Anthropology- BODY LANGUAGE OBSERVATION

Description ► Submit Here: Click on the Body Language Observation link to submit the form for this activity. Only CANVAS/Turnitin recognized file types will be accepted. The document MUST be submitted in one of the following formats: MS Word; Acrobat PDF; Postscript; Text; Word Perfect; or Rich Text Format. ► Overview: As you learned in this unit’s readings, body language is an extremely important aspect of human communication. Along with other elements of language, such as grammar (including phonology, morphology and syntax) and paralanguage, nonverbal communication represents a set of ways speakers convey meaning to others. Nonverbal communication includes kinesics and proxemics. Proxemics focuses on the spatial relationships and distance between people as they interact. Kinesics is the interpretation of body language, gesture and facial expressions. The photograph of the baseball player, taken by photographer Rion Sabean, is meant to convey differences we expect in the body posture and poses of females and males in advertising. If you are interested, additional images from the photographer can be found online. Kinesics and proxemics impact a great deal of how we communicate and can reflect what we are thinking or feeling quite accurately. Together they include body movements, gestures (legs, arms, hands, head and torso), and facial expressions; as well as posture, muscle tension, eye contact, skin coloring (getting flushed), breathing rate, perspiration, and even the distance people keep between themselves and others. ► Directions: For this activity you are required to (a) watch the film, Language of the Body (49 minutes), making sure to take notes related to the study questions; (b) go out into the field to observe and record body language in action; and (c) compose an Observation Report, following the guidelines provided below. Step 1: Film Begin by watching Language of the Body (49 minutes). Closed captioning (CC) is available. Study Questions: As you watch the film, take notes in reference to the following questions. You do not need to submit these; however, they will be helpful in preparing for the exam. What are baton gestures? What is the meaning behind the (a) open-eye stare, and (b) human smile? What is the history and meaning behind the evil eye? How is it used as a means of protection? The Human Animal Ep. 1 – Language In The Body (Links to an external site.) Step 2: Field Observation Go out into the community to observe and record the expression of body language in the following six contexts.

Please be polite during your observations and make sure to view the interactions from a distance. You may not be part of the interactions and should be far enough away that you cannot hear what is being communicated verbally. Observation contexts: Body Language Among Strangers: observe body language that is expressed among individuals during everyday encounters with strangers. Examples include interactions, spacing, gestures and posture, etc. that may occur in elevators, buses, standing in line at a market, walking down the street, etc. Male Gender Interaction: observe body language that is expressed among 2 or more males. Female Gender Interaction: observe body language that is expressed among 2 or more females. Mixed Gender Interaction: observe body language that is expressed among 2 or more individuals of opposite genders. Adult & Child Interaction: observe body language that is expressed between adults and children. At least one adult and one child must be represented in the observational context. Gesticulations: observe the signals that are communicated between individuals as they engage simultaneously in verbal language and gesticulations. Observation Notes: Print out and bring the Field Observation Notes with you into the field to help guide your observation. Once the field study is complete, type up your notes into an Observation Report. You do not need to submit the notes to CANVAS. They are simply a tool to help you keep track of information to include in your observation report. Field Observation Notes.pdf Step 3: Observation Report Type up your observation notes into a report, using complete sentences and paragraph format. The report must have 6 titled sections (one section per observation context), and each section must include the following subsection headings with content. A minimum of 6 double-spaced pages are required (1-page per observation). Section Title: Observation # & context (ex: Observation #6: Gesticulations) Sub-section headings: a) Date of observation b) Length of observation c) Observed individuals (number of people/gender or sex/estimated age range, etc. of those involved in the observed interaction) d) Setting/context (physical/behavioral/social environment where the interaction took place; its context; and the use of space between the individuals observed) e) Descriptive notes (detailed description of the interaction; what you directly observed) f) Reflective notes (summary of your impression of the observation. What do you think was being communicated through gesticulations, facial expressions, personal space, etc. during the interaction; what was signaled through body language?): Note: sub-sections c through f of the report must be composed in complete sentences and paragraph format. Outlines, bullet points, and abbreviated notations will not be accepted. ► Format: The document must be typed in 11-point Calibri font, with 1-inch margins, and be double-spaced. A minimum of 6 double-spaced pages are required (1-page per observation). Image: Baseball man in stereotypical pin-up pose (http://petapixel.com/2011/10/04/men-photographed-instereotypically-female-poses/).