Proxemics

The term proxemics was introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1963 to describe the measureable distances between people as they interacted.

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Hall pointed out that social distance between people is reliably correlated with physical distance, and described four distances:

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• intimate distance for embracing, touching or whispering (15-45 cm, 6-18 inches)
• personal distance for interactions among good friends (45-120 cm, 1.5-4 feet)
• social distance for interactions among acquaintances (1.2-3.5 m, 4-12 ft)
• public distance used for public speaking (over 3.5 m, 12 ft)

Hall pointed out that different cultures maintain different standards of personal space. In Latin cultures, for instance, those relative distances are smaller, and people tend to be more comfortable standing close to each other; in Nordic cultures the opposite is true. Realizing and recognizing these cultural differences improves cross-cultural understanding, and helps eliminate discomfort people may feel if the interpersonal distance is too large ("stand-offish") or too small (intrusive).

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Comfortable personal distances also depend on the social situation, gender, and individual preference.

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A related term is propinquity. Propinquity is one of the factors, set out by Jeremy Bentham, used to measure the amount of pleasure in a method known as felicific calculus.

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Proxemics: Sharia ►



 

Edward T. Hall: Edward T. Hall (born May 16 1914, Webster Groves, Missouri) is a respected anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher. He has taught at the University of Denver, Colorado, Bennington College in Vermont, Harvard Business School, Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University in Illinois...

1963: 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar)....

Propinquity: In social psychology, propinquity is one of the main factors leading to interpersonal attraction. It refers to the physical or psychological proximity between people. For example, two people living on the same floor of a building have a higher propinquity than those living on different floors. See p...