Is Body Language Universal? Term Paper by Top Papers

The paper relates that the study of body language and gesture as modes of non-verbal communication is a complex field, and one in which there exists a considerable range of scholarly controversy. The paper asserts that nowhere is this more evident than in the discussion of the influence of culture upon body language; for example, while some gestures and body language acts are seen as universal signs (Danesi 50), others are seen as culturally specific (Danesi 56). This paper focuses upon the cultural and natural determinants of body language/gesture. The thesis is argued that while in general body language/gesture is culturally defined, in a number of respects the signs of this language are "natural" and cross-cultural. The paper discusses how this finding has implications for how humans understand language and its role in human society.