Transcript Proxemics PPT - Robert H. Gass
The role of space and distance in human communication
Space matters
Metaphors, expressions related to space “I feel close to you.” “I need some space right now.” Three’s a crowd Keeping someone at arm’s length “Don’t back me into a corner.” Getting in someone’s grill.” “Don’t be trying to get all up in here.” “I need some elbow room.” “You’re on my turf now.”
Territory vs. Personal Space
Territory is the physical area we claim as our own.
graffiti is used to mark a gang’s turf.
“keep out,” “private property,” “no trespassing” signs Territory is defined by boundaries, occupancy, and ownership
Personal Space
Personal space is the social bubble we carry around with us.
Personal bubbles vary by gender, culture, situation Personal space is dynamic, portable, situational or contextual
Space violations
President Lyndon B. Johnson was known for violating others’ personal space
Territory or space?
Types of space
Physical space
Borders, walls, cubicles Your room
Psychological space
The effect of spaces on mood Your sense of privacy
Virtual space
Facebook Privacy violations on the web Identity theft/information privacy
TSA scanner controversy
TSA’s practice of using body scanners or full body pat downs outraged many airline passengers.
Anger over privacy violations Fears about health risks from radiation Concerns about storing and sharing images Some companies sell scanner blocking underwear, but TSA warns this may result in a pat down.
Status and power
People with higher status may literally be higher Top floor, corner office Higher chair People with higher status occupy more space.
High status people sit at the head of the table High status people have greater permission to violate others’ space Higher status people touch more objects, including other people’s.
Power and status--continued
Segregation in the 1950s and 1960s May use desks or other furniture as barriers Seating arrangements at weddings or other formal occasions may imply status differences “Sorry Jane, you’re at the little kids table.” Police interrogations— suspect is seated; detectives free to move about.
Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of the bus, as segregation laws in the pre-civil rights era required.
Power in the professor’s office
Instructors’ offices: Where does teacher sit relative to students?
Instructors’ office doors; open, closed, open a crack?
Students who remain in the doorway versus students who come in and sit down
Seating arrangements and communication
Opposite adversarial/competitive Adjacent cooperative Corners cooperative Power head of rectangular table, facing the door
culture, gender, & situational differences
Women’s space is invaded more frequently than men’s Men who have just met stay farther apart than women who have just met.
Holds true even for virtual environments (Second Life)
Space invaders
Tailgaters on the freeway A parent searches a teen’s dresser or reads his/her diary.
You leave the room at a social event. While you’re gone someone takes “your” seat.
At the beach, some people plop their towels, cooler, boogie board right next to you.
At the ATM someone is standing too close behind you.
People who play loud music
Guarding our space
On the freeway; we don’t want to let that “jerk” merge in front of us.
Armrests in movie theaters and on airplanes.
Gang graffiti to mark turf.
Grumpy homeowners; “You kids get off my lawn.” At the gym; occupying an exercise machine A teen puts a sign on his/her bedroom door that says “Private” or “Keep Out.” No trespassing signs Parking spaces—a study of 400 drivers at a mall in Atlanta found that drivers protect their parking space. They leave more slowly if another motorist is waiting for their spot.
Edward T. Hall’s space zones
Intimate: 6-18 inches close friends, family Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet common for most Westerners in everyday conversations.
touching possible, but only permissible touch Social: 4 to 12 feet: business environments, retail stores Public: 12 feet or more: public speaking, presentations Lots of socially necessary exceptions elevators, MD exams, crowded bus, train, concerts Social space When social space is violated, people compensate in other ways
Space violations can trigger
reactions
Prevention staking out territory territorial markers Defense Insulation standing your ground challenging the violation hoodie, earbuds, sunglasses Withdrawal
Types of encroachment
Violation: unwarranted use of someone’s property Walking into someone’s home without knocking Borrowing a roommate’s clothes without asking Mentally undressing someone with your eyes
Invasion
Permanent takeover Parents or grandparents on Facebook Sexual assault Tagging
Contamination
Detritus left behind littering Smoking in someone’s car Dog poop on your neighbor’s lawn Using someone else’s toothbrush or deodorant