The show I decided to observe is a television sitcom that
was popular in the 90’s called “Married with Children”. As I observed the show
without sound I gathered that the relationships between the characters were
close and intimate, conversations between the family members were in close
proximity to each other and also consisted of non-verbal communication like
touching. In one scene the man and his wife were in bed together and she gave
him a hug, although he did not look like he reciprocated it, I gathered that
she was very much in love by the love-intimacy touch she gave him. I also gathered that they were in some type
of argument by their facial expressions, exhibiting looks of anger and sadness.
Upon turning the sound on, my assumptions were correct
regarding the family structure, and the tension that was between the husband
and wife. The plot was far more humorous then I had anticipated and I gather
that if I would have been more accurate regarding the mood of the show if had
been more familiar with it.
I learned that the observation of non-verbal communication
can often be misinterpreted due to influences from different cultures,
situations, and even perspectives. Additionally, I had also never considered
the non-verbal messages that body language and proximity to other communication
partners plays in the delivering communication messages. I found the zones of
personal space to be extremely intriguing, as everyone’s idea on what is
acceptable in terms of: intimate, personal, social, and public zones are completely
different and vary from person to person.
This made me think of the time
when I went to Montréal to visit distant family and instead of hugs they give a
very European greeting of kissing each side of your cheek. It made me realize that
what is normal for some in forms of communication like even a simple hello, can
be completely weird and uncomfortable for others.
You gave a very good analogy of how important it is to respect and know how to form relationships based on the dynamics of those who you communicate with. Not everyone has the same way of talking or listening, verbally or nonverbally.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me think about how culture and personal space are important aspects of communication. I had a co-worker one time that had a difficult time being touched. She was not from a very touchy feeling family and she did not like people touching her clothes to feel the fabric or rubbing/patting her arm when they talk to her. This made her appear as though she was cold, but she was extremely loving and very hands on with the toddlers in her class. It is important that we do not make assumptions about what is acceptable for other people.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tricia and Patricia. I had not considered the cultural aspect. Nice job! It is so true that assumptions can be dangerous and hurtful, confusing to say the least. If I had been asked how I chose what shows that I enjoy previous to the exercise I would have said content. After reading your blog I realize that it has as much to do with the non-verbal as the verbal.
ReplyDeleteJenn Pore`