Cross cultural understanding: a handbook to understand others’ cultures

B.
 
Eye Contact (Oculistics) 
Eye contact is the meeting of the eyes between two 
individuals. In humans, eye contact is a form of nonverbal 
communication and has a large influence on social behavior. 
The study of eye contact is sometimes known as Oculistics.  
Eye contact provides a way in which one can study social 
interactions, as it provides indications of social and emotional 
information. People, perhaps without consciously doing so, 
probe each other's eyes and faces for signs of positive or 
negative mood. In some contexts, the meeting of eyes arouses 
strong emotions. Eye contact can establish a sense of intimacy 
between two individuals, such as the gazes of lovers or the eye 
contact involved in flirting. Alternatively, avoiding eye contact 
can establish distance between people. When in crowds, 
people tend to avoid eye contact in order to maintain privacy. 
Eye contact develops in a cultural context and different 
gazes have different meanings all over the world. The customs 
and significance of eye contact vary widely between cultures, 
with religious and social differences often altering its meaning 
greatly. According to the tenets of the Islamic faith, Muslims 

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90 | Cross Cultural Understanding 
ought to lower their gazes and try not to focus on the features 
of the opposite sex, except for the hands and face. Japanese 
children are taught to direct their gaze at the region of their 
teacher's Adam's apple or tie knot. As adults, Japanese tend to 
lower their eyes when speaking to a superior as a gesture of 
respect. In Eastern Africa, it is respectful not to look the 
dominant person in the eye, whereas such avoidance of eye 
contact is negatively interpreted in Western cultures. As with 
all forms of social interaction that impart social significance, 
eye contact is culturally determined.
What do you think is happening here? 
1.
 
A British expatriate living in Germany complains about being 
stared at the underground train, “They stare me straight in the
 
face as if I’ve come from another planet”. 
 
2.
 
A US manager reports problems with Japanese staff. “I asked 
them how the project was going and of course, not much has been 
done. I was suspicious when they didn’t even look me in the eye”. 
 
The length of time that is acceptable to look directly in the 
eye can also differ from one country to another. In some 
cultures, looking someone in the eye is taken as the sign of 
interest and honesty. in others, however this can be seen as a 
sign of disrespect. Visitors gradually learnt not to look too 
directly at the person they are talking too, in case they are 
thought to be staring intrusively.

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Cross Cultural Understanding | 91