Body language is a pillar in the structure of effective communication efforts. Efficiency covering both inner cultural and multicultural interaction is an educational standard that everyone should be familiar with. Body language has been shown to influence stress levels, self-confidence, and even the possibility of success.
Everyday life is shaped by the way that people communicate. There are many components to communication, both verbal as well as non verbal of which effect the process as a whole. From interpersonal communication skills to multicultural standards, society has began losing the understanding and importance of effective nonverbal communication. The important role that body language plays in day to day life, and the benefits that understanding nonverbal communication bring a person have been basic knowledge in past generations.
As one communicates not only is subject matter projected to the receiving party, but so is emotion. This emotion is projected in most part through the way that a person communicates both through the verbal approach that is used, but the nonverbal as well. "The early active body language our primitive ancestors shared was easily understood by all but the most inept among them. The most rudimentary communication was easy to recognize. There are few examples of universally understood body language within our species today, but you can still see the remnants. Even from a distance, most humans can easily recognize tenderness, rage, and fear. The signs are evident and tied to daily survival" (Hartley and Karinch 16). "Although nonverbal communication operates in a wide variety of contexts, it is especially important in face-to-face interactions. In such interactions, patterns of behavior are “negotiated” subtly and move typically toward some degree of stability. Partners’ behavior patterns might converge and be similar in form, or they might diverge and be dissimilar" (Manusov and Patterson 190).
When interpreting what another is attempting to communicate, emotion gives the interpreter an understanding and often the intended purpose of said communication efforts. If a person is looking to provide an urgent message to another party, the method of providing that message would be quite different from the way that you'd order an ice cream from your favorite ice cream parlor. Consider how seriously you would take someone that needs urgent help if they communicated such as though they were joyfully ordering an ice cream. There wouldn't be a sense of seriousness or legitimacy in most cases simply because of the way that the urgency was projected.
Displaying a sense of confidence through body language can affect the way that a person is perceived. When communicating with a sense of confidence, there is a general perception of seriousness and strength in communication efforts. However when a person is slouching, talking softly, into their hands, towards the ground, or in a nature that generally lacks confidence, the communication will not be taken as seriously if at all by receiving parties.
Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist and researcher at Harvard Business school has dedicated herself and career to researching body language. In Cuddy's research pursuits, she has developed high quality work on "power-poses" (Cuddy 11:28). This is Cuddy's terminology and study on the influence that your posture plays in hormonal fluctuations. These "power-poses" (11:28) influence hormones, and furthermore the emotions of a person using them. This effect on a users hormones provides either an increase in confidence or a decrease in confidence within a person. Cuddy details examples of the ways that body language and the understanding of said body language can effect a person's quality of life in the following:
So, for example, we smile when we feel happy, but also, when we're forced to smile by holding a pen in our teeth like this, it makes us feel happy. So it goes both ways. When it comes to power, it also goes both ways. So when you feel powerful, you're more likely to do this, but it's also possible that when you pretend to be powerful, you are more likely to actually feel powerful (Cuddy 7:24).
Interpersonal communication skills are a determining factor in success throughout a variety of situations throughout our earth's socially driven population. In segregation, and dis-attachment from society there are no traditional successes in traditional social networking and relationship building. There are less opportunities in life without the understanding of interpersonal relationship building in which nonverbal communication education and basic social skills provide. The ability to build relationships is dependent on the ability to communicate and connect. This connection is made possible not only through verbal efforts, but by those communication methods that are nonverbal in nature as well.
From dates to interviews, interpersonal communication education and furthermore abilities generally determine whether intended outcome in any communication efforts are accomplished. Confidence, happiness, sadness, truth, and even intentions can be projected through body language. These qualities are important in the perception of the verbal communication that is being presented to the receiving party by a communicator.
It is a modern day reality that our world revolves around money, and in most cases money exchanges hands through business transactions of some nature. Business communications large and small, from interviews to high dollar contract acquisition meetings require the understanding and practice of body language etiquette. Survival in the world that we inhabit requires money, and earning money generally requires some sort of business skills. These business skills are based on education and the practice of communication. A foundation in the realm of interpersonal communication is an inevitable quality that one must possess to survive, simply because of the connections that must take place to achieve sustainability in the developed world.
Youth today are immersed in and attached to technologies that have become seemingly essential communication tools in society. Smartphones, internet/tele-conferencing, Skype, and other new age technologies have recently embedded themselves in societal norms. These technological innovations have become used in situations that were previously more personal in nature.
