Words are incredibly powerful, and they can produce so much emotion, and even move people to action. When one speaks words of hate, they have the power to inflict great pain or to degrade or marginalize an entire group of people.
During this assignment I was surprised to hear that C.P has been a victim of hate speech; I myself have also endured hate. We spoke about our experiences to each other for a moment and continued with the assignment.
In the Punjabi culture there is a great deal of resentment towards the British. C.P explained that Punjabis feel that when the British occupied the county, they were subjugated- they felt degraded, and in addition to losing their wealth (the British redistributed land and allocated it to soldiers- it was never returned to the originally owning families), the British caused a chiasm which resulted in the fragmentation of the country. The Panjabi’s were mostly land owner’s- but due to their large physical size, were also always enlisted as warriors or soldiers. Many Punjabis experienced deaths of young men belonging to their families in conflict with the British.
Thus, hate speech is mostly focused toward people that are half Punjabi and half English. They are seen as betrayers; their mothers had illicit affairs with English men stationed in India, or married English men who decided to settle in India. Whoever married or had a child with an English person was seen as siding with the enemy and betraying his people.
Status plays a big role in Punjabi culture; people are viewed differently depending on their class in the society- this is the case throughout all of India and Pakistan. One is categorized and placed in a caste system. The lower class of the caste system are viewed as lower in status based loosely on skin color and other stereotypical traits. There is some discriminatory speech against other ethnic cultures such as Indians from the South of the country (of Dravidian descent), Bengalis, people from Bombay or other large cities, or any other ethnic cultures different from their own. Hate speech is not common, but does occur.
The statements made are very similar to hate speech in America. Also, hate speech is almost always about the same things: in both cultures, most hate speech is aimed towards individuals with a different skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and even SES.
However, in the Panjabi culture, there is a target for hate speech that American culture does not have. Actually, the most common basis on which such inflammatory and degrading speech is made is a particular individual’s place in the caste system. The differences between hate in America and Punjab is the enforcement of hate speech laws. In Punjab there are laws against the use of hate speech; however they are never enforced.
C.P. says that the acceptability of hate speech is higher among in groups when referencing those that are not there. However, it is not used more frequently than it is in America to degrade a member of an out-group. Hate speech is most frequently directed at someone by the same groups (the majority ethnicity) and in similar situations as in America.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Man and Woman
In the Punjabi culture, the roles of men and women are fundamentally the same as they are in American culture. In the Panjabi language is structured so that every noun is split into obligatory categories of male or female. Every object must be spoken of in a feminine or masculine form. The entirety of the language has masculine or feminine forms for every word. This underscores the importance of gender identity and, to a far lesser extent, gender roles within the culture. The obligatory categories of masculine and feminine actually highlights an underlying similarity with American culture: that the most important, fundamental aspect of identity for an individual is whether they are a female or a male. This is reflected in exactly the same manner in both cultures.
The ways in which men and women communicate are actually quite the same in both cultures. Punjabi men are much more nonverbal and are more insensitive and blunt than women. C.P. tells me that men tend to express their feelings though non-verbal communication, and much of this mirrors the kinesics that American men tend to use, such as affective displays like eye rolling, frowning, grimacing, or smiling, gazing, and the like. Panjabi men also communicate their feelings through adaptors, such as drumming fingers on a table and sighing. Grammatically and lexically men speak in shorter phrases, tend to utilize the report-style of talk. They do not speak descriptively, and they tend to have smaller vocabularies and much less detail when trying to explain emotions or events. They freely interrupt one another, and this is not considered rude. Men also tend to use more slang words, and also discuss topics, such as sex, that are generally considered impolite or crass for a woman to reference. In addition, and speck more ungrammatically then women do.
