Spitting for a purpose

Spitting is, something Westerners find crude and undignified, has its place in Russian gestures and beliefs. To ward off bad luck or to express the hope for continued good fortune (similar to 'knock on wood'), the individual spits three times over his left shoulder.

4 Read the text “Gestures and Nonverbal Communication” and state the reason why it is important to be aware of another culture's gestures.

Gestures and Nonverbal Communication

As the global village continues to shrink and cultures collide, it is essential for all of us to become more sensitive, more aware, and more observant to the myriad motions, gestures, and body language that surround us each day. And as many of us cross over cultural borders, it would be fitting for us to respect, learn, and understand more about the effective, yet powerful "silent language" of gestures.

The world is a giddy montage of vivid gestures- traffic police, street vendors, expressway drivers, teachers, children on playground, athletes with their exuberant hugging, clenched fists and "high fives." People all over the world use their hands, heads, and bodies to communicate expressively. Without gestures, our world would be static and colorless. The social anthropologist Edward T. Hall claims 60 percent of all our communication is nonverbal. In that case, how can we possibly communicate with one another without gestures?

If you want to be polite it's a good idea to tone-down gestures when traveling, since you probably won't know all the local customs and mores. In general, don't point your hand or foot at anyone, or belch, yawn, or fart loudly, unless, of course, you're joining in.

In Thailand it's rude to expose the sole of your shoe or foot to someone, to step over someone, and to touch anyone on the head. In India and other places where toilet paper isn't significant to the culture, touching anyone or presenting anything with the left hand will raise more than eyebrows.

Western travelers, on the other hand, may be distressed by the tendency of some Arabs in normal conversation to lock unblinking eyes mere inches from yours. As noted by American anthropologist Edward T. Hall, this is normal conversational distance for Arabs. (Indeed some Arabs believe they can determine reaction to what is being said by looking closely at pupils: if they dilate, you like or approve; if they contract, you dislike or disapprove.)

Since most people are unaware of their own cultural patterns of nonverbal communication, they are unprepared to deal with the patterns of other cultures and people may often suffer from culture shock. With these varying meanings from country to country it is easy to see how misunderstanding may occur as we might interpret each other as rude, pushy, childlike, cold, etc., usually not for what is said, but how it is said, and how we act. It is culture that gives meaning to manners, different hand gestures, how close we may stand when conversing, our patience, and even handshakes and greetings; and thus, culture influences every aspect of nonverbal communication. Equally as vital to convey a message or an image, it is important to understand how performing smooth interactions requires eloquence with not only spoken language but visual as well. Just as Socrates described in PHAEDO, there are two worlds: the first is a world of imperfection impeded by its inept medium of speech, and the better second world of perfection where all things are communicated visually, without the need for words.

Source: Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. John Wiley & Sons, 1991; How to see the world Art of Travel - European and World Backpacking