BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

There are some cultural differences regarding the interpretation of
a certain gesture, an acceptable in one’s own culture may be offensive in
another. Amount of gesturing varies from culture to culture. Even simple
things like using hands to point and count differ.
For example – to point (show direction using the finger) is
unpolite in Europe, offence in Thailand and usual in the US. But, pointing:
in US with index finger; Germany with little finger; Japanese with entire
hand (in fact most Asians consider pointing with index finger to be rude).
Another example is putting foot on the table in America.
Dance is a form of nonverbal communication that requires the
same underlying faculty in the brain for conceptualization, creativity and
memory as does verbal language in speaking and writing. Means of selfexpression,
both forms have vocabulary (steps and gestures in dance),
grammar (rules for putting the vocabulary together) and meaning. Dance,
however, assembles (choreographs) these elements in a manner that more
often resembles poetry, with its ambiguity and multiple, symbolic and
elusive meanings
The tactile communication
Touches can be defined as communication include handshakes,
holding hands, kissing (cheek, lips, hand), back slapping, high fives, a pat
on the shoulder, hugging, taping on the shoulder and brushing an arm.
Touching of oneself during communication may include licking, picking,
holding, and scratching. These behaviors are referred to as "adaptor" and
may send messages that reveal the intentions or feelings of a
communicator. The meaning conveyed from touch is highly dependent
upon the context of the situation, the relationship between communicators,
and the manner of touch. It depends on age, relation and cultutre.
Touch is culturally determined. But each culture has a clear
concept of what parts of the body one may not touch. Basic message of
touch is to affect or control — protect, support, disapprove (i.e. hug, kiss,
hit, kick).
Example: An African-American male goes into a convenience
store recently taken over by new Korean immigrants. He gives a $20 bill
for his purchase to Mrs. Cho, who is cashier, and waits for his change.
He is upset when his change is put down on the counter in front of him.
What is the problem? Traditional Korean (and many other Asian
countries) doesn’t touch strangers, especially between members of the
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