No longer are young people communicating face to face, or even speaking on the telephone in some cases. Texting has become a communication method that is ever increasing in popularity. Not only is texting and the like popular among younger demographics, texting has become extremely popular in a wide-range of demographics.
As technology based communication methods grow in popularity, side effects of the use of these technology have began emerging. These technologies are making it easier to communicate at long distances, and at any time. While there are side-effects that have proven to be beneficial, there are less-than desirable side-effects as well. With a degradation of face-to-face communication it has become increasingly common for this type of traditional interaction to be deemed less important throughout society. Along with this increase in the use of technology throughout interpersonal communication efforts an educational gap in social literacy has began forming.
Young people today are becoming more and more disadvantaged because of the increased integration of technology. Mark Baurelein details his concerns in a recent wall street journal web-article titled "Why Gen-Y Johnny Can't Read Nonverbal Cues: An Emphasis On Social Networking Puts Younger People At A Face-To-Face Disadvantage". In his article he provides a point of view on the subject that most do not recognize and is as follows: Lots of folks grumble about the diffidence, self-absorption and general uncommunicative tendencies of Generation Y. The next time they face a twenty-something who doesn't look them in the eye, who slouches and sighs for no apparent reason, who seems distracted and unaware of the rising frustration of the other people in the room, and who turns aside to answer a text message with glee and facility, they shouldn't think, "What a rude kid." Instead, they should show a little compassion and, perhaps, seize on a teachable moment. "Ah," they might think instead, "another texter who doesn't realize that he is communicating, right now, with every glance and movement—and that we're reading him all too well (Baurelein, WSJ).
Successful communication efforts are hindered in a growing number of youth population throughout the world. As a lack of face-to-face communication becomes a normality, the skills that were previously a standard in communication education are not-so standard. The previously common etiquette that is known to past generations is not-so common to a growing population of recent generations.
It is argued that technology has not been available and integrated in people's lives for a long enough period of time to determine true effect on communication skills. "Nobody knows the extent of the problem. It is too early to assess the effect of digital habits, and the tools change so quickly that research can't keep up with them. By the time investigators design a study, secure funding, collect results and publish them, the technology has changed and the study is outdated" (Baurelein, WSJ).
Unfortunately many youth that do not possess body language education, and experience with interpersonal communication skills as a whole deem said skills unimportant. This is so because of the lack of viable evidence supported by prevent studies made public and popular by the academic community. Through the experience of communicating with the help of technological advances, youth are becoming more disconnected in face to face situations where a relationship was previously built. Now, young people use the internet for a growing number of things that were never previously done in a virtual manner.
Today, youth believe that it is not necessary to communicate face-to-face in a variety of situations where focused face-to-face communication was previously essential. "In Silicon Valley itself, as the Los Angeles Times reported last year, some companies have installed the "topless" meeting—in which not only laptops but phones and other tools are banned—to combat a new problem: "continuous partial attention." With a device close by, attendees at workplace meetings simply cannot keep their focus on the speaker" (Baurelein, WSJ). This ever-growing trend of diminished attention towards personal contact and communication is proving to effect a variety of demographics. From seasoned businessmen to youth that just can't disconnect from their devices, societal norms are changing rapidly for the worse.
One of the most intimate social practices of modern human kind has began changing because of the technology integration in society. Dating practices and norms have taken a turn into the virtual realm at a rapid and progressive pace. No longer is it standard for people to undergo the introductory process face-to-face. The internet is now being used to proposition another prospective date seeker, and furthermore schedule a date. The ability to meet someone through a web chat, email, or online dating platform has made way for a disconnect in a person's desire to network and build a relationship in person.
Tinder.com for example, is an online dating platform that requires a user to download an application. Tinder's application provides a user dates via visual matching guidelines. These guidelines created by Tinder determine a users mutual compatibility with another user through a simple checkmark for yes, or an 'X' for no. This connection and matching of users is based solely on a visual evaluation of a prospective date's picture. This shallow approach to meeting people is creating a social shift in traditionally acceptable dating practices. It is now ok in the eyes of a growing population to meet virtually, inspect the aesthetic desirability of another dating application user, and furthermore meet that person for a date that is surely already off on the wrong foot. Match.com is another online dating platform that uses a somewhat less shallow approach to finding dates. Match.com is a website based forum for dating that evaluates its members upon a short fifteen to twenty minute personality test to determine compatibility with others using the dating platform. This dating website has become a major advertiser on both television, as well as on other digital media platforms. In the early advertisements produced by Match.com, Match boasted about the success of short term relationship success as well as a more long-term relationship building success such as marriage. Current advertisements however are making-fun of the success rates that singles are having finding a meaningful relationship. Match.com provides statistics from their service that depicts a success rate within its user base that as advertised cannot be beaten by traditional relationship building efforts. This disconnect and direction that is being taken, is quite foreign and odd even to some youth that have matured into adulthood while these types of social changes have taken place. As this practice of technology integrating into previously very personal parts of the human communication process grows, a degradation of education and ability will continue to grow simultaneously.
