Source: Image of Presentation, Public Domain, http://mrg.bz/5aFZNO; Image of Doors, Public Domain, http://mrg.bz/QQrKr0; Image of Conversation, Public Domain, http://mrg.bz/eitLZ3
Hi, I'm Julie Tietz, and welcome to Conflict Resolution-- Putting the Pieces Together. Today, we're going to talk about proxemics and the use of space and its different meanings in a cultural context.
When we're talking about proxemics, we are talking about that polite conversational distance that we have. So each culture has their own appropriateness or perception of what is correct on the amount of space we have in between us when we're having a conversation.
And also in proxemics, we are looking at the use of space and positioning as a communication style. And we'll talk more about examples of that later on.
And proxemics is a use of nonverbal communication. So where we position or space ourselves really sends off nonverbal communication cues to another person.
So looking at proxemics across cultural contexts, we need to know that the appropriate use of proxemics really depends upon the specific culture. So each culture has their own degree or perception on what that appropriate use of space and positioning that we are going to use with each other, including in our polite conversational distances.
So for example, in one culture it may be appropriate to have very little space in between our conversation. And another culture needs to have a little bit more space in between each other when they're having a conversation. And if we are not familiar with a specific culture, we will tend to view that use of proxemics from our own view, from our own culture, so what we feel to be right.
And so in some situations we may feel that the person may be too close to us and they're aggressive and insulting. Or maybe if they're too far away from us, they are cold or impolite. And we feel these very instantaneously because it is normal for us.
And if we're not again trained or experienced in another culture, we will have these instantaneous and emotional feelings when it comes to our use of proxemics. And we can send unintended meanings due to this, because we are coming from a different culture and maybe interacting with a person from another culture and we're not familiar with their use of proxemics. Our distance, let's say, between our conversation may be viewed by them that we are cold and impolite.
So awareness is really important here. So we know that we don't send off those unintended meanings in our proxemics. So we need to be aware of the person's culture that we are communicating with. And they need to be aware of our culture that we're communicating with. So we can send off those appropriate nonverbal communication cues.
So I mentioned earlier that proxemics deals not only with that polite conversational distance, but also with other uses of space and positioning. So for example, open and closed doors. I can think of when I was a student and I was living in the dorms, the culture of open and closed doors was that everybody had their doors open during the day. So if you wanted to stop in, you could say hi. That was really the appropriate way.
And at night, you had the doors closed. And if you weren't home, you also had the doors closed. But we really thought that people were maybe not very friendly if they had their door closed most at the time.
Also, we can see this through a speaker's positions. Maybe for example, if a speaker is standing up, it's a more formal presentation. Versus if they're all sitting down together in a circle or around the table, it can have a feeling of a more informal atmosphere and more relaxed. So those are ways in which uses of space and positioning can also be utilized in nonverbal communication cues and uses of proxemics.
Let's look at our key points here on proxemics before we go. So proxemics involves that polite conversational distance, so the amount of space that we have in between individuals when they're having a conversation. And it also utilizes positioning and space.
So for example, our open and closed door policies and our positions of speakers. And the appropriate use of proxemics really depends upon the specific culture that we are having a communication with.
And sometimes we can give off unintended meanings. So for example, if we are dealing with a person that polite conversational distance is really close and we are more used to having space in between our conversation, we may be sending off signals that we are cold. And the other person may be sending off signals to us that they are aggressive.
So here are key terms before we go. Feel free to pause and look at them a little bit closer.
Thank you so much for taking the time out. I hope that you've learned something. And I can't wait to catch you again next time.