important in order to avoid sending the wrong message.
Emblems
Emblems are non-verbal signals with a verbal equivalent. Emblems are easily
identified because they’re frequently used in specific contexts. The person
receiving the gesture immediately understands what it means.
Examples of emblems include:
The V-shaped sign. Winston Churchill made the victory sign popular.
The palm of the hand faces forwards with the middle and forefingers
held erect.
The raised arm and tightly closed fist. Generally the fist is used as an
expression of solidarity or defiance. In 1990 Nelson Mandela walked free
of prison holding this position. Amongst black rights activists in the
United States the raised fist is known as the black power salute.
The Finger. Americans hold the middle finger of the hand in an upright
position, with the back of the hand facing out. In Britian it’s more
common to hold up your index and middle fingers with the back of your
hand facing out. Both gestures mean the same thing and the meaning’s
quite rude.
The Sign of the Cuckold. Your index and little fingers are extended
pointing forward with your palm facing down, making ‘horns’. Your
thumb crosses over your two middle fingers. You’re telling an Italian
that his partner’s been unfaithful. In Texas, this gesture is the sign for
fans of the University of Texas Longhorns football team and has nothing
to do with infidelity.