others who you are. In this sense, nonverbal messages are partially responsible for
establishing your identity. From personal experience you know how judgments are
often made about another person based on such things as skin color, use of makeup,
facial expression, manner of dress, accent, jewelry, and even the nature of the hand-
shake offered. This use of nonverbal symbols to express a person’s identity is universal,
as observed in the following discussion of tattoos. In New Guinea, a swirl of tattoos
on a Tofi woman’s face indicates her family lineage. The dark scrawls on a Cambo-
dian monk’s chest reflect his religious beliefs. A Los Angeles gang member’s sprawling
tattoos depict his street affiliation and may even reveal if he has committed murder.
Whether the bearer is a Maori chief in New Zealand or a Japanese mafia lord, tattoos
express an indelible identity.^6Regulating Interaction
Nonverbal actions offer clues regarding how people navigate conversation. In a class-
room you might raise your hand to signal that you want to talk. As you approach
someone you do not want to visit with,
you may look down to indicate your lack
of willingness to interact. Conversely,
direct eye contact and a smile could send
a message that you want to talk with the
person who is approaching you. In other
situations you could lean forward, point aBe it fear, joy, anger,
sadness, or a host of
other emotions, your
posture, face, and eyes
can convey feelings
without your uttering
a single word.CONSIDER THIS
How would you explain the phrase“Nonverbal actions offer
clues regarding how people navigate conversation”?© Kathleen K. ParkerRegulating Interaction 299Copyright 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).