post 2 - chapter 5

Unfortunately, I haven't had very many opportunities to travel outside of the country. There are certain customs that I have observed while living in the bay area that vary between cultures. One form of nonverbal communication that is used in many European countries is a greeting with a kiss. This is also a common custom in Mexico and South America. Kissing in not a typical American custom, and is usually only seen being used by lovers. Another nonverbal form of communication that I have heard varries between cultures is the thumbs up gesture. I guess in some cultures this gesture means "up yours". This can cause confusion because in America, it is a way to say good job. I have also heard that some cultures use their pinky fingers to symbolize the same sort of message that we send out when we use our middle finger in America. Although we may think that gestures and nonverbal forms of communication are universal, the truth is that they are not, and actually can be very offensive.