When people communicate among themselves, majority of the exchange is done by body movements or language this is known as non verbal communication. Some people use this as a way to enhance the message being sent to the receiver. “We express our overall style of communicating nonverbally. In effect, nonverbal communication functions as the language of relationships” ( Kuparinen 1992).Some non verbal communicators can be dictated different by another culture in some areas. The differences vary among cultures in some areas. These are some nonverbal gestures that I have come to find out while interacting with several different cultures in my profession and personal life. They are appearance, tone, space, eye contact, gestures, etc.
Greetings:
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Upon arrival in Camp Fuji, we were given a short tour of the base and I noticed that every time the Japanese people greeted us they bowed instead of shaking our hands. I then asked one of the Japanese/American soldier if there was a reason for this and he stated that this was how they greeted people instead of shaking hands. A deep nod signifies respect, while a short nod is for casual greeting. In the some cultures shaking hands is a common way to greet people. In South Korea when you travel on the transportation bus, the military soldiers are always loud on the buses. I noticed the locals to be very quiet. I later learned from a Katusa (Korean Soldier) friend that they find it rude to talk loudly on transportation buses and trains.
Gestures:
A couple of years ago, the Australian Football Team came to American Samoa to participate in the annual Samoa Bowl. My fellow officers and I were tasked with providing security for the game. During halftime, one of the coaches approached us and asked us why people were giving them the thumbs up. When I inquired if it was a problem he stated that in Australia they considered it offensive because it signifies, “Up Yours”. “Sticking your tongue out in Western countries, it can be seen as mockery, but in Polynesia it serves as a greeting and a sign of reverence” (Kirch, M. S. (1979).
Eye