Aspects of Nonverbal Communication

This report will examine the aspects of nonverbal communications as they relate to establishing and maintaining a hierarchical structure in interpersonal relations. Special attention will be paid to sex-role behaviors and their part in maintaining male dominance in relationships. Nancy M. Henley, in her book Body Politics: Power, Sex and Nonverbal Communication, argues that nonverbal communication is an integral part of our lives and functions to preserve the strict hierarchal structure.

There is a relationship of space to hierarchy in human interactions, where "space" is analogous to territory. Sex is a determinant of who receives the most desirable space. Men can more easily cross territorial boundaries and take up more personal space. Women, the subordinate group, yield space to men to accommodate them. Taking up the least amount of space is considered feminine, while occupying an expansive amount of space is considered masculine. What space women do have is violated much more often than men's. The rich and powerful are privy to greater space.

With time, as with space, the dominant person has control over the duration of the encounter as well as its quality. Between colleagues, time is equally shared. The more intimate the relationship, the longer the time spent together. Conversely, the more impersonal the encounter, the briefer the interaction. The more powerful person is likely to make others wait, is more likely to infringe on their time, and i

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, which is seen as indicating less serious commitment to their convictions. Demeanor, one's conduct toward others, is another means of maintaining the status hierarchy. Subordinates signal submissiveness to their superiors by bodily tightness. Relaxation, on the other hand, is a privilege of the powerful. Tallness in our society is seen as better, so superiors stand tall in order to display their dominance. Subordinates, characterized by having a slouching posture, naturally look up to those who are tall. Touch is controlled by the powerful. Superiors may touch their inferiors, but not the reverse. Cross-culturally, some groups may use touch more than others. Those of Spanish, Jewish, and Italian descent, for example, use more tactile communication than other groups. As people from other cultures become more Americanized, their touching decreases. Males touch females more often, much the same as dominants have the power to touch subordinates. A women's touch is often interpreted as sexual intent. Women are forced to be very careful of the ways in which they give and receive touch. Body movement including posture and gesture is used by dominants to exhibit superiority. Various gestures, such as hands on hi

Category: Psychology - A