IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE IN FILM: A Better Life

Module 4: Culture and Communication

Conversational Rules • Quality-Tell the truth • Quantity- Says about as much as is

appropriate • Relevance- Stick to the topic • Manner- Speak in an appropriate manner • Relations – fill in those who might not have

background on the topic • Rule violations- Identify when you are

breaking a rule

Nonverbal ASPECTS of Communication

• Proxemics: Personal Space o Distance from conversational partner

• Kinesics: body movements in conversations o Hand gestures o Facial expression o Eye contact

• Paralanguage: Nonverbal vocal cues such as loudness of voice, silences, rates of speech

Personal Space

• The Japanese prefer standing at arms lengths from one another. Two and half to three feet is normal. When meeting strangers this distance is farther.

Hall (1966) identified 4 categories of personal space, each of which can be subdivided into two sub-categories "near" and "far". Intimate distance. This tends to be somewhere between 0–10–18 inches. The closest distance is generally the domain of those who have an intimate relationship with each other, but also includes situations where the social rules allow contact, for example in a wrestling match. Hall distinguishes between near situations requiring body contact (lovemaking) and far distances which require being very close but not in contact (whispering). This distinction is rather artificial since whether contact occurs will depend on a variety of things such as the social and physical setting. Personal space. This ranges from 18 inches – 4 feet, and is the zone generally reserved for good friends or intimate partners in a social setting. The near aspect is reserved for couples or very close friends whereas the far phase is used by acquaintances or friends. Social distance. This varies between 4 feet to 12 feet and is the zone where those who are not acquainted interact or where business transactions occur. The near distance would be used by those being introduced or for informal business transactions whereas the far phase would be reserved for more formal business processes. Public distance. This is described as 12 feet or greater; It is subdivided into near phase such as the distance between a speaker and an audience, and the far phase being the distance for example between the public and an important public figure.

Kinesics

Movement communicates meaning • Talk to the hand • “Oh no you dint!” • The snap (in Z

formation)

Kinesics con’t Non-Verbal Indicators of Liking

o Forward lean o Body and head orientation

facing the other person o Open body positions o Affirmative head nods o Moderate gesturing and

animation o Close interpersonal distances o Moderate body relaxation o Touching o Initiating and maintaining eye

contact o Smiling o Mirroring (congruent posture

Non-Verbal Indicators of Dislike

o Indirect, oblique body orientation

o No eye contact, or eye contact of short duration

o Averted eyes o Unpleasant facial

expressions o Relative absence of

gestures o Body rigidity, bodily tension o Incongruent postures

Affect Displays • Movements of the face to convey or

show emotions • Happy, sad, fear, anger, etc.

ParalAnguage • Inflection

o the rising, falling or flatness of the voice • Pacing

o the speed of the voice whether it is rapid, slow or changing

• Intensity o the strength in which something is because expressed

whether it is loud, soft or breathy (which means powerfully stated)

• Tone o whether is the voice is nasally, whining, growling, etc.

• Pitch o the changes in the voice from high, medium or low

• Pauses o means if one is disorganized, shy, hesitant, etc.

Stress Examples: How does meaning change in the following sentence by stressing different words?

• I like him very much. • Meaning: You like him, not the other person.

• I like him very much. • Meaning: It is that guy you like, not someone

else.

• I like him very much. • Meaning: You have very strong feelings.

High Vs. Low Context Communication

• High context- communication in which the context conveys much of the meaning o Ceremonies o Place o The situation o Helps to avoid confrontation o Saying something that indicates something else

• Low-context-language dependent –words carry most of the meaning

Direct vs. Indirect

• Direct – Literal and assertive o Close the window

• Indirect – relies upon the context and the receiver’s powers of inference o Do you feel cold?

Kinesics & African Americans • Use eye contact more when speaking than when

listening • Tend to use simple and concise wording

o African American Vernacular English • Regard manners to be affective, emotional and

interpersonal • Will interrupt or take a turn at speaking when they

can

Kinesics & American-Indians • Feel that silence is sacred

o Needed to reflect on their world • Use an abundance of words • Manners of expression to be understated and indirect • Place a greater emphasis on community fabric and

kinship rather than the individual • Cherish their individual place in the entire natural

world o Needed in order to be validated

• Express themselves through humor • Seldom provide cues to encourage the speaker

Kinesics & Asians • View silence as a show of respect • Use abundance of words • Manners of expression to be understated and indirect • Seldom provide cue to encourage the speaker • Listen with significant nonverbal engagement • Place a greater emphasis on community fabric and

kinship rather than the individual

Kinesics & White Americans • Tend to use more eye contact when spoken to then

when they are speaking • Tend to feel uncomfortable with silence • Use fewer words for expression • Are objective and task-oriented • Nod to indicate listening or agreement • Some emphasize individualism, competition, taking

actions, rational linear thinking, Christian principles and a Protestant work ethic

Kinesics & Hispanics • Manners of expression to be understated and indirect • Place a greater emphasis on community fabric and

kinship rather than the individual • Less competitive not to overshadow another • Stand close to others, touch a lot more than other

cultures • Make less eye-contact

Differences between Genders • interruptions in conversations • vocabulary and language • patterns of inequality in speech and conversation • cultural images of men and women • differences in movement and kinesics • communication changes are needed by individuals who

undergo a change from one gender to another • communication patterns

Social Distance • Gender

o same sex tend to have less social distance o opposite sex tend to have more social distance

• Race o same race tend to have less social distance o opposite race tend to have more social distance