Name : FUSTHAATHUL RIZKOH
Id Number : A 121 10 046
Class : A
Subject : Cross Culture Understanding
Non-Verbal Communication
Why did I choose this topic?
I choose this topic, because I want to all people know the different culture between Indonesia and some countries that sometimes can be misunderstood with the other people. As we know, when someone wants going to study abroad, they have to study first the culture or the customs of the country. For example, the differences in communication, both verbal and non-verbal communication. Because, if they do not study about it, it can makes them confused and also can make misunderstanding. Not only misunderstanding but also can make embarrassment. Therefore, not only verbal but also non-verbal communication is very important for learned. If you fail to read and de-code non-verbal messages, you set yourself up for constant misunderstandings and various communication problems.
According to Albert Mehrabian found the effect from message is about 7 percent only used verbal communication or words and 93 percent are used non verbal communication include voce or paralanguage (intonation and volume). One research also has done in United States, almost 93 percent from message was showed by the intonation of voice and facial expressions. Only 7 percent, from the lecture attitude was explained by words. Therefore, we express our attitude and emotional by using non-verbal instead of verbal.
Every day we use non-verbal communication to communicate with some people and sometimes we combine with verbal communication. People can interpretation our expressions from our faces. Only looking our faces, they can guest, what happened with us. For example sad, angry, happy, confused, or lie. If you are lazy for answering a question, you can use this language, such as if you want to say “No,” you can shake your head. Another advantage of non-verbal communication is can be used for paralyzed people in order to communicate with normal people.
Non verbal communication according to Muhammad Handi Gunawan is a person who writes a paper about communication is non-verbal communication is “silent” communication, including the use of gestures, postures, position, eye contact, facial expressions, and conversational distance. In my opinion, non-verbal communication is communication with some people without words and they are communicating by using gesture, facial expression, or eye contact. This paper explains about the similarities and differences culture between America and Indonesia. Because, sometimes we find there is miss-understanding culture when we visit some places that have different with our culture.
In addition, just as verbal language differs from culture to culture, the non-verbal language may also differ. One gesture may be common in a certain country and have a clear interpretation, it may be meaningless in another culture or even have an opposite meaning. The following are the examples of non-verbal gestures that have the same and different meaning in the United States, Indonesia and the other countries.
a. Eye contact
Eye contact is an important feature of social communication. In many cultures it is believed, that even if you can control your facial expressions and body movements, eyes can never lie. In USA eye contact is very important, when someone speak with other people. It is because, in America when someone speak and you do not see her/his eyes, it makes them not comfortable when their talk with you and also their will think you are not impolite. Eye contact indicates: degree of attention or interest, influences attitude change or persuasion, regulate interaction, communicates emotion, defines power and status, and has a central role in managing impressions of others. Western cultures see direct eye-to-eye contact as positive (advise children to look a person in the eyes). However, within USA, African-Americans use more eye contact when talking and less when listening with reserve true for Anglo-Americans.
In Indonesia, eye contact is not very important, because it is sometimes making something strange when someone uses eye contact. In Indonesian small town, it usual for two strangers walking each other to make eye contact, smile and perhaps say “Hi !”, “Good Morning” or even “Where are you going”. In Indonesia is not important to use eye contact when they are speaking with someone. Because, a prolonged gaze is often seen as a sign of sexual interest.
b. Facial Expressions
Our face is a highly developed organ that can create more than 7,000 facial expressions. Facial expression continually change during interaction and should be constantly monitored by the recipient. There are several types of facial expressions:
· Many Asian cultures including Indonesian suppress facial expression as much as possible.
· Smile
In USA when we are happy, we usually smile. In other words, smiling is typically an expression of pleasure. It can also show affection, convey politeness, or even disguise true feelings. But, it depends on the situations and relationships. In Asian cultures including Indonesia, smiling is also used to cover emotional pain or embarrassment. When the students are late to come to the class or they cannot answer the questions from the teacher, they are possible to smile to cover their embarrassment. Therefore, that in Indonesia culture smile is one thing to avoid feeling embarrassment.
· Angry
When we are sad or angry, we can frown, scowl, or even cry. In Arab and Iranian cultures, people express grief openly. They mourn aloud, while people from China, Japan, and Indonesia are more subdued.
