Cultural Differences Can Have a Significant Impact on Non-Verbal Communication - Literature review Example

Name: xxxxxxxx Tutor: xxxxxxxx Title: Cultural Differences Can Have a Significant Impact on Non-Verbal Communication Institution: xxxxxxxx Date: xxxxxxxx Introduction Communication is but a channel through which ideas flow from an individual to the next. It forms the basis of daily activities hence survival and interaction among individuals. Its effectiveness, however, is massively influenced by the different cultural backgrounds which considerably determine the message transmission, reception and interpretation. It includes verbal and non-verbal communication. Culture, on the other hand, as a mutual behavior socially transmitted to individuals within a setting to guide, depict and give a meaning to their life styles, is significant here. Cultural values and their influences on communication, and precisely on non-verbal communication in various cultural backgrounds, have remained the most fascinating studies conducted by various researchers. The analysis of culture and communication, their relation to each other, the impacts culture impose, and the impact level, are all crucial here. Thesis Statement The researcher have greatly discussed cultural impacts on non verbal communication, however, to be precise and clear on the impact level has remained a controversial issue. By drawing enough evidence, analyzing, and providing a concrete basis, this paper discusses the impact of cultural differences on non-verbal communication and defines their impact level. Cultural variations and non-verbal communication Cultural variations may greatly affect how individuals communicate non-verbally. Non-verbal communication which may seem non-offensive in a particular culture may be grossly offensive in another. The ensuing discussion will satisfactorily elaborate on the pertinent issues regarding cultural variation and non-verbal communication, with strong emphasis on the impacts of cultural variations on the non-verbal communication. Included here are the cultural variance and the non-verbal communication, effects of the diverse cultural backgrounds on the non-verbal behavior, impacts on other communication behaviours, and conclusion (DeVito, 2008; p. 87-100). Cultural variance and the non-verbal communication In as much as communication appears ordinary, it is actually a complex process involving reception, interpretation and transmission of messages. As such there has always been constant complications in the interpretation of various non-verbal communication compared to the verbal communications. Effective and successful non-verbal communication, mainly with other people from different cultural backgrounds, poses great difficulties. The Cultures empower individuals with thinking methods, seeing methods, hearing methods, and methods of interpreting the world. It illustrates that a particular word may have varying meanings to individuals from diverse cultures even when communicating in the same language. When the languages are different, and translation has to be used to communicate, the potential for misinterpretations, hence misunderstanding increases. The communication involving people from a particular culture and others from a different culture, according to DeVito (2008, p.100), may entail intricacy, imprecision, and be traumatic. Where individuals are immersed in a given environment using languages, behaviours, values and attitudes alien to their own experience, they may succumb to culture shock which basically makes the people both disoriented as well as disturbed. The fact that culture establishes the way a particular community carries itself, including rejoicing, expressing love and disapproving; remains the best reason for this. Cognitive constraints, behavior constraints and emotional constraints have been well established and documented as the major ways in which the cultures hamper the cross-cultural understandings, even as DeVito (2008, p.87) acknowledges. The cognitive constraints are the world views, or the reference frames forming a basis in which any new conversation is usually put into and compared. Sun & guan (2009; p. 68-70) have also argued that various cultures also posses differing individual regulations on the appropriate behavior influencing verbal and also non-verbal communication, especially during apology, hence indicating the presence of the behavior constraints. Incase an individual smiles, gazes or does not gaze at another right in his or her eyes, whether that person communicates what he or she implies blatantly or indirectly, the immediacy of the individual to the other person or people when speaking, including other social activities entailed, define apology and politeness. These rules differ from one culture to the next. Emotional constraints, on the other hand, give an insight on the ways in which various cultures regulate their emotions, which are displayed differently, with other cultures getting very emotional while debating a particular issue. In some cultures, people yell, display annoyance, disturbance, panic, along with other emotions in a plain way. Debra et al (1993, p.13) justifies this by suggesting that communication is always shaped by cultural experiences, thereby ensuring that in other cultures the emotions remain hidden and only the reasonable and relevant ones are exposed. These are among the factors that can greatly hamper the communication process hence form communication difficulties. The problems have to be known beforehand by individuals, otherwise in the event of lack of awareness then the people succumb to the problems. With continuous cultural evolvement, culture indicates the variances altogether with the similarities that cultures have, while extensively establish rules for living harmoniously. The effect of culture on lives of individuals is high and, on communication, specifically the non-verbal communication is record high. With emblems like thumbs up, illustrators like raising eyebrows, regulators like vocal cues, and adaptors involving body manipulation like scratching, Tyler, Kossen & Ryan (2005, p.188-189) indicate how gestures, as part of non-verbal behaviours, communicate emotions. Other types of non-verbal communication included here are kinesics, facial expressions, postures, and eye behavior. Significant aspects highlighting the cross-cultural effects on the