Sociological Perspective of Body Language - Research Paper Example

Body Language, a Sociological Perspective Communication can be generally defined as the conveyance of meaning from one person to another. However, the thoughts held in one person’s brain, when communicated by means of their speech and bodily actions are not necessarily the mental image or precise idea another person receives as a result of this same language use and actions. This demonstrates that the concept of communication is not bound by the sounds and words that humans have developed as a method of expressing their ideas. Communication is also extended to behaviors and gestures. The contextual meaning of body language must always be taken into context with the background of the person displaying them in addition to the context in which this non-verbal language is constructed to be accurately interpreted. There are several schools of thought concerning the role of nonverbal communication regarding everyday communication patterns. For example, in Nonverbal Behavior and the Communication Process (1974), Charles Duke explains the different viewpoints held by psychologists and anthropologists regarding these roles. “Members of the psychological school view nonverbal communication as simply the expression of emotions, but those individuals in the communicational school – mainly anthropologists and ethologists – are concerned with behaviors of posture, touch and movement as they relate to social processes like group cohesion and regulation” (Duke, 1974). The study The Challenge of Non-Verbal Research (1971), by Charles Galloway outlines the various difficulties inherent in attempting to decode nonverbal behavior, what produces the meanings, how differ from verbal communication and under what circumstances they are used. In this discussion, Galloway lists numerous activities that are learned early-on in the student/teacher relationship that do not appear to emanate from any definite source yet have common meanings in most developed countries. “Certain sets of cues and responses are learned by teachers and students as part of their role-taking activities in the classroom” (Galloway, 1971). These actions include the practice of teachers snapping their fingers when the classroom becomes excessively noisy as a more effective means of gaining attention than shouting over the noise or of holding a finger to their lips to indicate she wishes the students to fall silent. Other examples of body language that teachers of all cultures and areas of the world use on a widespread basis includes: staring at students for prolonged periods of time as a means of demonstrating disapproval, crossing their arms tightly in front of their chest to, again, symbolize disapproval and pointing at students to get their attention. “82 percent of the communication that happens in the classroom is nonverbal and hand gestures used in conjunction with speech help listeners remember the message much longer than speech alone.” (Zoller, 2004) Students, universally, have demonstrated a widespread awareness that the best method to get attention in the classroom is to raise their hands high above their heads and are often observed doing this same action outside of the classroom when they have something urgent (to them) that they want to say. “These signals are well understood by students and any observer can see the results” (Galloway, 1971). To establish how the superior (boss) in an office environment while not indicating any type of ‘classier’ styles or other symbols of position was able to express the sense of superiority was addressed in the book Body Language (1970) by Julius Fast, a study of the power and status theory. The study utilized silent films portraying two actors, one acting as the visitor, the other playing the part of a corporate senior manager. It was viewed by audiences who were filled out a questionnaire concerning how they ‘read’ the scene. A number of patterns became apparent from the answers provided. According to the researchers, the visitor was perceived to have a lesser status when he stopped just inside the doorway and spoke to the manager from across the room and, not surprisingly, most status when he walked directly up to the executives’ desk before speaking. “Another factor that governed status in the eyes of the observers was the time between knocking and entering, and for the seated executive, the time between hearing the knock and answering. The quicker the visitor entered the room the more status he had. The longer the executive took to answer, the more status he had.” (Fast, 1970, p. 48). These factors boil down to a subject of which person controls the area with the depth and speed of penetration indicating the individual status and rank of both parties. Additionally, Fast discusses the significance of positioning in determining status. As a gestural move, the person in charge might purposefully position himself at a lower physical level than his underlings to facilitate them feeling more confident or important or to suggest a more relaxed setting in which to talk about issues so as to promote a less formal conversation and allow for a free-flow of ideas unencumbered by the weight of status perceptions. However, University of Texas at Austin Professor Jurgen Streeck indicates that the body is just as elementary to our communication method as verbal cues and eye contact, principally using of our hands to help designate meaning (Griffith, 2003). As evidence that our bodies are essential to our capacity to speak, Streeck videotaped numerous people in a variety of settings then used these tapes as examples of the way language is inextricably connected with gesture. When discussing a particular mechanic he filmed, Streeck said “He thinks with his body. So when you see him on the phone pushing a car, it’s because pushing a car to him is not an abstract concept. It’s a body reaction. It doesn’t matter if he thinks on the phone or in the presence of others. Our gestures are a background phenomenon” (Griffith, 2003). Nevertheless, while there are several gestures that have become generally accepted as being authoritative movements, Streeck’s research emphasizes the individual characteristics of the gestures used. “It’s not possible to point to a particularly American way of gesturing or even a Texan or female or ethnic way of gesturing. … [Gestures] are your own personal embodied identity, gathered from your own experience. … And they may change over time” (Griffith, 2003). There are numerous gestures that are understood, within the western culture, to signify status and power, but that actually wind up describing a different conception. These gestures are discussed in some detail within Nick Morgan’s When Body Language Lies (2002). Because of a propensity of Prince Charles to stand while keeping his arms behind his back, Morgan affirms that a many people in a western nation’s business environment thought this posture was a deportment displaying power. However, because people cannot visualize what the hands are doing, this stance induces a subconscious sense of mistrust. On the other hand, the act of touching ones hands to the lower portion of their face does not consequentially indicate the intellectualism that is frequently intended, but does have inclinations for most in that direction. A final cultural falsehood is that higher status persons instigate instances of touching with supposed subordinates, such as a touch on the shoulder. “In fact, the research shows that in almost all cases, lower-status people initiate touch. And women initiate touch more often than men do” (Morgan, 2002). Persons of any personality, race, gender or background utilize a variety of conversational and speech skills in an attempt to communicate suitably given a specific situation. The idea of the term ‘gesture’ can encompass almost as many meanings to a person as those gestures used to communicate ideas. Though body language can be used to entirely replace speech, such as in a sign conveyed from the third-base coach to the batter standing at the plate, gestures may also be used to augment speech by providing visual indications as to what is happening next or to demonstrate a quantity or action. Whether people use gestures consciously or unconsciously, using small or large movements, we all convey something through body language whether or not we’re aware of it. References Duke, Charles R. (1974). “Nonverbal Behavior and the Communication Process.” College Composition and Communication. Vol. 25, N. 5, pp. 397-404. Fast, Julius. (1970). Body Language. New York: M. Evans and Company, pp. 48-51. Galloway, Charles. (1971).“The Challenge of Nonverbal Research.” Theory into Practice. Vol. 10, N. 4, pp. 310-14. Griffith, Vive. (2003). “Manual Dexterity.” University of Texas at Austin Journal. Austin, TX: University of Texas at Austin. Available February 27, 2011 from < http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2003/gestures.html> Morgan, Nick. (September 30, 2002). “When Body Language Lies.” Working Knowledge. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. Available February 27, 2011 from < http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=3123&t=career_effectiveness> Zoller, Kendall. (2004). “Keeping an Eye on the Hand: Nonverbal Communication is Part of a Leader’s Arsenal.” National Staff Development Council. Vol. 25, N. 1, Winter Read More