privacy (England, the United States, Swe-
den, Germany, and Australia) generally
demand more space than do collective
cultures. According to Triandis, Arabs,
Latin Americans, and U.S. Hispanics fall
into this collective category.^127 These are
cultures in which people are interdepen-
dent and often work, play, live, and even
sleep in close proximity to one another.
“Brazil is a wonderful example of a culture
that communicates in close proximity.”^128
With regard to Arabs, Ruch writes,“Typi-
cal Arab conversations are at close range.
Closeness cannot be avoided.”^129
Differences in personal space can even
be seen in how cultures perceive and
respond to standing in lines. For most
U.S. Americans“regulations”for standing in line are simple. The line should be straight
and people are expected to wait their turn. As Dresser noted,“Many new immigrants
don’t understand the American rules for standing in lines.”^130 When waiting for a bus or
an elevator most Arabs will not stand in neat straight lines. There is often a degree of
pushing as they work their way toward the front of the crowd. For them, this is not
considered rude, but simply a reflection of their perception of personal space.
Some co-cultures have their own special use of space. In prisons, where space
is limited and controlled, space and territory are crucial forms of communication.People’s use of space,
like most aspects
of nonverbal
communication, can
be influenced by the
setting and context.
CONSIDER THIS
The next time you are at an airport, train station, or shopping
mallwheretheremightbepeoplefromavarietyofcultures,try
to observe the interactions using the guide provided below:
● Were there cultural differences in the use of space?
● What differences did you observe as applied to touching
behavior?
● Did people greet each other by hugging, kissing, shaking
hands, etc.?
● What differences did you notice in facial
expressions? Were they animated, reserved, etc.?
● Did you notice any differences in gestures?CourtesyofLarrySamovar324 CHAPTER 9•Nonverbal Communication: The Messages of Action, Space, Time, and Silence
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