Proxemic behavior of primary school children as a function of their socioeconomic class and subculture.

Abstract

Two field studies were reported. In Study 1, pairs of lower-class black school children and white school children were photographed conversing in a school yard, and interaction distances between dyad members were computed using a new photogrammetric technique. Ten judges also rated photographs for interaction distance. Results by both methods indicated no differences between subcultures. Study 2 explored the effects of subculture and socioeconomic class on interaction distance. Middle-class children were found to stand further apart while conversing than were lower-class children. There was no difference between blacks and whites. Findings serve to contradict Hall's contention that cross-subcultural groups display differential proxemic behavior. Hall (1963) maintained that people of different cultures not only speak different languages but inhabit different sensory worlds. As evidence for his assertion, Hall noted that Arabs during ordinary daily conversation generally tend to stand very close to each other and appear to be involved on a highly sensory level, whereas in North American culture, this proxemic behavior would create uncomfortable feelings. Similarly, Hall observed that Latin Americans and North American lower income blacks displayed greater sensory involvement than did North American whites (Hall, 1966), suggesting that interaction distances for the former two groups should be less than that for the white subculture. It was Hall's belief that subcultural variations in spatial orientation frequently tend to isolate minority groups from the larger culture, often 1 Special thanks are owed to Oded Frenkel for his help during the developmental phase of the photogrammetric method and for assistance in data collection. The author is also indebted to Anthony Doob and Abraham Ross, for many useful suggestions, and to

Racial differences in gaze behavior during conversations: Two systematic observational studies.

“…For example, Willis (1966) found that blacks greet other blacks at further distances than whites greet other whites, whereas Baxter (1970) in comparing three subcultural groups on personal space, found that blacks stood the furthest apart, Anglo-Americans the next furthest, and Mexicans took the most mediate distances. The results on proxemic variations are equivocal, however, as Scherer (1974) found, when comparing lower-and middle-class black and white children, that interpersonal distances were a function of class and not ethnic grouping. With respect to cultural variations in gaze behavior, the evidence is only suggestive.…”

Personal space: An evaluative and orienting overview.

“…Unobtrusive observation, often accompanied by still or motion pictures (e.g., Baxter, 1970;Dabbs & Stokes, 1975;Jones, 1971;Nesbitt & Steven, 1974;Scherer, 1974), is fully naturalistic but allows the researcher minimal control of subjects. By prearranging collaborating assistants in hallways, on sidewalks, or in queues, one can contrive situations with which to confront unsuspecting subjects.…”

Visual Behavior in Teacher-Pupil Dyads

“…With one major exception (Blurton Jones, 1972), the child in school has not been featured as the subject for attention in books on nonverbal interaction. There have been articles on the use of personal space by school children (Scherer, 1974), but only one article (Chaikin, Sigler, & Derlega, 1974) has dealt with the more subtle aspects of teacher-pupil nonverbal interaction.…”