VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOR

Non-Verbal Behavior

Marking relation between Speaker and

addressee

The structure of discourse

1. RELATION-MARKER

One very obvious aspect of non-verbal behavior which helps to reflect power-solidarity is the distance one person stands from the other, the study of which has developed to such an extent that called “PROXEMICS”.

Physical distance is proportional to social distance in all cultures. So that, people who feel close in spirit will put themselves relatively near to each other when interacting.

What varies from culture to culture is the distance which is taught appropriate for a particular

degree of solidarity.

For example: Arabs generally set the distance lower than Americans.

Arabs confronted each other more directly than Americans when

conversing, They sat closer to each other,

They were more likely to touch each other,

They look each other more squarely in the eye, and

They conversed more loudly than Americans