This new open-air dating market has given way for a superficial sense of dating. Basing a major choice in the process of dating like who and why to approach someone, on a profile, has changed the way that people connect. People from a wide-spectrum of demographics are interested and are joining this evolving world of virtual relationship building. However, youth are defining the majority of this movement in trending activity. With an increased integration of technology in interpersonal relationship building, an evolution of societal norms has begun. This evolution is causing a degradation of communication, nonverbal signals and other basic social skills being effected the most.
It may be useful to share with you at this point some preliminary thoughts about the relationship between culture and communication. The communication process is an integral part of the culture in which it takes place. The signs, symbols and codes that are the building blocks of the interpersonal communication process are located in cultures. The meanings they convey rely to a considerable extent upon shared cultural understanding. Culture, like the communication process, is dynamic and thus so is the nature of the relationship between them (Hill 1).
The skill of communicating in a multicultural setting has been of an importance and value since our ancestors began traveling and cultures began mixing together on our planet. Without an understanding of various nonverbal communication techniques it would be implausible and even impossible to communicate with outer cultures. Understanding meaning and basic emotional signals provided via body language gives cross-cultural communication efforts a functionality that is essential to multicultural communication.
There is education that is necessary even when a communicator is able to interact through another culture's verbal language. Body language plays a huge role in the display and understanding of mutual respect and emotional presentation. "People from many different nations have populated almost every part of the world. They bring with them their unique systems of communication and culture. The United States is still admitting more immigrants than any other nation in the world" (Wolfgang 145).
"Negative Impact on others is frequently the result of assuming that we are "all alike" and do things with good intentions that are simply misunderstood" (Cassiday & Stringer 229). Displaying a level of respect through body language gives a communication effort a demeanor of positivity. This positive display and effort gives your communication effort sense of genuine and productive purpose. This genuine display of communication in a multicultural setting provides a 'vibe' that ensures intended response from an effort be noticed and further accomplished.
Emotional projection through nonverbal communication is an essential part of interpersonal communication efforts. Through nonverbal signals, understanding the emotions behind a person's words is often more-so telling than any words can be. From emotions to truthfulness, body language acts as a guide to those interpreting and receiving communication.
Whether it be in a formal setting, or a more personal setting - there is an importance in the use and familiarity of body language in communication efforts as a whole. This familiarity in generations passed was a common core knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Though, with the passing of time, newer generations have began degrading in ability and understanding the importance of basic interpersonal communication tactics. Knowing how to use body language and understanding why it is important that body language usage is vital to smooth communication efforts gives a person an upper hand in the world we live in.
References
Baurelein, Mark. "Why Gen-Y Johnny Can't Read Nonverbal Cues: An Emphasis On Social Networking Puts Younger People At A Face-To-Face Disadvantage." The Wall Street Journal. News. Web. Sept. 4. 2009.
Cuddy, Amy. "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are." Ted. June. 2012. Lecture.
GoTinder.com. 2015.
Hartley, Gregory, and Maryann Karinch. "The Body Language Handbook : How To Read Everyone's Hidden Thoughts And Intentions." Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Hill, Anne. "Key Themes In Interpersonal Communication : Culture, Identities And Performance." Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 27, Mar. 2015.
Match.com, LLC. 2015.
Patterson, Miles L., and Valerie Lynn Manusov. The SAGE Handbook Of Nonverbal Communication. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc, 2006. Ebook. Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 28 Mar. 2015.
Stringer, Donna M., and Patricia A. Cassiday. "52 Activities For Improving Cross-Cultural Communication." Boston: Intercultural Press, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 27 Mar. 2015.
Wolfgang, Aaron. "The Silent Language In The Multicultural Classroom." Theory Into Practice 16.3 (1977): 145-152. Education Research Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2015
Image by https://pixabay.com/users/FirmBee-663163/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=620822
