• Section I: Culture
    • Culture
    • Religion
    • History and Communication
  • Section II: Identity
    • Ethnicities & Identities
    • Gender Identity
  • Section III: Communication Style
    • Language: respect, direct/indirect, disclosure, explicit/implicit, literal/symbolic
    • Language: taboos, what not questioned, veracity, humor
    • Communication Rituals
  • Section IV: Communication Symbolism
    • Nonverbal Communication>
      • Why is Nonverbal Communication Important?
      • High and Low Context Cultures
      • Types of Nonverbal Cues
      • Understanding Cross-Cultural Nonverbal Communication
      • References
    • Cultural Spaces>
      • What is Cultural Space?
      • Territory, Power, and the Workplace
      • Response to Spatial Differences
      • Cultural Space and Gender
      • My Experience-Space
      • Cultural Space and Personal Space
    • Popular Culture>
      • Music
      • Television
      • Pop Culture Favorites From Effat University Students
  • Section V: Cultural Dimensions
    • Individualism-Collectivism
    • Uncertainty Avoidance Tolerance
    • Indulgence vs. Restraint>
      • Differences
      • Countries
      • SAUDIA ARABIA v. UNITED STATES
    • Power Distance
    • Long-term Orientation
  • Section VI: Relationships
    • Role of Family & Communication>
      • Family Culture and Family Structure
      • Family Collectivism
      • Strengths of the Saudi Arabian Family
    • Friendships>
      • What is Friendship?
      • Friendship in Saudi Arabia
      • 21st Century Friendship
  • Section VII: Challenges & Opportunities for Cross-Cultural Connection
    • Conflict
    • Social Media
    • Cultural Distance, Psychic Distance & Cultural Adaptation
Cultural Space and Personal Space

Spatial changes give tone to communication, accent it, and at times even override the spoken word.  Location of a dinner party, meeting, conference makes you see how important it is or not.  If someone brought a client to a Burger King versus a five star restaurant, they are conveying something in communication by the space you are bringing them.

Personal space is another form of territory.  Each person has around him or her an invisible bubble of space which expands and contracts depending on a number of things; the relationship to the people nearby, the person’s emotional state, cultural background, and the activity being performed.  Few people are allowed to penetrate this bit of mobile territory and then only for short periods of time.  Changes in the bubble brought about by cramped quarters or crowding cause people to feel uncomfortable or aggressive.

Ways to identify the difference are not always obvious depending the geographical location and culture.  Good indication is consistency and frequency.    If you notice elements of a culture that are consistent with most people you meet, it's probably a cultural theme.  On the contrary, if you find something that seems outlandish or different from the majority of the culture you are probably dealing with a personal space issue.  Sometimes an actual location can be a cultural norm rather than personal.  An example would be the fact that certain cultures value certain spaces, some more obvious than others.  In the United States, our culture values sports and the multi-million dollar complexes that go along with them.  The United States takes values in investing in spaces for entertainment and venues for sports games and concerts.  There are very few countries who invest not only in the quality of venues you see, but also in the quantity as you will find them in many states you visit.  Saudi Arabia does not have large athletic venues for sports teams and entertainment because they choose to invest their money in other things.

A cardinal rule for entering any situation whether you are in a foreign country or not is to always be respectful and responsible.  Every culture is different and culture is not always the same among all who inhabit a specific country.    The United States is very diverse in it's culture so that is why in order to be effective in cross culture communication, you must learn to adapt to cultural communication norms that fit the person you are speaking with so that they feel comfortable.  One cannot know every culture and their communication styles perfectly, but learning  and researching and respecting is a pretty good start.

 
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