Kinesics: Discuss Different Types of Gestures and Personal Examples of Each
Knapp & Hall (2006) describe two fundamental types of physical gestures: those that accompany speech (speech-dependent gestures) and those that do not (speech independent gestures). Gestures in general are "movements made by the body or some part of it" (Knapp & Hall 2006 p. 225). Speech-independent gestures can include anything from a shake of the head to "the finger" to wrinkling the nose. These non-verbal gestures often mean different things in different contexts or in different cultures. No gesture is absolutely universal although many are commonly recognized, at least throughout the same cultural context. Some personal examples of speech-independent gestures include the thumbs-up that means "everything is good." I usually use the thumbs-up as a non-verbal response to a question made by a coworker and the gesture comes in handy when verbalizing is inappropriate such as if I was talking on the phone when the person asked me the question. Another speech-independent gesture I am familiar with is the "horn" symbol Knapp & Hall (2006) describe and illustrate on page 234. However, I have noticed the horn gesture at rock concerts as well as in the contexts described in the text. At rock concerts the horn gesture is an expression of p
Movement is strongly connected to communication style. For example, Knapp & Hall (2006) notice that movement is related to interaction synchrony, the matching and meshing behaviors that accompany conversations and discussions between two or more people (p. 246). Matching and meshing usually connote a sense of pleasure with the conversation and can indicate feelings of rapport. Matching can occur through postural congruence and mirroring the person's body language (Knapp & Hall 2006 p. 247). Also, motor mimicry is a form of matching, such as when a person places her hand on her heart to connote sympathy during another person's sad story. Knapp & Hall state that "emotional contagion" usually occurs in conjunction with mimicry in conversations, meaning that the conversation partners are sharing their feelings and interacting in empathetic ways. Therefore, gestures and body language movements indicate communication styles. Meshing is related to matching, and basically entails the listening cues like nods and other body movements to establish rapport with the speaker or indicate interest in the conversation. Richmond & McCroskey (2004) offer several basic examples of cultural differences in kinesic behaviors (p. 297-298). For example, in Brazil and in Denmark the American "Ok" hand sign is a gesture of vulgarity, and in France the same sign signifies zero and in Japan that sign means money. According to Knapp & Hall (2006) immediacy implies liking, and includes gestures such as leaning in closely and increased touching (p. 415). Although many of the behaviors and gestures associated with immediacy are used in courtship and quasi-courtship settings and are associated with flirtation, these behaviors also communicate supportiveness between friends (Knapp & Hall 2006 p. 415). Partners in established relationships also use immediacy behaviors to signal an in-group, or "when they want to communicate their closeness to outsiders" (Knapp & Hall 2006 p. 416). Usually, people respond in more positive and welcoming fashions to people who exhibit immediacy cues than to those who do not, especially when the communicator is a female and the receiver is a male (Knapp & Hall 2006 p. 416). Interestingly, color, scent, and time can also impact nonverbal immediacy (Richmond & McCroskey 2004). Cultural differences in kinesic behaviors are as significant and complex as cultural differences in verbal language. Factors like attractiveness, appearance, gesture, movement, face, eye, and vocal behaviors differ from place to place. An understanding of cultural differences and basic awareness of those differences when communicating with persons from other cultures can enormously improve cross-cultural relationships and eliminate misunderstandings. 7. Discuss the cultural differences in kinesic behaviors. The speaker sometimes uses gestures to directly communicate ideas related to the other person. For example, if a person is overreacting to a situation I might make a palms-down gesture while saying "Please calm down." Or, a person might gesture while saying "you and me" by moving the hand back and forth. Punctuation gestures are commonly used by public speakers. For instance, a politician punctuates his or her speech with a fist thump on the podium to emphasize a point. Finally, interactive gestures can also accompany speech. Speakers may want to elicit a response from the other person in the conversation and will use a gesture to indicate, "Now you talk," or "What do you think?" Sometimes interactive gestures are facial expressions instead of or in addition to hand gestures. leasure and is as good as applause, which would be all but inaudible in a loud show. Nodding the head or shaking the head "no" are probably the most common non-verbal, speech-independent gestures I use in my daily life and ones I recognize in other people. Environment is another indicator of social status and power. Furnishings and boundaries convey authority and power. F
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2964
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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