Proxemia is the study of proximity and distance relationships between people and objects during interactions; studies the distance people maintain when interacting and the presence or absence of physical contact; of all this, proxemia establishes the emotional distances that occur between people who interact. .
Proxemic teaches us that talking to a person in front of you may seem normal, but in some cultures the most accepted position is to have a 90 degree angle, the same goes for kisses or handshakes, practices practiced by Brazilians in their daily lives. they are considered very intense in other cultures, such as Japanese, prefer to avoid physical contact and greet themselves by nodding.
- Each culture establishes different types of contact.
- There are cultures where physical contact is not allowed in public.
- While in others it often occurs.
- These cultural differences have led to a distinction between high and low contact cultures.
- High-contact cultures are those where distances between people tend to be shorter.
- On the other hand.
- In cultures of little contact.
- The space between people who interact is much larger.
These cultural differences not only appear in the contact, but are also present in space. The distance between people and the environment frame indicates that the distance is considered acceptable. The spaces used by different cultures can be divided into three: fixed, semi-fixed space and personal or informal space.
Fixed spaces are the immobile structures that mark the distance. The most recognized are the borders between countries, but also the provisions of houses; The structure of the Buildings families The composition of the cities or trees that we can find in a city, all these aspects determine, in part, the distances we maintain with others.
“About thirty centimeters from my nose lies the edge of my person, and all the air intact in the middle is my inherited private territory. Unknown, unless with intimate eyes he makes brotherly signs. Careful, don’t come near me: I don’t have a cannon, but do I spit?-Wystan Hugh Auden-
Semi-fixed space is a space in which objects do not limit movement because they can be moved, a door can be opened or closed. There are two types of semi-fixed spaces, the sociofuges are the ones that make people move because something bothers them, like chairs or changes in the place of things in the supermarket, so you have to look for them. encourage conversations or interactions, such as seats used by therapists or roundtables that encourage conversation.
Finally, it is the personal or informal space that envelops our body. While Nordic cultures tend to be very far apart, Mediterranean, Latin and tropical cultures are very close by. They make more use of physical contact and the distances between people are very short.
Personal space gives way to the distance that occurs between people in different interactions. The distance we stay from others will depend, in addition to our culture, on the relationship we have. With this in mind, four types of distances arise:
While many factors are involved, proxemia is often similar in the interactions we have in our daily lives, the distances and contacts we have with others will be differentiated by the emotional closeness we have with them, yet the use of space will also be differentiated. influencing, placing obstacles or promoting proximity.