Hindi Linguistics
Kinesics and Proxemics in Hindu Culture
Culture is relative. Like many of the traditions and social behaviors depicted in this world, culture is not something that can be embedded within an individual at birth, it is simply not biological. Certain ceremonies and traditions practiced around the world have various meanings and gestures in comparison to one another. Kinesics and Proxemics are very terms that describe the behaviors and patterns depicted by individuals in a certain culture and are likewise relative. Kinesics is the interpretation of body movement and gestures, such as facial expressions or any nonverbal movement related to behavior. Kinesics is an important part of non-verbal communication behavior. The movement of the body, or separate parts, conveys many specific meanings and the interpretations may be culture bound. As many movements are carried out at a subconscious or at least a low-awareness level, kinesics movements carry a significant risk of being misinterpreted in an intercultural communications situation. Also in tune with various cultures, proxemics is one of the subcategories for nonverbal communications. There are several aspects built into nonverbal communication such as, haptics (touch), kinesics (body movement), vocalics (paralanguage), and chronemics(structure of time). However, proxemics can be identified mostly as the individual’s use of space and their elaboration of their culture. Social distance is relative and subjective to the norms of an individual culture. Social distance between people is reliably correlated with physical distance, as are intimate and personal distance. Culture observed in the Middle East has no issue with speaking upfront and in someone’s face, nonchalantly entering their “personal space;” there it is looked on with admiration as the person is engaged into the conversation. However, when personal space is concerned in the United States, having a conversation with someone at such a close proximity is
Culture is relative. Like many of the traditions and social behaviors depicted in this world, culture is not something that can be embedded within an individual at birth, it is simply not biological. Certain ceremonies and traditions practiced around the world have various meanings and gestures in comparison to one another. Kinesics and Proxemics are very terms that describe the behaviors and patterns depicted by individuals in a certain culture and are likewise relative. Kinesics is the interpretation of body movement and gestures, such as facial expressions or any nonverbal movement related to behavior. Kinesics is an important part of non-verbal communication behavior. The movement of the body, or separate parts, conveys many specific meanings and the interpretations may be culture bound. As many movements are carried out at a subconscious or at least a low-awareness level, kinesics movements carry a significant risk of being misinterpreted in an intercultural communications situation. Also in tune with various cultures, proxemics is one of the subcategories for nonverbal communications. There are several aspects built into nonverbal communication such as, haptics (touch), kinesics (body movement), vocalics (paralanguage), and chronemics(structure of time). However, proxemics can be identified mostly as the individual’s use of space and their elaboration of their culture. Social distance is relative and subjective to the norms of an individual culture. Social distance between people is reliably correlated with physical distance, as are intimate and personal distance. Culture observed in the Middle East has no issue with speaking upfront and in someone’s face, nonchalantly entering their “personal space;” there it is looked on with admiration as the person is engaged into the conversation. However, when personal space is concerned in the United States, having a conversation with someone at such a close proximity is