Six-Foot Distance Rule

Tiffany Franks
Speech 107
November 1, 2022
The six-foot distance rule is varied between cultures, genders, and ethnicities. This means

that each individual will have different preferences for personal space that they want others to

follow. These include intimate, personal, social, and public distances (Jenkinson, 2017).

Intimate distance is zero to eighteen inches (Michael, 2013). This space is for intimate

relationships and close family. Our personal space feels invaded when people outside of these

relationships come into this space. This space is directly associated with our body territory,

which is the “bubble” we have around ourselves (Jenkinson, 2017). There are few exceptions

made for invading this space, and children can be the exception. We tend to relax our personal

space around children, and this is believed to be because we think of children as innocent (Team,

2022).

Personal distance is eighteen inches to four feet (Michael, 2013). This space is for close

friends and extended family and still off limits to strangers (Jenkinson, 2017). We only want

people that we trust at this distance and tend to limit who we allow in this space. Personal

distance closely associates with primary territory. Our primary territory is our homes, vehicles,

and living spaces (Team, 2022). We want to feel comfortable in these places, so we try to keep

strangers away to maintain our sense of security (Jenkinson, 2017).

Social distance is four to twelve feet (Michael, 2013). This is reserved for acquaintances

and coworkers (Jenkinson, 2017). Since Covid, this distance has been widely used, and even

expanded to close friends and extended family. This has helped with the spread of the virus but
widened the range of personal space. Social distance is associated with our secondary territory.

Secondary territories are our workplaces, schools, and churches (Michael, 2013). We want to

feel comfortable in these places, but also know that others are expected to be there (Jenkinson,

2017).

Lastly, public distance is twelve to twenty-five feet (Team, 2022). This distance is used

for complete strangers and public speaking events in which we do not want direct contact with

others (Jenkinson, 2017). Almost anyone is allowed within this distance. Public distance is

associated with public territory. Public territory is any space open to the public such as, a park or

mall (Michael, 2013). We do not feel as comfortable in these places because there are many

strangers and tend to avoid physical contact.

In conclusion, there are four types of distancing. They vary depending on the individual

and the situation. These distances apply to most people in some way to feel comfortable in their

situation.

Michael, R. (2013, January 29). Proxemics (C. Flemming, Ed.). Communication Studies.

https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/proxemics

Patricia Jenkinson. (2017, September 2). Nonverbal Code: Proxemics (Space). YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-mZ7EDO_38

Team, T. B. P. (2022, January 5). 7 Examples of Proxemics in Everyday Life. The Boffins Portal.

https://boffinsportal.com/7-examples-of-proxemics-in-everyday-life/