Nonverbal Communication Training Guide

Introduction

The best thing about traveling to a new place is that a person gets to experience new cultures. One thing that travelers need to perfect in order to survive within every culture is the art of fitting in. However, before being able to fit in a place, a traveler needs to be aware of the new culture and what their norms and traditions are. Most importantly, it is essential to be tolerant of the nonverbal communication styles, the how to and what is correct or wrong. This is because culture varies from one place to the other and what one culture might perceive as right might not be the same in the other culture. This paper will offer a training guide for individuals intending to travel and experience the Japanese culture. The guide will consist of the do's and do not's relative to kinesics, proxemics, haptics, paralinguistic, chronemics, physical appearance, oculesics, and olfactics.

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Kinesics

The best way to describe kinesics is gestures or rather body language. This form of non-verbal communication is the most used and well known. According to Burgoon, Guerrero, and Floyd, (2016), kinesics is an exciting form of communication since it involves the movement of body parts to express the process of thinking or trigger some kind of thought. However, it is significant to indicate that while some form of kinesics is universal, not all will apply in all culture. For such reason, an individual should be mindful of kinesics when in another culture to ensure successful communication as well as not offend the other person. It is advisable to employ positive body language or gestures that go along with what one is trying to communicate.

The Japanese enjoy a variety of kinesics activities though their usage is limited among males and most often determined by the situation. Japanese are characteristically more expressive in their in-groups though the use of kinesics is restrained when in out-groups. This is why most Japanese men and women prefer sitting unobstructed with their hands folded when in public. This is to maintain situational harmony and avoid attention. As another example, the most common kinesics' activity is associated with the bow. Japanese typically bow when they meet, apologize, congratulate and acknowledging someone. The bow is a traditional ritual that denotes respect and status. The younger person will bow first and longest. Not correctly executing the bow can be a significant disrespect.

Proxemics

Proxemics basically is the amount of space a person gives when communication with other people. Distance is really important when a person is making non-verbal communication. The close distance that is allowed between people ranges from one culture to the other. In Japan, the attitude towards personal space is rather complicated and somewhat contradictory. When in a place that is less crowded space, the Japanese will tend to maintain personal space intervals that are far much greater than that of Americans. On the contrary, when in a crowded place like in a train or bus, for instance, they accept body contact without resistance even if an individual is a total stranger. The personal space is equally close when a person is with friends or family members. Perhaps what makes the Japanese to depict such proxemic characteristics is the result of their societal orientation. In out-group environment or uncrowded spaces, the Japanese will maintain their personal to give themselves some psychological barrier against strangers. However, in close proximity, there is the assumption of a disguise of unperturbable passivity. It can be empirically assumed that this ability is to demonstrate composure while feeling nearly suffocating on the crowding train.

Haptics

Haptic in non-verbal communication is represented by touch. There is a likable universality in the purpose of touch during communication. However, there is a disparity in the amount of touch allowed by the various culture and what is deemed acceptable or not. In some cultures, touch is acceptable as it symbolizes the connection between two people or unity but in others, it is discouraged. Also, excessive touch can create an uncomfortable atmosphere between individuals. The traditional haptic practices associated with the Japanese culture is that they shun from public display of physical expressiveness. Japanese maternal care reveals that children get many touches from their parents. However, the level of physical intimacy reduces after a childhood with people expected to conform to the non-touch standards of the society. A survey on Japanese students found that there were significantly fewer physical interactions among Japanese adults. For adults, it is quite tolerable to engage in faction touching especially among drinking mates. On the other hand, out-group touch is uncommon unless it is a result of congestion or crowding where it will be ignored. It is also reported that friends of opposite sex can touch freely. Such conventions are more indicators of the value placed on touching.

Paralinguistic

Paralinguistic includes various aspects of speech such as voice, pitch, speaking rate, volume, intonation, and silence. People perceive others comparative to how they speak or what they are saying. It is quite essential to consider the personal use of a fast speech rate, aggressiveness and loud volumes depending on cultural preference. When looking at the Japanese culture, there is ample use of vocalics in conversations. Schuller, et al. (2013) while referring to 1989 study where both Japanese and American English speakers had their conversations recorded revealed that the Japanese used more feedback than Americans ascertaining the greater use of vocals among Japanese. During communication, the Japanese will nod and make small utterance to display attentiveness. Generally, use of vocalics will vary relative to a person's age and hierarchy. Use of voice pitch and tone varies depending on speakers position as junior or senior. Among the Japanese, raising the voice when speaking indicates anger.

Chronemics

Chronemics is time concept of communication. Eaves and Leathers (2017) mentions that time as a tool can be applied in various ways from punctuality, response time and time management. Time will make a difference in the determination of whether a person is comfortable with the communication or not. If a person is okay with the conversation, they will ensure that their response time is prompt. The chronemics of Japanese culture is that punctuality is essential. Japanese will trust punctual person since they are impressed that the individual does not make them wait. Failing to be punctuating Japan is regarded as disrespectful and a person ought to arrive five to ten minutes earlier. Therefore, attitudes of the time in Japan is considered crucial, and people abide by time to manage relationships between each other.

Physical Appearance/Attire

An individual's physical appearance and the mode of dressing determines how other people view them. Humans will make a judgment within the first few seconds of meeting. The central theme of Japanese physical appearance is somewhat simple based on status and identity. Both men and women in Japanese culture opt for conservative style. The tendency for the Japanese conservative dressing style and color emphasizes their nation's collectivism. Uniforms or lapel pins indicates group affiliations which can determine social position. In the business world, the universal dark suit dominates, and both men and women opt for that style. While not specifically non-verbal, the design and size of business cards also communicate a person's status which dictates appropriate levels of speech.

Oculesics

Oculesics is a subcategory of kinesics which focuses on eye behavior. The Japanese do not demonstrate emotions through eye contacts. The emotions observed by the Japanese are either mild, unrevealing or non-descript eye contact that is hard to decipher its actual meaning. Many in Japan avoids direct eye contact unless a superior intends to rebuke a subordinate. Prolonged eye contact is considered rude, disrespectful and threatening and it is ingrained in children to look at a person's throat. Atkinson (2012) while citing another study to compare Japan and American students mention that there is more reduced eye contact among Japanese students.

Olfactics

Olfactics is also a branch of kinesics that deals more with a sense of smell. In most cultures, the smell is regarded as a sensory stimulant. However, this goes with proximity and how close someone has to be to feel another person's smell. There is little information available on Japanese attitudes of smell. However, the Japanese inclination towards cleanliness creates a likeness for the odorless environment. Although there is no literature to support this, the ritual of frequents baths validates this contention.

Conclusion

In summary, non-verbal communication and interaction are essential in most cultures. The Japanese culture does have some rules and regulations that are important to be aware of before communicating with them. All cultures require comfortable and confident communication. This is to make the process educative and efficient.

References

Atkinson, D. (2012). Intercultural rhetoric and intercultural communication. In The Routledge handbook of language and intercultural communication. Routledge.

Burgoon, J. K., Guerrero, L. K., & Floyd, K. (2016). Nonverbal communication. Routledge.

Eaves, M., & Leathers, D. G. (2017). Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and applications. Routledge.

Sandhu, R. (n.d.). Examples of chronemics and how it affects technology design. Retrieved October 19, 2018, from https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-chronemics-2495529

Schuller, B., Steidl, S., Batliner, A., Burkhardt, F., Devillers, L., MuLler, C., & Narayanan, S. (2013). Paralinguistics in speech and language-State-of-the-art and the challenge. Computer Speech & Language, 27(1), 4-39.