Cultural Impact on Nonverbal Communication

I have selected India as the country to research nonverbal communication in.

Eye contact: Direct eye contact is a fundamental requirement for social interactions in Western

culture and indicates a person's interest in and participation with your speech (MIT, n.d). This is

so because the eyes are thought to represent the focal point of a person's attention. In contrast, in

India, prolonged eye contact is considered impolite and can be seen as a sign of aggression or

disrespect. Indians like to avoid making prolonged eye contact with people of the opposite

gender and instead keep it brief (Scroope, 2018). Direct eye contact is normally OK as long as

you occasionally shift your focus.

Hand gestures: When speaking, hand gestures are frequently used in Western culture to convey

agreement or acceptance. Examples include pointing or using the thumb (Chaudhry, n.d). In

contrast, pointing the index finger in someone's direction in Indian culture is regarded as

accusatory. The entire palm should be facing downward when beckoning or addressing someone

in India (Scroope, 2018).

Handshake: In Western culture, a firm handshake is seen as a sign of confidence, authoritative

and respect (Thompson, 2022). However, in Indian culture, a polite greeting with "namaste"

(joining both hands in a modest bow) is valued and demonstrates respect for Indian traditions

(eDiplomat, 2023). Men greet and shake hands with other men while avoiding touching women.

Indian ladies following custom may also shake hands with foreign women but not typically with

men (eDiplomat, 2023).

References

Chaudhry, S.N. (n.d.). 5 American Behaviors Considered Rude in Other Parts of the World.

https://www.tangibledevelopment.com/culture/5-american-behaviors-considered-rude-in-

other-parts-of-the-world/

eDiplomat (2023). Cultural Etiquette: India.

http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_in.htm

MIT (n.d.). Eye Contact in the United States. https://iso.mit.edu/americanisms/eye-contact-in-

the-united-states/

Scroope, C. 2018 Indian Culture: Communication. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/indian-

culture/indian-culture-communication

Thompson, S. (2022). Cultural Differences in Body Language to be Aware of.

https://virtualspeech.com/blog/cultural-differences-in-body-language#:~:text=Western

%20culture%20typically%20perceives%20a,firm%20handshake%20is%20the%20norm.