non-verbal communication are gestures, gazes and the interpersonal space. Gestures are significant signs in the communication process and are often applied severally, knowingly or unknowingly, while communicating. They are used to strengthen the conversation. Studies concerning gestures conducted by Debra et al (1993, p.12) indicate that there is wide variance in the use of gestures across various cultures. The findings concluded that among the various ethnic groups in America, the Europeans American use hands most often while communicating, which reinforces conversation. Intense application of gestures in communication also indicates a greater emotional attachment with the topic being discussed. Leaning on the speaker as well signifies interest in the topic being discussed. However, there is much to be deduced when this is contrasted with the way gestures are upheld and used among the Native Americans, as this finding illustrates. The Native Americans don’t frequently use gestures. To them, the gestures are purposeful, and as such great emotional response through gestilutaion is inappropriate. The way an individual stares at others, otherwise termed as gaze, is influenced by culture, as various researches have been able to substantiate. Researchers have shown that eye contact has associations with respect, dominance, aggression and power. They have also indicated that it has associations with affiliations as well as nurturance. The affiliative features of gazing commence from infancy, since there is a lot of attention from infants to adults as their protectors and careers. Regulations on the way people ought to gaze at each other, altogether with the visual attention, are developed through culture. Regulations regarding eye contact as well as the visual attention are developed through culture, since hostility as well as relationship is all relevant for group success and consistency. Research on various cultures in America conducted by Debra et al (1993, p. 8) has shown the various distinctions in gazes, with Asian American individuals staring quite less and avoiding direct eye contact compared to the European Americans who prefer direct eye contact. The Native Americans on the other hand consider direct eye contact as intrusive. The social relationships, forming the basis of all cultures and is quite relevant in interpersonal space. These relationships, involving distinct levels including intimate, public, personal and social, vary from one culture to another. While individuals from all cultures acknowledge and ensure these differences, they have distinctions on how to attribute space to them. For instance, as Debra et al (1993, p. 9) indicates in the findings from study conducted on various ethnic groups in America, there are great variances. The findings indicate that the European Americans always ensure a personal space of up to 36 inches while holding conversations. This, according to the research, is a sign of respect. According to the findings, this space reduces with relation to the person, whereby it is closer in intimate relationships. The same findings on the Hispanic Americans show that the Hispanic Americans reduce the personal space to about 8 inches less than the European Americans. This is due to the warmth as well as the emotional exuberance of the Hispanic Americans. Contradictory to this however, as Janey (2001, p. 515-516) illustrates, is the web environment. This environment, she claims, is shared by everybody; hence individuals are objectified making them identified by their names. Concerning attention, as a critical factor here, she suggests that there is no choice of attention focus in an environment involving video-recording, as the attention is dictated by the camera setting. The discussion that has been raised above has touched on various issues regarding cultural differences. The same has also been done on the part of communication, hence finally illustrating how the two relate and what impacts are expected to non-verbal communication where the cultural difference is involved. The impacts, as have been highlighted by the work, are so severe and greatly challenging, and apart from this, cultural differences still potentiate strong impacts that are yet to be tabled by the researchers. In as much as cultural differences have been known to greatly affect the non-verbal communication among individuals from various cultures, it will be grossly inappropriate to assert that it is the only factor affecting non-verbal communication. This is because other factors are also known to affect the non-verbal communication in a lesser degree. The factors that can also affect the non verbal behavior, though in a lesser extent, include the environment and the health status of individuals. Conclusion Culture is but one of the most profound factors affecting the lives of individuals all over the world. It exists in every part of the world and as such, people have to abide by it to ensure harmony and experience social success. Communication, an integral part of the culture, remains one of the greatest challenges facing cross-cultural interactions, with strong emphasis on the way various cultures interpret the non-verbal communication. While verbal communication across diverse cultures may be easily understood and interpreted, the non verbal communication is quite the opposite. This is because, as is evident, various cultures attach different meanings to the non-verbal behaviours exhibited by the individuals. As well gaze, gesture and interpersonal space are all having diverse meanings across cultures, indicating that the cultural differences can surely have greater impact on non-verbal communication. As such, it is with no doubt that the cultural differences can have great impact on the non-verbal communication. Bibliography Janey, y., 2001, Handshakes in cyberspace: Bridging the cultural differences through effective intercultural communication and collaboration. Texas: University of Texas at St. Austin Sun, h. & guan x., 2009, Cross-Cultural Comparison of Verbal and Non Verbal Strategies of Apologizing, volume 2 no 1 66-78 Debra, P. et al, 1993, Multicultural messages: non verbal communication in the classroom. DeVito, J., 2008, interpersonal messages: communication and relationship skills, Pearson education: Boston 84-103. Tyler, S., Kossen C. & Ryan C., 2005, Communication, Pearson education, Australia. Read More