体态语的中西文化内涵

1、体态语的中西文化内涵体态语的中西文化内涵摘要:体态语是人类交际中最常见的一种非语言交际手段,在特定情况下比有声语言和文字语言更富具有表现力。对它的研究，可以追溯至亚里士多德，但从达尔文开始才有这方面正式的研究。体态语的定义和分类，历来也有争议。一般来说，体态语主要指面部表情，身体动作和其他任何出自身体部位的姿势。体态语在交际中起重要作用，它主要有五种功能，其中包括象征、补充、指示、调节和否定功能等。此外，体态语在跨文化交际也起重要作用。随着跨文化交际的日益频繁，中西“两方”交际也呈渐多之势，两方体态语的文化差异已是交际的主要障碍之一。正文概述了国内外体态语及体态语文化差异研究现状，同时从精神或

2、观念性差异，制度性差异，物质性差异三个方面对中西体态语的文化差异进行了分类。创新之处在于将“中西体态语的文化差异”的研究归类于各自“主导文化”差异的“精神或观念性差异”；“制度性差异”和“物质性差异”三个层面中之中。在形成差异的三个方面因素中，精神或观念性因素是形成中西体态语文化差异的“内在因素”，制度性因素是形成中西体态语的文化差异的“外在驱力”，而物质性差异则是中西体态语文化差异的重要表现及其形成的重要条件。提出研究体态语文化差异的原则，对理解体态语所属语言国主流文化的价值观念、道德风尚、风俗习惯、历史背景、思维方式等多种文化内涵具有一定帮助。同时帮助人们减少或避免在跨文化交际中因体态语的

3、文化差异而引起的误解。关键词：体态语；功能；文化差异TheChineseandWesternCulturalConnotationsofBodyLanguageAbstract:Bodylanguageisoneofthecommonnon-verbal1Qcommunicativedevicesandincertaincircumstances,itismoreeffectiveinexpressingonesemotionsthanspokenandwrittenlanguage.IthasbeenstudiedasearlyasAristotletimes,butonlyfromDarw

4、indidpeoplebegintheformalstudiesonthissubject.Asforthedefinitionandclassificationofbodylanguage,thereareconsiderableopinions.Generallyspeaking,bodylanguagereferstothoseoffacialexpressions,bodyactions,andotherBodylanguiaognesfunctgesturesmadebyanypartofmansbodysignificantlyincommunications.Thefunctio

5、nsofbodylanguageincludesymbolicfunction、complementingfunction、indicatingfunction、regulatingfunctionandnegativefunction.Italsogivessignificanceofbodylanguagesininterculturalcommunication.Withthedevelopmentofinterculturalcommunication,thecontactsbetweentheChineseandtheWesternareontheincrease,andthedif

6、ferencesbetweenbodylanguagehavebeenamongthemajorbarrierstoefficientcommunication.ThepresentpapermakesacontrastivestudyonculturaldifferencesofbodylanguagesbetweenChineseandWesterncountriesaremade.Italsoclassifiesthedifferencesofthebodylanguagebetweenthetwolanguagesintospiritual,institutionalandmateri

7、aldifferences.TheoriginalityplaceliesintheclassificationoftheculturaldifferencesofbodylanguagesofChinaandWesterncountriesinthreelevels:spiritual,institutionalandmaterial.Spiritualfactorsarethemaininternalcausesoftheculturaldifferencesofthebodylanguages,theinstitutionalfactorsaretheexternaldrivetothe

8、formationoftheculturaldifferencesofthebodylanguagesandthebodymaterialfactorsaretheimportantconditionsofformingtheirdifferences.Thestudyoftheprinciplesoftheculturaldifferencesofbodylanguageisconductivetotheunderstandingofthevaluesystem,moralstandard,customs,historicalbackgroundandmodeofthinkingofanat

9、ion.Thinkingofanation,whichmighthelppeoplereduceoravoidmisunderstandingduetoculturaldifferencesofbodylanguageininterculturalcommunication.Keywords:bodylanguage,function,culturaldifferencesIntroductionBodylanguages,asimportantpartsofnonverbalcommunication,includesgestures,facialexpressions,posture,ey

10、econtact,touch,bodymovements,etc.Therearesimilaritiesbetweenbodylanguagesindifferentcultures,butmostofthebodylanguagesvaryculturally.Withthedevelopmentofinterculturalcommunication,thecontactsbetweentheChineseandtheWesternpeopleareontheincrease,andthedifferencesbetweenbodylanguageshavebeenamongthemaj