The manner in which women is quite different. They are very verbal and rely much less on nonverbal communication. They are polite in public, but they have no formal rules to follow that dictate specific phrases which they must say differently than men. They are somewhat avoidant of only one topic: sex. It is not abhorrent if a woman talks about sex- but it is still viewed as a bit negative. C.P believes that Underlying this rule is the vestiges of an ancient belief (shared even by the American culture in the 1800’s) that a woman must be demure and should enjoy sex less than a man. Thus if she participates in s discussion about sex, then she is viewed as being unfeminine.
C.P. says that in Punjab, women are somewhat more demure outside of the home-but not in it among their family. A dispute between a married couple for example would be address behind closed doors.
The ways in which men and women communicate are actually quite the same in both cultures. Punjabi men are much more nonverbal and are more insensitive and blunt than women. C.P. tells me that men tend to express their feelings though non-verbal communication, and much of this mirrors the kinesics that American men tend to use, such as affective displays like eye rolling, frowning, grimacing, or smiling, gazing, and the like. Panjabi men also communicate their feelings through adaptors, such as drumming fingers on a table and sighing. Grammatically and lexically men speak in shorter phrases, tend to utilize the report-style of talk. They do not speak descriptively, and they tend to have smaller vocabularies and much less detail when trying to explain emotions or events. They freely interrupt one another, and this is not considered rude. Men also tend to use more slang words, and also discuss topics, such as sex, that are generally considered impolite or crass for a woman to reference. In addition, and speck more ungrammatically then women do.
The manner in which women is quite different. They are very verbal and rely much less on nonverbal communication. They are polite in public, but they have no formal rules to follow that dictate specific phrases which they must say differently than men. They are somewhat avoidant of only one topic: sex. It is not abhorrent if a woman talks about sex- but it is still viewed as a bit negative. C.P believes that Underlying this rule is the vestiges of an ancient belief (shared even by the American culture in the 1800’s) that a woman must be demure and should enjoy sex less than a man. Thus if she participates in s discussion about sex, then she is viewed as being unfeminine.
C.P. says that in Punjab, women are somewhat more demure outside of the home-but not in it among their family. A dispute between a married couple for example would be address behind closed doors.
Arguing
When I first asked C.P. about argument in her culture, she was surprised by my question. She told me that what we as Americans consider an argument is completely different from what Punjabis consider a argument.
First arguments usually start with two people, like all arguments. However as C.P. explained, arguments usually end up as a group debate. In her culture elders speak first-before anyone. Also when an argument is unfolding, every member-especially the younger participants- must be wary of that their tone always remains respectful. As I understood her explanation, one may seem condescending or offensive if the tone in which he is speaking does not remain at least mostly pleasant. Maintaining respectfulness among all participants of an argument is paramount; if one side is disrespected, a simple argument can lead to bigger issue. As C.P. explains, the culture is very “hotheaded”. Friendly debates are very welcome, even encouraged- but disrespecting or belittling someone (most especially an elder or any person who is significantly older) is not acceptable.
Arguments happen anywhere, but usually occur either in the family home or in certain public locations, such as cafés, tea houses, or markets. There is not any particular way argument is used as a genre in Punjabi. From what C.P. tells me, Punjabi is a very argumentative culture, and it is not offensive to argue with family members or even elders, so long as one keeps the tone light and friendly. The Panjabi people are very bold and outspoken. I have known Punjabis to be extremely direct and blunt.
At the end of the argument there has to be an amenable conclusion, and this occurs when a participant begins to try and bring things to a close, by conceding that all points of view are valid or have some truth. Then, all remaining parties make similar concessions and acknowledge the point of view of all others. This is generally what happens; however if a participant wishes to continue arguing his/her point, all concessions are quickly forgotten and the debate heats up once again. All parties will continue to argue and the argument can lead into early morning hours, until everyone is exhausted. I know by personal experience- if you ever happen to get caught up in an argument with a Punjabi family, just make certain you have a few hours to spare.