· Winking
If a boy is introduced to a pretty and charming girl and he winks one of his eyes, it can be interpreted that the boy likes her or the boy is interested in further relationship with her. In Indonesia, winking can mean interested with someone, joking, and agree with someone. In some Latin American cultures, winking is a romantic or sexual invitation. In Nigeria, Yorubas may wink at their children if they want them to leave the room. Many Chinese consider winking to be rude.
c. Gestures
· The “Ring” or “OK” gesture has different meaning in different countries. In the USA and in English speaking countries, the ring or OK gesture means “Everything is OK”. In France, it can also mean zero or nothing. In Japan it can mean ‘money, in some Mediterranean countries, it is used to infer that a man is homosexual. In Indonesia, the ring gesture means zero and it can be “OK,” depends on their situation.
· The thumb-up gesture has three meanings in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. It is commonly used by hitch-hikers who are thumbing a lift, it is an OK signal, it is probably an insult signal meaning “up yours” or “sit on this” when the thumb is jerked sharply upwards. In Greece, its main meaning is “get stuffed”. In Italy, when people count from one to five, they use the thumb to mean “one” and the index finger becomes “two”. In Australia, America, England and Indonesia, people count “one” on the index finger and two on the middle finger, hence, the thumb will be number five. In Indonesia, the thumb gesture means good job or response to someone who has completed an excellent job. It also means “delicious” when we taste delicious food.
· In USA, the V sign means victory but the two fingers and the palm face out. In Indonesia, whether the palm faces towards the speaker or the palm faces out, the V sign means number two, but sometimes Indonesian people said the V sign means peace.
· In USA, beckoning people to come with the palm up is common or acceptable, however, in the Philippines, Korea, and parts of Latin America as well as other countries the same gesture is considered rude. In Indonesia, when we want to beckon someone we extend one arm in front of us and, with the palm down, wave to the person to come.
· In Argentina, standing with the hands on the hips suggests anger, or a challenge. I think in Indonesia almost same but sometimes, some people can interpret as an arrogant person.
d. Touch
· The meaning of touch depends highly on the situation, sex, age, culture and your character. In America handshake is common (even for strangers or western people), hugs, and kisses for those of opposite gender or of family usually on an increasingly more intimate basis. In Indonesia, cultures generally do not approve of any touching between genders especially for Islam culture. However, consider such touching (including handholding, hugs) between same sex can be appropriate.
· In some cultures, light touching of the arm or a light kiss to the cheek is very common, even among people who have just met. People from Latin America and Eastern Europe may be very comfortable with this kind of touching, whereas people from many Asian cultures may prefer less physical contact with acquaintances.
· A Western woman should not initiate a handshake with a man in India. Many Indian women will shake hands with a foreign woman, but not a foreign man.
e. Posture
Consider the following actions and note cultural differences:
· Bowing (not done, criticized or affected in US : shows rank in Japan and Korea)
· Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey)
· Sitting with legs crossed (offensive in Ghana, Turkey, but sometimes in Indonesian people especially for parents always teach their children to sitting with legs crossed, because it is polite for them).
· Showing soles of feet (offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia)
f. Space
Space means distance. Americans when they are speaking with someone the distance is about an arm’s length to four feet, because when they are talking the space is not too closer. For Indonesians distance is important especially for Muslim people with the opposite gender, for example shaking hands is not uncommon for Muslim especially the opposite gender.
g. Paralinguistics or paralanguage
Paralanguage is study about voice or sound in non-verbal communication includes tone of speech, picth sound and volume. We can know the meaning of sentences from the powerful effect that tone of the voice. If the intonation is high or when people speak loudly, it means that aggressive, overbearing and uncompromising, and listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. If someone speak with soft tone is viewed as timid, polite and unsure of themselves. For example in Arab culture high pitched show your power and softleness show your weakness.
In Japan when someone chuckle, it can be showed your shame. But in India, when someone
h. Appearance
Apperance is very important, when you want to do interviewing job. Because, it can makes an interesting impression for the interviewer when you meet for the first time. Such as election color of dress that you will wear, clothing and hairsytles. From your appearance, people can interpret you are polite or impolite, kind and tidy or untidy.
References
ON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: THE “SILENT” CROSS-CULTURAL CONTACT WITH INDONESIANS
Muhammad Handi Gunawan,S.Pd
(Lembaga Bahasa LIA BuahBatu)