11、orbarrierstoefficientcommunication.ThestudyonbodylanguagehasstartedmainlyafterWordWarII.Howeverbeforethe20thcentury,Darwin,inhisfamousbookTheExpressionoftheEmotioninManandAnimals,alreadymentionedthis.Ithasmadegreatinfluenceandsignificancesonthestudyofmodernnonverbalcommunication.Inthefirsthalfofthe2

12、0thcentury,thestudyinthisfieldhasntbeenformedsystematically,andstudiesatthattimeonlyfocusedonsomeindividualaspects,suchassound,appearance,clothingandfacialexpressions.Inthatperiod,themostinfluentialworksincludeKretschmersPhysiqueandCharacter,theVariationofHumanPhysique,andthelastoneisGestureandEnvir

13、onmentbyEfronin1941.Inthe1950snonverbalcommunicationmadeabreakthroughdevelopment.BirdwhistellsIntroductiontoKinesicsandHallsTheSilentLanguagecanbeseenasthefoundationstone.Inthe1960s,thestudywastakenwithfurtherstep,andbeganthestudiesonmansdifferentgestures.DuringthisperiodEkmanandFriesencontributedth

14、emost.Theywrotearticlesaboutthecause,useanddecodingofnonverbalcommunications.Therewerealotofresearchpapersandworkspublishedinthe1970s.OnedistinguishingbookthatcantbeignoredisBodyLanguagebyFast.Sincethe1980s,thestudyonbodylanguagehasfurtherdeveloped,andsomecontrastiveanalysisinthisfieldhasbeencarried

15、out,suchastheeffortmadebyBiJiwan.HetranslatedthebookContrastiveAnalysisofBodyLanguageCommunicationbetweenChinaandEnglish-speakingCountries,whichcomprehensivelyintroducesthedifferentusesofbodylanguageindifferentcountries.7Scholarsathomehavealsocontributedalot.InChinathescientificstudyofbodylanguageon

16、lybeganattheendof1982s.TherepresentativeworksareIntroductiontoBodyLanguagebyGengErling(1988),LanguageandCulturebyDengYanchangandLiuRunqing(1989),PracticalBodyLanguageeditedbyFanYunhuaandLiJiequn(1991),InternationalcommunicationbyJiaYuxin(1997),InterculturalNonverbalCommunicationBiJiwan(1999),andthes

17、eriesofbooksoninterculturalcommunicationeditedandtranslatedbyHuWenzhongsuchasIntroductiontointerculturalcommunication(1999),etc.Generallyspeaking,theChinesescholarsstudiesonbodylanguagesconsistoftwoparts:communicativefunctionsandculturaldifferences.OnthebasicofforeignscholarsresearchesChinesescholar

18、shaveaddedmorespecificandconvincingexamplesfromChineseculture.Judgingfromwhatismentionedabove,wecanseethatculturaldifferencesofbodylanguage,asbarrierstointerculturalcommunication,havealreadybeendrawnanincreasingattentionbyscholars.Butthepreviousstudiesonbodylanguageareeitherfoundinthestudiesofinterc

19、ulturalcommunicationandnonverbalcommunication,whichonlyconsistofseveralparagraphsorpagesandarefarfromdetailedstudies,ortheyjustmakebriefcomparisonsofbodybehaviorsinmanydifferentcultureswithdiscreteexamples,whicharenotsystematic.Untilnow,therehasbeennoresearchdoneontheChineseandWesternculturalconnota

20、tionsofbodylanguage.Onthebasicofthepreviousstudiesandachievements,thispaperfirstfocusesacomparativestudyofculturaldifferencesofbodylanguagebetweenChineseandWesterncountries.Withtherapiddevelopmentoftheworldeconomy,political,economicandculturalinterchangebetweenchinaandwesterncountriesisbecomingincre

21、asinglyfrequent.Suchbeingthecase,thecontactsbetweenChinesepeopleandforeigners,especiallypeoplefromEnglish-speakingcountries,areincreasing.Incommunicationpeopleareencounteringmorebarrierscausedbyculturaldifferences,includingtheculturaldifferencesofbodylanguages。Thepaperthenclassifiesculturaldifferenc

22、esofbodylanguagesofeachmainculturalintothreestrata:spiritualstratum,institutionalstratumandmaterial.Itsauthorthinksthatthestudyofculturaldifferencescanbeconductedattwolevels:atthefirstlevelthestudyisfocusedonphenomenon(differencesthemselves);atthesecondlevel,onthecausesofdifferenceswhicharedeeplyroo

23、tedinculture.Theformertellsuswhatisdifferent,whilethelattertelluswhytherearesuchdifferences.Thispaperisjustanattempttomakeastudyofculturaldifferencesofbodylanguageatthesecondlevelthroughanewclassification,which,itsauthorthinks,canhelpitsreadersbetterunderstandthecultureofastudiedlanguage.TheDefiniti

