Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Non- verbal universal cues Middle east (Arab Saudi & Iran)

üProcess of communication through sending and receiving wordless(mostly visual) cues between people.

üCan be communicated through gestures and touch, body language or posture, facial expression and eye contact .

SAUDI ARABIA
         •FACIAL EXPRESSION
  Ø Arabic cultures shows grief and sadness while most            American men hides them.
  Ø Too much smiling is a sign of shallowness.

GESTURE
Ø Most Arabs shake hands every time they meet you  and every time they leave you.
Ø Pointing your finger at anyone while speaking, or calls anyone with your finger. It is considered a threat, and only animals are treated in this manner.
Ø In the Arab world, if the “OK” sign is shaken at  another person it symbolizes the sign of the evil  eye. An Arab may use the sign in conjunction with  verbal curses.
Ø One or both hands held at chest height, palms  open and facing out, has the meaning, “it’s not my  responsibility”

IRAN
GREETINGS
Ø one should never give a thumbs up as it is interpreted as  being aggressive.
Ø impolite body language to turn one’s back to another  person and one should apologize if it happens.
Ø bowing as a greeting is slight and involves placing the  right hand on the chest as one bows.
Ø In everyday communication Iranians also observe a code  of politeness known as taarof. if one is offered a gift, for  example, then one might at first refuse indicating that  such as gesture of kindness is undeserved, but their  light refusal does not mean they are not accepting the  gift, rather they are being modest.

GESTURES   
Ø Pointing directly at someone is definitely not  okay, particularly at strangers
Ø one should never give a thumbs up as it is interpreted as being aggressive
Ø polite gestures which are acceptable, for example, the “come over here” gesture which is done by waving the hand palm down with your four fingers (no thumb) is common.






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