Cross cultural understanding: a handbook to understand others’ cultures

A.
 
Body Language (Kinesics) 
Body language is a significant aspect of modern 
communications and relationships. Body language can be 

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66 | Cross Cultural Understanding 
defined as the conscious and unconscious movements and 
postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated. It 
goes both ways: 
Your own body language reveals your feelings and 
meanings to others.
Other people's body language reveals their feelings and 
meanings to you. 
Body language, and more technically the study of body 
language, is also known as kinesics, which is derived from the 
Greek word 
kinesis
, meaning motion. This includes body 
movement, body position, facial expression, as well as dress. 
1.
 
Body movement (gesture) 
Body languages allow individuals to communicate 
a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and 
hostility to approval and affection, often together with 
body language in addition to spoken words. The most 
familiar categories of body language are the so-called 
emblems or quotable gestures. These are conventional, 
culture-specific body language that can be used as 
replacement for words, such as the handwave used in the 
U.S. for "hello" and "goodbye". Body languages are a 
crucial part of everyday conversation such as chatting, 
describing a route, or negotiating prices on a market etc.

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Cross Cultural Understanding | 67 
One of the most frequently observed, but least 
understood cue is a hand movement. Most people use 
hand movements regularly when talking. It can indicate a