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Proxemics - Minding Your Personal Space in Communication

Proxemics refers to the physical distance people keep between themselves and others in social situations. Researcher E.T. Hall first studied this concept and identified four levels of personal space - intimate, personal, social, and public - which vary between cultures. When interacting cross-culturally, it is important to be aware of personal space norms and distances in order to make others feel comfortable and not intimidated. Personal space preferences are influenced by both culture and individual factors.

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136 views1 page

Proxemics - Minding Your Personal Space in Communication

Proxemics refers to the physical distance people keep between themselves and others in social situations. Researcher E.T. Hall first studied this concept and identified four levels of personal space - intimate, personal, social, and public - which vary between cultures. When interacting cross-culturally, it is important to be aware of personal space norms and distances in order to make others feel comfortable and not intimidated. Personal space preferences are influenced by both culture and individual factors.

Uploaded by

Foram Shah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Proxemics minding your personal space in communication

The physical distance you keep between yourself and others during social situations
is your personal space. In normal conversations we dont give our personal space
much thought; its a natural distance that we grant between ourselves and others
based on our culture, gender and personality. However, when you enter into a cross
cultural conversation, you may want to keep your personal distance in mind.
Researcher E. T. Hall first coined the term proxemics to describe the effects of
personal space in his 1960s academic research on the topic. His work provides us
with a model of concentric circles around our body that make up different levels of
personal space. Specifically, we have four levels of personal space:
Intimate 0 to 10 inches Reserved for close friends and family
Personal 18 inches to 4 feet For friends and informal conversation
Social 4 to 12 feet An area for formal conversation and business transactions
Public beyond 12 feet
The amount of social space you need to maintain varies. As you enter into a cross
cultural interaction, consider how much space you give your colleague and how
much space your colleague gives you. You may find that early in the conversation
you do a bit of a social dance as you adjust to each others space distance needs.
If you look at personal space strictly from a cultural perspective, typical North
American personal distance clocks in at about 18 inches. Western Europeans tend
to be a bit closer at 14 to 16 inches. Middle Eastern cultures move even closer at 8
to 12 inches.
Be cognizant of the personal space of your colleague. Standing too close may seem
intimidating. Being too far away could come off as cold. If you know that you are
entering into a specific cross-cultural situation, do your research beforehand, but
remember culture is just one of many variables. Ultimately, personal space is a
personal preference decided on an individual level.

Proxemics is the way people use space to communicate nonverbally. This space may be close or far
away depending on how comfortable one maybe and their culture. Along with proxemics is the use
of territoriality. Territory is valued by many and can become the cause of a battle among
individuals.

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