24、onofBodyLanguageAboutthedefinitionofbodylanguage,manywesternscholarshaveproposedalot.FirstIwilllistoutsomeofthemtohelpmakeaclearunderstandingaboutwhatlanguageis.“Bodylanguageisnotconveyedthroughwords.Itisakindofmanssocialattributesandbehavior.Whichareissuedbythedeliverer,andreceivedbythereceivedpurp

25、osely.”(Burgoonandsaine,1978)TheChinesefamousscholar,ChenWangdaooncegavebodylanguagethefollowingdefinition,“theactionofstrikingaposeisbodylanguage,whichisatoolforcommunication.”2Bodylanguage,strictlyspeaking,canbedividedintotwokinds.Onekindincludesgestures,bodymovements,signsandpostures,etc.Theother

26、iscalledkinesics.KinesicsisawordmadeupbyBirdwhistell,whichreferstothesubjectstudyingbodylanguage.Sometimesbodylanguageisequatedwithbodylanguage.InWebstersNewDictionary,kinesicsisdefinedas“tosystematicallystudynonverbalbodyactions(suchasblush,eyemovements,etc.)andcommunications.”Samovaroncesayskinesi

27、csisthesystematicstudyofbodymovementsandactions,andthroughthestudy,makestheseactionsandbehaviorsformalizingandencoding.FastinhisbookBodyLanguagesaysthatspaceandorientation,andseatingarrangementarealsopartsofbodylanguage.ThethirdeditionofWebstersNewWorldDictionarydefinesbodylanguageas“gestures,uncons

28、ciousbodilymovements,facialexpression,etc,whichserveasnonverbalcommunicationorasaccompanimentstospeech.”CollinsCOBUILDEnglishlanguageDictionarygivesthefollowingdefinition,“alsospelledwithahyphen.Bodylanguageisthewayinwhichyoushowyourfeelingsorthoughtstootherpeoplebymeansofthepositionormovementofyour

29、bodyratherthanwords.”Generally,bodylanguagereferstothoseappearancesandactionstransmittingcommunicationinformation.Itisthereflectingornonreflectingactionsmadebythewholebodyorjustpartsofthebody,throughwhichtocommunicatewiththeobjectiveworld.1Sothedefinitionofbodylanguageinthispapercanberegardedasonein

30、awidesense.Onthewhole,wecaninterpretitas,exceptverballanguage,thosevariousexpressionsdeliveredbyanypartofmansbody.Itmightincludesigngestures,bodygestures,eyecontacts,facialexpressionsandtouching.Thispaperwillusethemeaningofbodylanguageinwidesense.Bodylanguageistherichestkindinallkindsofnonverballang

31、uages.Itisestimatedthatmancandomorethan270,000kindsofposturesandactions,whicharemorethanallthesoundstheycanmade.1Aboutthescopeofbodylanguage,therearequitealotofclarifications.Generallytheclarificationiscarriedoutaccordingtothedifferentactionsofmansbody.Samovar(1981)employsthetermbodybehaviortomeanbo

32、dylanguage.Hedividesitintoappearance,clothing,bodyactions,facialexpressions,eyecontacts,staring,touching,etc,andheevencollectsparalanguageandsmellofbodyintothiscategory.Tosomeitems,peoplehaventreachedanagreementwhethertheyshouldbelongtothescopeofnonverbalbehaviorornot.Suchasfigure,smellandsomesignal

33、s.Sincebodylanguagecoverstoomanyitem,andtheresearchinthisfieldhasprogressedrapidly,itisnotnecessaryforustomakeanaccuratedefinitioninitscope.Butstartingfromcross-culturalcommunications,andcombiningwithwhathasbeenachievedbyWesternscholars,wecanroughlyclassifybodylanguageintothreecategories:thoseoffaci

34、alexpressions,gesturesandactions.Theyoffersupplementaryfunctionstoverballanguage,andsomecanreplaceverballanguageforcommunication,andsomeevenexpressmuchricherideas.Facialexpressionsrefertothoseofeyes,eyebrows,nose,mouth,andthemovementsofmusclesintheface.Theyalsorefertotheglowingofeyes,faciallook,ande

35、verythingshownthroughthedifferentpartsoftheface.Bodygesturesrefertoallgestures,postures,bodyactions(especiallysigns),andtherelativedistancebetweentheparticipants.Gesturesincludethosemadebybothhandsandotherpartsofthebody,suchasarmgesturesandlegmovements.Forexampleifweintendtolettheotherkeepsilent,weu

