Nonverbal Communication

Although, the idea of cultural space doesn't fit neatly into the category of nonverbal codes, many intercultural communication researchers find significance in the idea of cultural space as it merges culture, environment, and identity.  The idea originated in the writings of French philosopher and social theorist, Michel Foucault.  The argument is that culture is dynamic and redefines itself from one generation to the next so many scholars are now referring to this broad area of research by the metaphor of cultural space.  Cultural space is the social and cultural contexts in which our identities are formed.

One of the first cultural spaces that humans experience is home.  Home can be a tremendous source of identification.  It often communicates social class and norms, as well as safety and security.  Home is not the same as the physical location it occupies, but rather the feelings invoked.  Home can be a specific address, cities, states, regions, and even nations.

A neighborhood is an area defined by its own cultural identity.  This area can revolve around race and ethnicity, and certain cultural groups can define who gets to live whereby dictating the rules by which other groups must live.  Historical forces and power relations have led to different settlement patterns of cultural groups in the United States and around the world.

Many people identify strongly with particular regions.  Regionalism is loyalty to an area that holds cultural meaning.  This loyalty can be expressed symbolically by flying regional flags, wearing special clothing, celebrating regional holidays, and participating in other cultural activities.  This loyalty can also be expressed through protests or armed conflict.

Social media has added a new dimension to cultural spaces by pushing definitions and boundaries. This notion of fluid cultural space is in contrast with previous notions of space which were rooted in landownership & occupation, along with borders, colonies, and territories.  We will explore this idea more in our social media and popular culture chapter.