First arguments usually start with two people, like all arguments. However as C.P. explained, arguments usually end up as a group debate. In her culture elders speak first-before anyone. Also when an argument is unfolding, every member-especially the younger participants- must be wary of that their tone always remains respectful. As I understood her explanation, one may seem condescending or offensive if the tone in which he is speaking does not remain at least mostly pleasant. Maintaining respectfulness among all participants of an argument is paramount; if one side is disrespected, a simple argument can lead to bigger issue. As C.P. explains, the culture is very “hotheaded”. Friendly debates are very welcome, even encouraged- but disrespecting or belittling someone (most especially an elder or any person who is significantly older) is not acceptable.
Arguments happen anywhere, but usually occur either in the family home or in certain public locations, such as cafés, tea houses, or markets. There is not any particular way argument is used as a genre in Punjabi. From what C.P. tells me, Punjabi is a very argumentative culture, and it is not offensive to argue with family members or even elders, so long as one keeps the tone light and friendly. The Panjabi people are very bold and outspoken. I have known Punjabis to be extremely direct and blunt.
At the end of the argument there has to be an amenable conclusion, and this occurs when a participant begins to try and bring things to a close, by conceding that all points of view are valid or have some truth. Then, all remaining parties make similar concessions and acknowledge the point of view of all others. This is generally what happens; however if a participant wishes to continue arguing his/her point, all concessions are quickly forgotten and the debate heats up once again. All parties will continue to argue and the argument can lead into early morning hours, until everyone is exhausted. I know by personal experience- if you ever happen to get caught up in an argument with a Punjabi family, just make certain you have a few hours to spare.
Bilingualism
C.P and I both discussed bilingualism in the United States, myself I was born in Iran, I left Iran at the age of two to live in Canada. I speak Farsi and English fluently. C.P. was born in Orange County, California, and she speaks Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, Spanish and English all fluently. Neither of us was able to find any disadvantages in being bilingual or multilingual. On the contrary, we both agree that knowing several languages is a source of mental and social enrichment. It is unequivocally an advantage over those who only speak one language. However, we both recognize that this is due to the fact that we both learned English around the same time as the other languages we speak. Because of this, we did not develop any accents (although C.P. does have a distinctly “Valley girl“ accent). An individual that does have a non English accent of some kind- especially if it is not a European accent- would experience some disadvantages. The type and severity of disadvantages would obviously depend on the thickness of the accent, which country or ethnicity it represents, and on linguistic competence in English.
A person with an accent could be bright, intelligent, and outgoing but if they do not have good linguistic competence in English, they will seem uneducated and unintelligent to member’s of all out-groups. In a learning environment, a bilingual person may face discrimination. They may be placed in ESL classes, or may score lower on standardized tests than monolingual American students. They may also be subject to unconscious biases of teachers; who, despite good intentions, unconsciously give less attention to students who they perceive as less capable.
Neither myself, nor C.P. faced any prejudices regarding our linguistic abilities. This is due to the very early age at which we began to speak English, and also because we grew up in English speaking countries; our linguistic competence in English is excellent, and we do not speak with any foreign accent. C.P. and I both feel that it is an invaluable asset to fluently speak more then one language. I have some knowledge in psychology and biology and I know that before a child has learned to speak, he is capable of discerning every possible phoneme in any language- this is independent of experience. However, as a child learns to speak, they largely lose the ability to properly discern or speak phonemes which are not exercised in the language(s) they learn. Children who learn more than one language are at a distinct advantage as through their school years, and as adults (especially those who are fluent in very different languages). Due to synaptic pruning, those children who actively learned two or more different languages have more space (more synaptic connections) in the cortex devoted to language as adults than children who grew up learning only one language (this is not true for anyone who learned another language after the age of about five). Those who learned multiple languages early in life are more adept at comprehension, have better vocabularies, and tend to have better writing skills- in any of the languages learned- than individuals who learned only one early in life (holding all other variables constant). They are just better with words, since they have more neural connections devoted to words and how they relate. C.P. feels that a good comprehension of language is the key that unlocks higher intellect.
