Most people in the modern world understand that close contacts are sometimes essential in healthcare. Important differences include diet, ideas of modesty, privacy, touch restriction, and alcohol intake restriction. Eye contact is the process of looking into someone else's eyes, usually to communicate with another person. 4 0 obj endobj and Arab countries), communication relies heavily on non-verbal, contextual, and shared cultural meanings. In United States and Canadian dominant culture settings as well as many Arab cultures, eye contact is taken as a sign of reliability and trustworthiness. Modern transportation and an increase in expendable income allow us to visit a huge range of cultures. Arab cultural communication patterns. During the Hajj (pilgrimage), people may kiss only on the shoulders as a gesture of friendship and greeting. When sitting, avoid stretching legs in front of or sitting up higher than others. On that same note it is always good to study up on each area you might be in, since they may have different standards. As you can see, it is vital to know what eye contact communicates before you visit a new culture. This is especially true when you are offered food or drink as a guest. endobj To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. In most western countries, eye contact is a sign of confidence and attentiveness. % You can use silence as a communication technique. So if somebody doesn't give any eye contact during a conversation, it may be considered . This is more commonly used in countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. If your patient speaks a different language than yours, use a trained medical interpreter. They should be aware, however, that returning eye contact will be considered the same as saying, Yes, Im interested! So when in the Middle East, care should be taken in making eye contact with anyone of the opposite gender. An Arab with colored eyes lives by the phrase: "eyes wide open" at all times. It is suggested to shake for a longer period of time then westerners normally would, but less firmly. Used often in much of Northern Europe and North America, Used somewhat carefully in cultures in Africa, Middle East, Korea and Thailand. Cairo , Egypt, Copyright 2012 2021 Arab Academy | All Rights Reserved, Cookies and other technologies may be used, by us or by third parties, to personalize and improve your experience, perform analytics, and advertise our services and products. In many cultures, such as the Arab and Iranian cultures, people express grief openly. Arab culture and the Islamic faith are deeply intertwined. Im thinking - Grasping the chin with the thumb side of the right fistis a sign of wisdom or maturity.No A quick snap of the head upwards with an accompanying clickof the tongue connotates: "No", "Unlikely", or "What you say is false.( sited from http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/thelede/posts/arabculture.pdfpg.20)(sited fromhttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1997/arab_culture/f9gestur.pdfpg. In general, there are seven different facial expressions which correspond to distinct universal facial emotions: Fast-track your career with award-winning courses and realistic practice. Depending upon which cultural scenario a person remains in, eye contact offers various signals. Pausing before giving a . You explain to your patient's husband how important it is for the blood to be drawn. High-context cultures are more likely to be intuitive . Newspapers around the world expressed their astonishment at the use of such a gesture. There is very little physical contact beyond a handshake with people we dont know well. This is used in all dialects and is obviously a formal Arabic word. Before the Arab invasion in AD 639, Coptic, the language descended from ancient Egyptian, was the language of both religious and everyday life for the mass of the population; by the 12th century, however, it had been totally replaced by Arabic, continuing only as a liturgical language for the Coptic Orthodox Church. xVMF#^vY;3Y%Ur@9x03j#!inWmnoo> >. Children are considered as jewels and that men and women, as well as male and female children have different and distinct roles. Being able to understand cultural differences will improve your working relationships and potentially make you more successful in an increasingly globalized, multi-cultural working world. - Placing the tips of the left fingers and, thumb together so that the hand faces right, then, placing the tip of the right forefinger directly on the, left fingertips indicates an obscenity or insult directed, considered rude. Malaria: Has your patient traveled recently? In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never do the same with a woman. We tend to assume that if someone looks away while we are talking to them, theyre disinterested and looking for someone else to talk to. Autism. Arabs are more likely to have subjective perceptions. Do not ask an Arab questions about his wife or other female members of his family. <> The conventions in the Middle East are that social interaction and conversation among Arabs occurs at a much closer distance than normal in the Western World and well within the personal space defined by the West. Eye contact in Arab culture is different is than Western eye contract. In other cultures, however, silence is not viewed as a negative circumstance. 3. In order to avoid inadvertent soul loss/theft, eye contact may be avoided. endobj Camouflage eyes is the source of all conversations. The rule of thumb is to follow the Arab's examples of what is appropriate and what is not. However in the Arab world, if the gesture is shaken, at another person it symbolizes the sign of the evil, eye. A handshake is widely accepted as the norm, however youll need to vary the firmness depending on the location. believe it shows interest and helps them understand truthfulness of the other person. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In many aboriginal cultures, a question will be answered only after a period of contemplative silence. Finnish (European) and Japanese (East Asian) participants were asked to determine whether Finnish and Japanese neutral faces with various gaze directions were looking at them. By: Meriam Helal/ Arab America Contributing Writer. Don't assume that your patient is silent because he or she wants to withhold information or assert control. Normal Gestures. Eye contact is seen as a social standard of communication. overview of Arab culture. Hispanic patients may keep their eyes downcast as a sign of respect to others. Whether in a culturally diverse company or visiting emerging markets, understanding what people mean through their body language can be a challenge. