This document discusses how body language and gestures can have different meanings across cultures. It provides examples of how behaviors like eye contact, hand gestures, walking style, and sitting positions that may be acceptable or neutral in some places can be rude or have alternate meanings in other parts of the world. Understanding cultural differences in nonverbal communication is important for cross-cultural interactions.

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Bodylanguage & Culture

2. What are people “saying”?

3. What are people “saying”?

4. What are people “saying”?

5. What are people “saying”?

6. What are people “saying”?

7. How Does Body Speak?
- Like any spoken language, body language has
words, sentences and punctuation.
- Each gesture is like a single word and one word
may have several different meanings.

8. How Does Body Speak?
 According to the social anthropologist, Edward T. Hall, in a
normal conversation between two persons, less than 15% of
the social meanings is actually transmitted by words.
 So, at least 85% of it is
conveyed through the
body
(non-verbal channel).

9. Head
- Nodding the head
- “Yes” in most societies
- “No” in some parts of Greece, Yugoslavia,
Bulgaria, and Turkey
- Tossing the head backward
- “yes” in Thailand, the Philippines,
India, Laos
- Rocking head slowly, back and forth
- “yes, I’m listening” in most
Asian cultures

10. Face
* Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings and attitudes,
but…..
* The Asians are sometimes known as
- emotionless
- mixed-up
emotion

11. Eyes
* Eye contacts
- Encouraged in America, Canada, Europe
- Rude in most Asian countries and in Africa
* Raising eyebrows
- “Yes” in Thailand and some Asian countries
- “Hello” in the Philippines
* Winking eye
- Sharing secret in America and Europe
- flirtatious gesture in other countries
* Closed eyes
- bored or sleepy in America
- “I’m listening and concentrating.” in Japan, Thailand, China

12. Ears
* Ear grasp
- “I’m sorry.” in parts of India
* Cupping the ear
- “I can’t hear you.” in all societies
* Pulling ear
- “You are in my heart” for
Navajo Indians

13. Nose
* Pointing to nose
- “It’s me.” Japan
* Blowing nose
- In most Asian countries, blowing the nose at social
gathering is ‘disgusting.’
* Holding the nose
- “Something smells bad.” universal
* Nose tap
- “It’s confidential.” England
- “Watch out!” or "Be careful.” Italy

14. Cheeks
* Cheek screw
- gesture of praise - Italy
- “That’s crazy.” Germany
* Cheek stroke
- “pretty, attractive, success”
most Europe

15. LIPS AND MOUTH
* Whistle, yawn, smile, bite, point, sneeze, spit, kiss..
* Kiss. In parts of Asia, kissing is considered an intimate sexual
act and not permissible in public, even as a social greeting.
* Kissing sound. To attract attention in the Philippines, to
beckon a waiter in Mexico.
* Finger tip kiss. In France, it conveys
several messages, “That’s good!” “
That’s great!” “That’s beautiful!.”

16. LIPS AND MOUTH (Cont’d)
* Spitting.
* Spitting in public is considered rude and crude in most
Western cultures.
* In many other Asian countries, spitting in public is to rid a
person’s waste and, therefore, is healthy.

17. The lip pointing
* Lip pointing (a substitute for pointing with the hand or finger)
is common among Filipinos, Native Americans, Puerto Ricans,
and many Latin Americans.
* Open mouth. Any display of the open mouth is considered
very rude in most countries.

18. ARMS
* Some cultures, like the Italians, use the arms freely.
Others, like the Japanese, are more reserved; it is considered
impolite to gesticulate with broad movements of the arms.
* Folding arms are interpreted by some social observers as a
form of excluding self, “I am taking a defensive
posture,” or “I disagree with what
I am hearing.”

19. ARMS (Cont’d)
* Arms akimbo. In many cultures, this stance signals
aggression, resistance, impatience, or even anger.
* Arms behind back, hands grasped is a sign of ease and
control.
* Arms in front, hands grasped, common
practice in most Asian countries,
is a sign of mutual respect for others.

20. HANDS
* Of all the body parts, the hands are probably used most for
communicating non-verbally.
* Hand waves are used for greetings, beckoning, or farewells.
* The Italian “good-bye” wave can
be interpreted by Americans as
the gesture of “come here.”
* The American “good-bye” wave
can be interpreted in many parts
of Europe and Latin America as
the signal for “no.”

21. HANDS (Cont’d)

22. HANDS (Cont’d)
* Beckoning.
* The American way of getting attention (raising a hand with
the index finger raised above head) could be considered
rude in Japan, and also means “two” in Germany.
* The American “come here” gesture could be seen as an
insult in most Asian countries.
* In China, to beckon a waiter to refill your tea, simply turn
your empty cup upside down.

23. HANDS (Cont’d)
* Handshaking is a form of
greeting in most Western
cultures.
* In the Middle East, a gentle
grip is appropriate.
* In most Asian cultures, a
gentle grip and an
avoidance of direct eye
contact is appropriate.
* Hand-holding among the same sex is a custom of special
friendship and respect in several Middle Eastern and
Asian countries.

24. HANDS (Cont’d)
* Right hand. The right hand has
special significance in many
societies. In certain countries
in the Middle East and in
Asia, it is best to present
business cards or gifts, or to
pass dishes of food, to get an
attention, using only the right
hand or both.
* Left hand is considered
unclean in much of the Middle
East and in parts of Indonesia.

25. HANDS (Cont’d)
* Hang loose.
(thumb and little finger extended)
* could convey different meanings:
* in Hawaii, it’s a way of saying,
“Stay cool,” or “Relax.”
* in Japan, it means six.
* In Mexico (do vertically), it means,
“Would you like a drink?”
* Clapping hands.
* Russians and Chinese may use applause to greet someone.
* In many central and eastern Europe, audience frequently clap in
rhythm.

26. FINGERS
* The “O.K.” signal. (the thumb and forefinger form a
circle) means
* “fine,” or “O.K.” in most cultures,
* “zero” or “worthless” in some parts of Europe
* “money” in Japan
* an insult in Greece, Brazil, Italy,
Turkey, Russia and some
other countries

27. FINGERS (Cont’d)
* “Thumb-up” means:
* “O.K.” “good job” or “fine” in most cultures,
* “Up yours!” in Australia
* “Five” in Japan; “One” in Germany
* Avoid a thumb-up in these countries: Australia, New
Zealand, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Russia, and most African
countries.

28. FINGERS (Cont’d)
* Pointing.
* Pointing with the index finger is common in North
America and Europe.
* But it is considered impolite in Japan and China where
they favor using the whole open hand.
* Malaysians prefer pointing with the thumb.

29. LEGS AND FEET
* In Asia, do not point with your toes.
* In Asia and some European countries, putting feet up on a
desk or any other piece of furniture is very disrespectful.
* Sitting cross-legged, while common in North America and
some European countries, is very
impolite in other parts of
the world.

30. LEGS AND FEET (Cont’d)
* In most Asian countries, a solid and balanced sitting posture is
the prevailing custom. Sitting cross-legged shows the sign of
disrespect.
* In the Middle East and most parts of Asia,
resting the ankle over the other
knee risks pointing the sole of
your shoe at another person,
which is considered a rude gesture.

31. WALKING
* Walking can reflect many characteristics of a culture. For
example,
* In parts of Asia and some of the Middle Eastern
countries, men who are friends may walk holding each
other’s hand.
* In Japan and Korea, older women commonly walk a pace
or two behind male companion.
* Asians often regard Western women
as bold and aggressive, for they
walk with a longer gait and a
more upright posture.

32. What are people “saying”?