An equally important, advantage to knowing another language is that it can give you access to another culture. You are be able to read the literature, watch the movies, and above all, gain a complex and meaningful understanding of the people and the subtleties of their view of the world. Overall C.P. and I both feel that the advantages far out weigh the disadvantages. A more pragmatic advantage of knowing more than one language, as C.P. mentioned jokingly, is that you tell secrets aloud and keep them secrets, even when everyone is listening.
C.P. says that being multilingual was an asset during school- both academically and socially. She has been able to gain access to school clubs, has received many accolades throughout her academic career, and has been a part of various social circles- who tend be more accepting of those people who are exposed to different cultures. We both feel that more opportunities are available to bilinguals then monolinguals.
Being a student in the united states, C.P. believes that everyone should learn more then one language, and as early in life as possible. She feels that pervasive monolingualism in any country is restrictive, and renders the population more narrow-minded than they could otherwise be.
A person with an accent could be bright, intelligent, and outgoing but if they do not have good linguistic competence in English, they will seem uneducated and unintelligent to member’s of all out-groups. In a learning environment, a bilingual person may face discrimination. They may be placed in ESL classes, or may score lower on standardized tests than monolingual American students. They may also be subject to unconscious biases of teachers; who, despite good intentions, unconsciously give less attention to students who they perceive as less capable.
Neither myself, nor C.P. faced any prejudices regarding our linguistic abilities. This is due to the very early age at which we began to speak English, and also because we grew up in English speaking countries; our linguistic competence in English is excellent, and we do not speak with any foreign accent. C.P. and I both feel that it is an invaluable asset to fluently speak more then one language. I have some knowledge in psychology and biology and I know that before a child has learned to speak, he is capable of discerning every possible phoneme in any language- this is independent of experience. However, as a child learns to speak, they largely lose the ability to properly discern or speak phonemes which are not exercised in the language(s) they learn. Children who learn more than one language are at a distinct advantage as through their school years, and as adults (especially those who are fluent in very different languages). Due to synaptic pruning, those children who actively learned two or more different languages have more space (more synaptic connections) in the cortex devoted to language as adults than children who grew up learning only one language (this is not true for anyone who learned another language after the age of about five). Those who learned multiple languages early in life are more adept at comprehension, have better vocabularies, and tend to have better writing skills- in any of the languages learned- than individuals who learned only one early in life (holding all other variables constant). They are just better with words, since they have more neural connections devoted to words and how they relate. C.P. feels that a good comprehension of language is the key that unlocks higher intellect.
An equally important, advantage to knowing another language is that it can give you access to another culture. You are be able to read the literature, watch the movies, and above all, gain a complex and meaningful understanding of the people and the subtleties of their view of the world. Overall C.P. and I both feel that the advantages far out weigh the disadvantages. A more pragmatic advantage of knowing more than one language, as C.P. mentioned jokingly, is that you tell secrets aloud and keep them secrets, even when everyone is listening.
C.P. says that being multilingual was an asset during school- both academically and socially. She has been able to gain access to school clubs, has received many accolades throughout her academic career, and has been a part of various social circles- who tend be more accepting of those people who are exposed to different cultures. We both feel that more opportunities are available to bilinguals then monolinguals.
Being a student in the united states, C.P. believes that everyone should learn more then one language, and as early in life as possible. She feels that pervasive monolingualism in any country is restrictive, and renders the population more narrow-minded than they could otherwise be.
Language Tree
Punjabi and English are extremely different, both are used mostly in two different parts of the world. Both are rich languages, however one is more complex than the other. English is more widely spoken and it’s speakers are regarded as higher in status than speakers of many other languages, as it‘s use as a somewhat “international language” ; people in many other countries find it valuable and profitable to be able to speak the language. The English language represents power, high SES, and education. Punjabi, in contrast, is centers mostly in one geographically small region, and although is a sighn of affluence and high status within the country, wields very little power and is not recognized as representing anything of special importance.
