How does body language differ from culture to culture?

Hi, there! Thank you for reaching out to us at Better Help. My name is Stacey Shine, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have read over your question and am hopeful that I can give you some insight into what you are looking for.

You asked the question of how body language differs from culture to culture. This is a great question! Body language, even within our own culture, is important to recognize and be aware of. Body language is the most common form of communication! It can tell you so much more than words can. It can affirm what words are said, but it can also reveal when words are not authentic. Body language has a lot of differences in different cultures. For example, eye contact in America is often seen as a sign of respect. It can be used to show authority at times. It is considered rude not to look at someone in the eye when they are talking to you. In a job interview, eye contact is oftentimes considered when finding an ideal candidate for a job. In some other cultures across the globe, eye contact is more restricted. It is not respectful to have full eye contact and is considered rude at times. It is important to learn about a person and their culture regarding things like eye contact. Another example of this is also physical touch. Some cultures welcome hugs and other forms of physical touch. In America, you can see couples and friends have a warm embrace physically. In other cultures, this is not the case, and it is considered out of the ordinary and sometimes offensive to have those physical touches, especially in public areas. Body language can even be different within the same country because of different cultures living amongst one another. It is important to have an open mind and understand what those cultural norms may be and how they differ from yours.

I hope this was helpful. There are lots of resources online about body language and cultural norms. If you are traveling, I would recommend knowing what that culture finds acceptable with their body language and knowing that before stepping into their cultural space.