Nonverbal Communication: Greetings

Subgroup Size

Small Group

Duration

45 minutes

External Cost

No

Source

Paige, R.M., Cohen, A.D., Kappler Mikk, B., Chi, J.C., & Lassegard, J.P. (2014). Nonverbals used in host country greetings. In R.M. Paige, A.D. Cohen, B. Kappler Mikk, J.C. Chi, & J.P. Lassegard (Eds.), Maximizing study abroad: A students' guide to strategies for language and culture learning and use (2nd ed., pp. 140-141). University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition. http://archive.carla.umn.edu/maxsa/guides.html

Tags:

  1. behavior
  2. bridging
  3. communication
  4. nonverbal communication
  5. other awareness

From the fist-bump to the high-five to the air-kiss, cultures are rife with physical greeting rituals that often vary with age, gender, ethnicity, etc. With a few visuals such as ones provided in the Links section of this digital tool, greeting rituals can be a remarkably easy and non-divisive way to get individuals and groups talking willingly about difference.