The lineage from which both the Punjabi language and English descend begins with the mother language of many other languages spoken today, Indo-European. Panjabi and English diverged very early- at this very junction. Out of Indo-European grew Indo-Iranian, which was followed by Indo-Aryan, also known as Indic. Vedic Sanskrit grew out of Indic; Verdict Sanskrit is the progenitor of many other languages that are spoken today around the north Indian, Pakistani, and certain Afghani regions. One of these is Punjabi.
After the larger Germanic subgroup grew out of Indo-European, one of the branches it grew was west Germanic. English, like most languages, has changed over time, and has been named accordingly. It began as Old English, morphed into Middle English and subsequently turned into what we speak today: New English.
Punjabi is spoken in the provinces of Punjab in India and Pakistan , English is considered the second language in both Pakistan and India due mostly to British colonialism, which ended over half a century ago. Both languages are very distant when compared to each other. They are extremely different from the most basic aspects: phones through how the languages utilize their morphemes, the syntax of each language is extraordinarily different. The languages are so divergent that it would seem difficult to form a pidgin language from both. If, however, speakers of both languages where to come into contact for purposes such as trading, and if we were to exclude the relative “international language” status of English, then I believe that in a pidgin language, the structure would be closer to English, since pidgin languages mostly do not use tonal sounds.
Games
Punjabi is a very complex language, and it is structured quite differently than English- in Panjabi there are many different ways in which to construct words from morphemes. There is no concept of infixes, reduplication, or portmanteau. Circumfuses are rare, as are prefixes. However, the Panjabi language leans very heavily on the use of suffixes, and interweaving is also used very frequently; both are sometimes used together when referring to a certain root or base morpheme. Morphemes may be added as a suffix to create words that are tightly related, and they may be interspersed within that root to create a different, but related set or words. These may be further modified with additional suffixes- though this is rare.
There are a wide range of word games in Panjabi; many of them center on improving pronunciation. Most are centered on building a larger vocabulary and improving comprehension of the language. One such game is also built around the process of interweaving; and is played with children who are just beginning to speak. The parent or caretaker gives the child the root, or simply the best known word which contains the root and an additional morpheme. For example, the parent may say the root “k-a-” to do with food. The child is then expected to name all the different words which have suffixes and which interwoven. So the child may reply with “Khana, (food) Khanana (without food), Khanahai (there is food), Khanado (give me the food), Khanaedo (let me eat) Khanatha (there was food); Kao (eat), Kaona (please eat), Kilao (feed/give him food), Kilvao (make him eat), Kilvana (making him eat), Kilana (make him eat right now), Kiliatha (I served him already), Kalia (I ate already), Kilathahai (He is serving food), Kilathithai (She is serving food); Kilanevala (cook). The list is actually far longer than just this.
Pig Latin is a syllable-based game. However, the Punjabi game, the emphasis is on extending vocabulary pertaining to a particular morpheme. In the Punjabi language there is not concept of syllables- although they may have syllables in their words, they are just considered to have any meaning. C.P.’s parents had no conception about a syllable until they learned English. In addition, with 39 constants in the language there is no utilization of consonant clusters. In English consonant clusters are common, however in Punjabi a certain consonant cluster sound in English would be a single letter in Panjabi. There is one letter for every single English phoneme plus a few extra, each with their own letter. For example, the English phoneme Sh a very common cluster in English is a single consonant (one letter) in Punjabi. It is a very complex language, and is truly fascinating.