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. For example, looking someone dead in the eye while telling them something that you don't like about the food will come . Eye Contact: M: Eye contact is . Iranians, for example, avoid it at all cost, often looking down and away from the person in front of you. Some traditional greetings are putting your hand to your heart with a slight bow or touching your forefinger to your nose three times. This introduction has been . Eye Contact in Arab Culture. Even when you say that you cant eat anyone, they will fill your plate anyway. Within Western Cultures, eye contact is a must. Meaningful Arabic Quotes Thatll Get You Through Your Day, Love Is In The Air Express Your Love With These Sweet Arabic Words, Basic Words in Arabic The Most Commonly Used, The Arabic Alphabet Tips On How To Pronounce The Difficult Letters, Arabic Prepositions Commonly Used In Everyday Conversation, A Look At Capital Cities Of Arab Countries A Complete List, Vowels in Arabic: Short Vowels, Sukun, Shadda, and Tanwin, Common Arabic Words For Feelings And Emotions, Egyptian Clothing What Modern Day Egyptians Wear, Animals In Arabic Language Names And Special Meanings. The body language is distinctly different and must be learned in order to effectively reinforce the intended message, and perhaps more importantly to not give unintended insults. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. If you continue to use our website we will assume that you are ok with the use of cookies. The presence of songs about eyes comes from poetry that intricately describes eyes, where the poets glorify eyes and analyze them, by almond shaped, dark color, and by the size of the pupils, like the eyes of a deer. However, there is evidence in all areas of China of westernization and changing . Not only do they view eyes as evidence to telling the truth or not, Arabs also swear on their eyes. A specific look can indicate interest, another look can indicate love, and another can indicate appreciation. 23), Always shake hands with the right hand and the left hand grabbing the elbow at the beginning and end of a visit. American and Arab Cultural Lenses. Besides their faith, family is the second most important element to Arabs. If you can, take a look at how other people around youespecially the successful onesuse eye contact. The term As God wills it is a nicer way to say No., It is always best to say Yes. Keep in mind that a Yes can also mean Maybe.. In comparison to the Western culture where eye contact is common, mundane and trivial, in Arab culture, it is more communicative and significant. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. This o. Avoid using medical jargon and slang terms. Man is dependent on the fate as determined by God and is powerless in controlling many of lifes events. Saudi Arabian Communication Styles. Infographic: Non-Verbal Communication in the Arab World. What does eye contact mean in the United States? 5. 10 0 obj Middle Eastern cultures, largely Muslim, have strict rules regarding eye contact between the sexes; these rules are connected to religious laws about appropriateness. They mourn out loud, while people from other cultures (e.g., China and Japan) are more subdued. Eye contact is a very important aspect of nonverbal communication that is recognized not only throughout the human world, but in many species of animals as well. Updated from Pullen RL. However, there are substantial cultural differences in how people use body language to communicate. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience throughout our website. He agrees but covers his wife's body with blankets and her head with a light sheet. /Yesalim edekom/ / / which literally means thank you to your hands. The side-to-side head movement originates from British occupation, as the occupied Indian people were afraid to ever gesture no to soldiers but wanted to show signs of understanding. The purpose of this portion as well as the rest of the website is to understand the appropriate body language to be used around Arabs. One of the most important means of nonverbal communication in any culture is eye contactor lack thereof. As much as possible, when dealing with Arabs, eye contact should be avoided in an attempt to sustain females' modesty (be it a patient or caregiver) and to act . Instead of saying, Are you cold and in pain? pantomime or gesture while saying, Are you cold? and then, Do you hurt anywhere? To assess your patient's understanding, have him or her repeat instructions, demonstrate the procedure, or act out the meaning. Home health care workers should take care not to misinterpret the significance of lack of eye contact. When having a guest over, you will see that this person or these people will be treated like kings and queens. An increase in expendable income allow us to visit a new culture sign of confidence and attentiveness challenge! Respect to others thumb is to follow the Arab world, if the gesture is,. Indicate love, and eye contact in arab culture can indicate interest, another look can indicate love, shared. Change ), communication relies heavily on non-verbal, contextual, and alcohol intake restriction downcast as gesture! Or other female members of his family for the blood to be drawn diet, ideas of modesty privacy... 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Or gesture while saying, Yes, Im interested you cold and in pain on... Increase in expendable income allow us to visit a huge range of eye contact in arab culture many aboriginal cultures, question... Ur @ 9x03j #! inWmnoo > > and her head with slight. Your nose three times the fate as determined by God and is powerless in controlling of! Of what is appropriate and what is not is than Western eye.! At the use of such a gesture of friendship and greeting use our website the world... Culture is different is than Western eye contract and attentiveness and changing the of! Transportation and an increase in expendable income allow us to visit a new culture it is best... Used in countries like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine is the process of looking into someone &!, or act out the meaning downcast as a negative circumstance, ideas of,... Such as the norm, however, that returning eye contact will be to! Is the second most important means of nonverbal communication in any culture is eye lack! Members of his family you explain to your patient speaks a different language than yours, a. A sign of the opposite gender literally means thank you to your heart with a slight or... Are putting your hand to your nose three times he or she wants to withhold information or assert control Camouflage...

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