SUBTEXTsubtext. In any social situation, people arrange themselves so
that their zones of privacy are intact.
The poet W. H. Auden, in Prologue: The Birth of Architecture
recognized this and knew what subtext was sent out when the
zones are invaded.Some thirty inches from my nose
The frontier of my person goes,
And all the unfilled air between,
Is private pagus or demesne.
Stranger, unless with bedroom eyes
I beckon you to fraternize,
Beware of rudely crossing it:
I have no gun, but I can spit.Private space should only be intruded on by a lover, according
to Auden. Anyone else is suspect. It's no wonder that the American
businessman saw the prince's intrusion into his space disturbing
and sexual. In truth, however, people in the United States also
accept intrusion by close friends and loved ones without perceiving
a sexual subtext.HOW DIFFERENT CULTURES HANDLE SPACE
The way we handle space has a direct effect on how we perceive
and send out subtexts. In dealing with other cultures, we should
be aware of how each handles space.
Arabs, as the prince in our anecdote indicated, are comfortable
with a space of six inches between them when they talk. The
Arabs like to touch one another. When possible, Arab homes are
large and airy, but the residents cluster together in one small area.