The Role of Eye Contact in Different Cultures
Eye contact may be one of the most subtle forms of social interaction, but it should never be underestimated.
If you are travelling or planning a trip, it is something that you need to be particularly aware of – as something which is normal social behaviour at home, may not be in another culture.
Western CulturesEye Contact - Western Cultures
The UK, USA, Australia and Western Europe all have fairly similar social expectations of when and where eye contact is appropriate… which is most of the time!
Eye contact is expected in Western culture, it is a basic essential to a social interaction which shows a person’s interest and engagement with your conversation.
In Western cultures eyes are considered to show the central point of a person’s focus. So if somebody doesn’t give any eye contact during a conversation, it may be considered insulting. Many people would take this to mean that they weren’t interested, and take their wandering eyes as a sign of their distraction.
In other, more formal, circumstances in Western cultures a lack of eye contact can be seen in another way. For example, in an interview situation, strong eye contact by the interviewee is seen as a sign of self-belief, whereas a lack of eye contact is seen as a lack of confidence.
Middle Eastern CulturesEye Contact - Middle East
While the many cultures of the Middle Eastern ｃountries can hardly be grouped together, they do have a few common trends – one of which is their use of eye contact.
Eye contact is less common, and considered less appropriate than in Western cultures. There are strict gender rules, whereby women should not make too much eye contact with men as it could be misconstrued as a romantic interest.
Intense eye contact is often a method used to show sincerity. Long, strong eye contact can mean ‘believe me, I’m telling you the truth’.
Asian CulturesEye Contact - Asian Cultures
Asian cultures place great importance on respect. Hierarchies are much more visible in their society than in Western cultures, and their social behaviors mirror this.
In ｃountries such as China and Japan, eye contact is not considered an essential to social interaction, instead it is often considered inappropriate. In such an authoritarian culture, it is believed that subordinates shouldn’t make steady eye contact with their superiors.
For example, students are discouraged from making eye contact with their professors, as it can be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. Similarly a daughter will point her eyes downwards when her father is speaking to her, as a sign of politeness and respect.
African and Latin American Cultures Peruvian Women
Many African and Latin American cultures, while unique in many ways, remain strong hierarchical societies. In many circumstances intense eye contact is seen as aggressive, confrontational and extremely disrespectful.
Eye contact is so subtly ingrained into every culture that it is something which is rarely even considered before travelling abroad.
Westerner’s use of eye contact could be deemed inappropriate, and even disrespectful, in many other cultures – so make sure you learn the use of eye contact and body language before you jet off!
Source: https://blog.joytours.com/2012/12/20/the-role-of-eye-contact-in-different-cultures/
Image Source: https://joytourandtravel.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/eye-contact-people.jpg?w=438&h=328
Vocabulary Words:
1. Subtle - (adj.) (Especially of a change or distinction) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe
2. Interaction - (noun) Reciprocal action or influence
3. Misconstrued - (verb) Interpret (a person’s words or actions) wrongly
4. Intense - (adj.) Of extreme force, degree, or strength
5. Ingrained - (adj.) (Of a habit, belief, or attitude) firmly fixed or established difficult to change
Discussion Questions:
1. In your opinion, why is maintaining proper eye contact important?
2. Have you ever considered eye contact as a rude and annoying gesture? Why or why not?
3. Can you think of some situations where eye contact should not be made?
4. What is the difference between staring and making eye contact?
5. What is the appropriate eye contact etiquette in your culture?