36、suallyputtheindexfingeronthelips,andatthesametimeutterthesoundofhushestoworktogetherwithit.Bodyactionscontainthosethatdontsimplymeantheactionsofsomesignals.Forexample,theactionsofwalkingandeatinghavetwokindsoffunctions.Oneistosatisfytheneedofusualworkingofbody,andtheotheristodeliversomeimplicaturest

37、ootherpeople,whichgreatlydependonspecificcontexts.FunctionsofBodyLanguageActionsaremuchpowerfulthanwords.Manyposturescanexpresscomplicatedfunctions.Successfulcommunicationsarecloselyrelatedtoskillfuluseofappearances,signs,gesturesandactions,etc.Namelybodylanguagecanhelpcarryoutsmoother,moresuccessfu

38、landefficientcommunications.Whencarryingaconversation,deliberatelyoraccidentally,peoplearealwaysaccompaniedwithchangesoftheirfacialexpressions,gesturesandotherbodylanguages.InEnglish,thereisafamoussaying:donottrustthosewhodarenotlookatyoureyesdirectly.Thisexpressionindicatestheimportanceofeyecontact

39、sincommunications.Wecanmakesuchananalogy:bodylanguageisjustlikemansshadowthatisalwaystogetherwithus.Evenitiscloudyorrainy,wecantobservetheshadowvisibly,butitdoesexistobjectively,justlikethefunctionsofbodylanguagewhichsometimesweignore,whileitalwaysworksinactualcommunications.Beingakindofsigns,bodyla

40、nguageplaysasignificantroleincommunication.Somefunctionsofbodylanguageareclearandspecific,whileothersarevague.Somebodylanguagecanshowgeneralinformation,whileothersarereflectingindividualpropertiesandattitudes.Accordingtothedisplayingandtransferringfunctionsofbodylanguage,EkmanandFriesenclassifythefu

41、nctionsofbodylanguageintofiveaspects.1Iwillexplainthemonebyone.SymbolicFunctionThiskindhasclearanddefiniteimplicatures,andonthisoccasionitcanreplacespeechacts,andusuallyhasstrongculturalproperties.Forexample,theactionforcommittingsuicide,inJapanpeopleusingthehandimitatingtheformofdaggerpenetratingin

42、tohisorherownbelly,whileintheUnitedStates,peopleusetheindexfingeratthetemplestoindicatethemeaningofsuicide.ComplementingFunctionBodylanguagescanalsoexplainconversationalimplicatures,whiletheuseofbodylanguageinthiswaymustbeaccompaniedwiththeuseofverballanguage.Whiledeliveringaspeech,thelecturerhastoe

43、mploydifferentgesturestosupportthespeech,andmakethespeechstronger,otherwisethelecturewillbeadullone,andfailstoattracttheinterestoftheaudience.IndicatingFunctionBodylanguagecanindicatesignalsoffeelingsandemotions,whichcanmodify,exaggerateandnegatetheverballanguage.Forexample,thereisacauseofintheUnive

44、rsityEnglish,whichsay:withaquickdecisionheturnedtotheshopgirlandsaidinaloudvoice,“Kindlypackmeupthisonehere.Iwilltakeitwithme.”Hepointedatoneofthelargestandmostexpensiveofthepuddings.Fromit,wecanknowthattherearethreemovementofbodylanguagewereusedinit-turnedto,saidinaloudvoice,pointedatoneofthelarges

45、tandmostexpensiveofthepuddings.Itisreallyeffectivethatsilenceisgolden.Letscometorealizeclearlyhowtheoldmanredeemshimselfandkeephisdignity.RegulatingFunctionBodylanguagecanregulateconversations,especiallyinfacetofaceones.Morespecificformsforthisfunctionaretheregularitiesoccurredinturn-takingsofaconve

46、rsation,andself-regularity.Forexample,ifoneparticipantisinterestedintheconversation,hemightnodapprovinglyattimesandsmilefromtimetotimetohintthespeakertocontinuetheconversation.Thatistheregularityofturn-taking,whichregulatestheturnsinconversations.Self-regularitymeansthespeakingmightrelaxhimselforher

47、selfthroughsomebodylanguageactionssoastoregulatehimselforherself.Forexample,whenwearenervous,weoftenfeeluneasywhethersittingorstanding.Ifwefeelawkward,theusualactionistotouchthebackoftheheadorjustcurlthelipunconsciouslytoregulateourselvestoembarrassingsituations.Thereisanotherinstance.Ininterviewsai

48、nterviewertendstojudgebythebodylanguageissuedunintentionallybyainterviewee,becauseiftheintervieweeiskeyedup,heorshemightwringthehandsconstantlytoconcealorgetridofthenervousness,andgenerally,ifheorshecontinuestomakethisactionduringthewholeinterview,thefutureforhisorherobtainingofthejobmustbeveryslim.

