Co-cultures also use vocal qualifiers in subtle and unique ways. For example, many
African Americans use more inflection and employ a greater vocal range than most
white Americans.^117 Differences in paralanguage also mark the communication pat-
terns of males and females. Research indicates that men’s voices tend to have louder
volume, lower pitch, and less inflection. Notice that these features are likely to
conform to cultural perceptions of men as assertive and emotionally controlled.
Women’s voices typically have higher pitch, softer volume, and more inflection.
Again, these are characteristics associated with cultural views of women as emotional
and polite.^118Vocal Characteristics. Vocal characteristics are vocalizations that convey a meaning for
members of a specific culture. In both France and Argentina, it is considered rude to
yawn in public. And in much of Europe, whistling during a public performance is a
message of disapproval and ridicule. For many Muslims, the simple act of sneezing is
interpreted as“a blessing from God.”^119 In fact, after a sneeze, a Muslim would say,
Al-hamduillah(“praise and thanks to God”). Laughing also sends different messages,
depending on the culture. Lynch and Hanson note this difference:
Laughing and giggling are interpreted as expressions of enjoyment among most
Americans—signals that people are relaxed and having a good time.... Among other
cultural groups, such as Southeast Asians, the same behavior may be a sign of extreme
embarrassment, discomfort, or what Americans might call“nervous laughter”taken to
the extreme.^120Vocal Segregates. Vocal segregates are sounds that are audible but are not actual
words. These sounds are used as substitutes for words. A case in point is the“shh”
sound produced by Americans when they are asking someone to be silent. In many
cultures certain sounds also take on special meanings. For instance, the Maasai in
Africa use a number of sounds that have significance. The most common one is the
“eh”sound, which the Maasai draw out and which can mean“yes,”“I understand,”or
“continue.”^121 In Kenya, the“iya”sound tells the other person that everything is
okay. In Jamaica, the“kissing”or“sucking”sound expresses anger, exasperation, or
frustration. The Japanese make use of vocal segregates in their conversations. To dem-
onstrate reluctance or concern, a Japanese worker might“suck in his breath, look
doubtful and say‘Saa....’”^122 Japanese will also make small utterances to demonstrate
their attentiveness, such ashai(“yes,”“certainly,”“all right,”or“very well”),sowhich
has the same sound as the English“so”(“I hear that”or an indication of agreement),
oreto (“well...”or “let me see...”).^123 Many members of the African-American
co-culture are familiar with the“whoop”used by many preachers, a sound to arouse
members of the church. This sound has been employed in African American churches
since the time of slavery.
Having previously examined how body movement communicates, we now move to
a review of how space, time, and silence
communicate. Although these variables
are external to the communicator, they
are used and manipulated in ways that
send messages. For example, imagine your
reaction to someone who stands too close
to you, arrives late for an importantCONSIDER THIS
Have you ever felt uncomfortable when someone you had
just met stood very close to you? How did it make you feel?322 CHAPTER 9•Nonverbal Communication: The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and Silence
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