How Do Cultural Differences Effect Body Language?

It used to be that the studying the cultural differences and it effect on body language was what someone would take in school as a step to something else. Kind of yeah that’s interesting but not vital in the course of daily living. But here is the deal with our globalized economy and greater exposure to diverse cultures, understanding differences in body language can have a huge impact on many aspects of work, business, and personal life. And that’s what we are talking about today on Its Kevin Just sayin So what are some Examples of Cultural Differences when it comes to body language… Cultural differences in body language may show up in a wide variety of ways, such as the amount of physical touch, the conversational distance between people, the interactions between same genders, the interactions between different genders, and the like. For example, some cultures are very expressive when it comes to physical touch. Think about Italy where a big hug and kiss on each cheek is considered a common and acceptable greeting, and then compare it to Japan where a proper greeting consists of a respectful bow and no touch at all. Personal space and comfort distances are very personal, of course, but they also are influenced by cultural expectations. In South America, for instance, personal space and comfort distances tend to be quite small. People stand very close to each other to talk, even when they don’t know each other very well. Go to the United States, though, and personal space becomes much larger; people are not as comfortable when others stand close to them, especially if they are not very well acquainted. Cultural differences in body language extend to gender interactions as well. Many cultures still view men as dominant and of higher status than women, and their body language expectations reflect this view. Women may be expected to avert their eyes in the presence of a man, or walk a few steps behind him. Western cultures, in general, have gradually revised their gender expectations to allow men and women to share more equal status in terms of acceptable body language.