49、Maybeindifferentculturesdifferentbodylanguagewillbeusedtoindicatethismeaning,butinspiteofthevariousforms,thereisafundamentaltruthunderthisthatisproperuseofbodylanguagecanregulateparticipantstogetaccustomedtoconversations.Wehavediscussedtheregularityfunctionofbodylanguage,especiallythefunctionofself-

50、regularity.Actuallyactionsofself-regulatingaredonesubconsciously,andtheyareexternalexpressionsofinnerfeelings.Soiftherearecleftsbetweenbodylanguageandverballanguage,theuseofbodylanguageismorepreferable.NegativeFunctionInthissensebodylanguagecannegatethetruth-valueofverballanguage,andthisfunctionisus

51、uallycallednegativefunction.Hereisanexampleforthis.IfAsaystoB,“Ihateyou”.Withoutthecorrespondnigfacialexpressionsofhatred,Asmilesandsaysgently.Thisisanapparentcaseinwhichbodylanguagepubliclynegateswhatisutteredinverballanguage.Onthewhole,thegeneralfunctionsofbodylanguagearetoemphasizeandsupplement.I

52、ngeneral,thereisnodoubtthatbodylanguagecantransmitinformation,andotherwisetheycannotcomeevenearlierthanverballanguage(forintheprimitivetime,mandidnthavelanguage,andtheonlycommunicationalmeanswasbysignswhichbelongstothescopeofbodylanguage),anditwillbeimpossibleforittobeusedfrequentlyincommunications.

53、Beingthereflectionofpsychologicalconditionsisthefoundationonwhichbodylanguagefunctionsinharmonywithwordsandexpressionsinconversations.3Thatistosay,bodylanguagealwayscloselyconcertsutterances,andtransfersdifferentkindsofinformationtotheotherpartyinconversations.Wehavecountlessexamplestoprovethis.Ifve

54、rballanguageisaninformationtransferringsymbolsystemonanabstractlevel,bodylanguagemightbeseenaninformationtransferringsymbolonvisuallevel,becausemostofbodylanguagearevisible.InhisKinesicsandContext,Birdwhistlehasmorespecificdescription.Hesays,“bodylanguageandorallanguagesupplementeachother.Ifweattemp

55、ttocommunicatewithoutthecooperationofbodylanguage,suchashand,thechangesofforeheadandotherformsoffacialexpressions,wewillsoonlearnthatcommunicationsarehardtoproceedon.”7TheSignificanceofBodyLanguageininterculturalCommunication“Ofcourse,languageisthemostimportantchannelofcommunicationinhumaninteractio

56、n,butitisnottheonlyone,forexample,manynonverbalsymbolsarenecessaryincommunication.Infact,socialcommunicationsisbothverballyandnonverbally.”4WecangetanimportantinformationfromChenYuanswords:Nonverbalcommunicationisanessentialpartofhumancommunication.Toacertainextent,effectivecommunicationdependsonnon

57、verbalmessages.Ignoranceofnonverbalmessageswillresultinincompletecommunication.Nonverbalandverbalcommunicationstogetherformthewholeprocessofcommunication.Theyareinter-complementaryandinter-emphatically.Atthesametime,eachhasitsowncharacteristics.Astowhatisnonverbalcommunication,differentpeoplehavedif

58、ferentdefinitions.Generallyspeaking,nonverbalcommunicationreferstotheinformationthatistransmittedfromsendertoreceiverswhenthedominantmeaningisnotconveyedbytheuseofwords.Anotherwaytoputitisthatnonverbalcommunicationisallthosestimuliinacommunicationsettingthataregeneratedbyboththesourceandhisorheruses

59、oftheenvironmentandthathavepotentialmessagevalueforthesourceorreceiver.5Alloftheseelementsconstitutethebasiccomponentsofnonverbalcommunication.Nonverbalcommunicationisasubtle,multidimensional,andusuallyspontaneousprocess.Sometimeswearenotawareofmostofourownnonverbalbehaviors,whichisenactedmindlessly

60、,spontaneously,andunconsciously.Wealltakethesenonverbalbehaviorsforgranted,buttheydoexertanimmenseimpactoncommunication.Whilestudyinghumancommunication,peopleusedtostresswhatissaidattheexpenseofhowitissaid.Theymissedtheimportanceofnonverbalcommunication.Asimportantasverballanguageistoacommunicatione