There are a wide range of word games in Panjabi; many of them center on improving pronunciation. Most are centered on building a larger vocabulary and improving comprehension of the language. One such game is also built around the process of interweaving; and is played with children who are just beginning to speak. The parent or caretaker gives the child the root, or simply the best known word which contains the root and an additional morpheme. For example, the parent may say the root “k-a-” to do with food. The child is then expected to name all the different words which have suffixes and which interwoven. So the child may reply with “Khana, (food) Khanana (without food), Khanahai (there is food), Khanado (give me the food), Khanaedo (let me eat) Khanatha (there was food); Kao (eat), Kaona (please eat), Kilao (feed/give him food), Kilvao (make him eat), Kilvana (making him eat), Kilana (make him eat right now), Kiliatha (I served him already), Kalia (I ate already), Kilathahai (He is serving food), Kilathithai (She is serving food); Kilanevala (cook). The list is actually far longer than just this.
Pig Latin is a syllable-based game. However, the Punjabi game, the emphasis is on extending vocabulary pertaining to a particular morpheme. In the Punjabi language there is not concept of syllables- although they may have syllables in their words, they are just considered to have any meaning. C.P.’s parents had no conception about a syllable until they learned English. In addition, with 39 constants in the language there is no utilization of consonant clusters. In English consonant clusters are common, however in Punjabi a certain consonant cluster sound in English would be a single letter in Panjabi. There is one letter for every single English phoneme plus a few extra, each with their own letter. For example, the English phoneme Sh a very common cluster in English is a single consonant (one letter) in Punjabi. It is a very complex language, and is truly fascinating.
Personal Space and Nonverbal Communication
My C.P and I discussed the proxemic and kinesic systems. We utilized Edward Hall’s four zones when discussing personal space in her culture. When comparing the Punjabi culture and the American culture, we found some overriding similarities between the two, but we also found certain profound differences.
When discussing personal space, I realized that my C.P.’s culture use rules of personal space that are fundamentally the same as the one delineated by Edward Hall for people who are not family or close friends.. In the Panjabi culture, like the American culture, the most important variable which defines the appropriate amount of personal space is the relationship between the two people.
The public zone for both cultures is essentially the same, as is the social zone. However, the social zone may allow for slightly closer contact- three feet is acceptable. And the basic rules underlying all categorizations of personal space in the Panjabi culture are somewhat similar to the American: C.P. explained that a lack of trust between two people constitutes the maximal amount is space between them during an interaction; as trust builds, the space between them constricts.
However, profound differences between the two cultures arise within rules governing the personal and intimate zones. There are a plethora of rules which apply to family; personal space is determined by the relationship between the member. Intimate contact is allowed between mother and (adult) daughter or father and (adult) son (for example when discussing important subjects, they can be seated very near one another). However, it is inappropriate for family members of the same sex, no matter what the relationship, to interact within an intimate zone. When same sex sibling speaking with another, intimate contact is acceptable as well, unless there is a age large difference between them. Beyond this, only members of extremely close the relationships between aunts and nieces, uncles and nephews, or same sex cousins are allowed to interact in the intimate zone. In the Punjabi culture, within a family, age difference is the rough equivalent of status in American culture. At times, an elder may invade your personal space-only in an appropriate manner of course- but the younger person may not do the same. When addressing an elder, the space between you and that elder must be a reasonable space; roughly equivalent to the social zone. Based on what C.P. told me, when she speaks to her grandfather, she must sit or stand always facing him-but must never be closer than about three feet.
With respect to friends (same sex only), personal space is categorized differently between the two cultures- especially when it comes to male friends. It is based in how close the two friends are; however, there is no taboo against male friends interacting in the personal zone if they are very good friends. For example, when two close male friends are speaking there are almost head to head, and one commonly places his arm on the other persons shoulder. The Panjabi culture is very warm- there is a good deal of physical contact between same sex family or friends.
