Communication Between Cultures

amount of information is exchanged during an interaction, and not being aware of

that fact can cause confusion.

Nonverbal Communication Is Often Ambiguous

We noted the problem of ambiguity earlier when we discussed the intentional and

unintentional nature of nonverbal communication. Ambiguity, however, and the pro-

blems it creates are worthy of further discussion. Simply stated, nonverbal communi-

cation can be ambiguous. The potential for ambiguity increases when the variable of

culture is introduced. For example, a lack of eye contact in the dominant U.S. Amer-

ican culture often carries a negative connotation. In China, a reluctance to make eye

contact may be seen as a sign of respect. For many Muslim females, eye contact is

avoided as a sign of modesty. Ambiguity can also be linked to the context. The ambi-

guity of setting is seen if someone brushes your leg on an elevator—was it merely an

accident or an aggressive sexual act? Our point should be obvious: When you use

nonverbal communication, you need to be aware of the ambiguous nature of this

form of interaction.

Numerous Variables Influence Nonverbal Communication

The next obstacle in studying nonverbal communication relates to the idea of

individual differences and the complex nature of human communication. As noted

elsewhere, people are the products not only of their culture, but also of their gender,

region, occupation, political affiliation,educational background, and countless other

factors that have shaped their perceptions, values, attitudes, beliefs, and nonverbal

communication. We are suggesting that nonverbal communication, like

much behavior, is produced by a host of variables, and culture is but one of them.

Nonverbal interactions are influenced by factors such as“cultural background,

socioeconomic background, education, gender, age, personal preferences and

idiosyncrasies.”^8

Nonverbal Communication and Culture

We have already mentioned that culture is but one of the dynamics that influence

the manner in which people send and receive nonverbal messages. However, while

granting the assorted causes behind human behavior, we nevertheless advocate that

nonverbal communication mirrors the learned behaviors embedded in a culture. As

we pointed out in Chapter 2, nonverbal behavior is part of the socialization process

and presents the members of each culture with“cultural rules.”These rules“are man-

ifested in norms, values, attitudes, traditions, customs, and heritage and are communi-

cated across generations.”^9 Rosenblatt links these cultural rules to nonverbal

communication, as he writes,“What emotions are felt, how they are expressed, and

how they are understood are matters of culture.”^10 Key in Rosenblatt’s sentence is

that culture has taught you which nonverbal actions to display (crying or laughing),

Numerous Variables Influence Nonverbal Communication 301

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