When I asked C.P. about the, kinesics or nonverbal communications, of the Punjabi culture, C.P. began to laugh. She told me that when Punjabi’s speak, they speak with their hands. I asked her to give me some examples. She explained that there are just random hand movements people make as they talk. As she put it, “we just flap our hands everywhere” . When discussing the specifics, I found many large variations in emblems and illustrators between the two cultures. For example, in Punjabi, giving someone the “finger” is done by moving the forearm (while the hands are in a fist) violently upward until it reaches the other arm, which is in a perpendicular position at about chest height. If one whishes to call another gay in a derogatory manner, the person uses the American thumbs up sign- except that the it is more of a thumbs side sign and they wave the sideways thumb laterally. Another variation of the thumbs up is one in which the individual waves (side to side) the thumb in the up position; this is the rough equivalent to sticking your tongue out towards another person. Moreover, sticking your tongue out in Punjabi has a very different meaning than it does in America- a Panjabi person sticks the tongue very slightly beyond the teeth. This indicates that the individual is apologetic for committing some minor error, or made an accidental mistake, such as breaking a glass. Most of the affect displays, regulators and adaptors are extremely similar to those used in American culture.
When discussing personal space, I realized that my C.P.’s culture use rules of personal space that are fundamentally the same as the one delineated by Edward Hall for people who are not family or close friends.. In the Panjabi culture, like the American culture, the most important variable which defines the appropriate amount of personal space is the relationship between the two people.
The public zone for both cultures is essentially the same, as is the social zone. However, the social zone may allow for slightly closer contact- three feet is acceptable. And the basic rules underlying all categorizations of personal space in the Panjabi culture are somewhat similar to the American: C.P. explained that a lack of trust between two people constitutes the maximal amount is space between them during an interaction; as trust builds, the space between them constricts.
However, profound differences between the two cultures arise within rules governing the personal and intimate zones. There are a plethora of rules which apply to family; personal space is determined by the relationship between the member. Intimate contact is allowed between mother and (adult) daughter or father and (adult) son (for example when discussing important subjects, they can be seated very near one another). However, it is inappropriate for family members of the same sex, no matter what the relationship, to interact within an intimate zone. When same sex sibling speaking with another, intimate contact is acceptable as well, unless there is a age large difference between them. Beyond this, only members of extremely close the relationships between aunts and nieces, uncles and nephews, or same sex cousins are allowed to interact in the intimate zone. In the Punjabi culture, within a family, age difference is the rough equivalent of status in American culture. At times, an elder may invade your personal space-only in an appropriate manner of course- but the younger person may not do the same. When addressing an elder, the space between you and that elder must be a reasonable space; roughly equivalent to the social zone. Based on what C.P. told me, when she speaks to her grandfather, she must sit or stand always facing him-but must never be closer than about three feet.
With respect to friends (same sex only), personal space is categorized differently between the two cultures- especially when it comes to male friends. It is based in how close the two friends are; however, there is no taboo against male friends interacting in the personal zone if they are very good friends. For example, when two close male friends are speaking there are almost head to head, and one commonly places his arm on the other persons shoulder. The Panjabi culture is very warm- there is a good deal of physical contact between same sex family or friends.
When I asked C.P. about the, kinesics or nonverbal communications, of the Punjabi culture, C.P. began to laugh. She told me that when Punjabi’s speak, they speak with their hands. I asked her to give me some examples. She explained that there are just random hand movements people make as they talk. As she put it, “we just flap our hands everywhere” . When discussing the specifics, I found many large variations in emblems and illustrators between the two cultures. For example, in Punjabi, giving someone the “finger” is done by moving the forearm (while the hands are in a fist) violently upward until it reaches the other arm, which is in a perpendicular position at about chest height. If one whishes to call another gay in a derogatory manner, the person uses the American thumbs up sign- except that the it is more of a thumbs side sign and they wave the sideways thumb laterally. Another variation of the thumbs up is one in which the individual waves (side to side) the thumb in the up position; this is the rough equivalent to sticking your tongue out towards another person. Moreover, sticking your tongue out in Punjabi has a very different meaning than it does in America- a Panjabi person sticks the tongue very slightly beyond the teeth. This indicates that the individual is apologetic for committing some minor error, or made an accidental mistake, such as breaking a glass. Most of the affect displays, regulators and adaptors are extremely similar to those used in American culture.
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