American Сulture. Жукова Е.Ф. - 7 стр.

6. What tone of voice should you                      Use a quiet but friendly tone.
      use?
7. Does a person shake hands                          Men and women usually shake hands firmly but
      when meeting someone? How                       gently.
      should you shake hands?
8. Do people embrace or kiss                          No, unless the people are very close friends.
      people of the same sex upon                     Men kiss each other if they are relatives or very
      meeting? Do you kiss or hug                     close friends. Not usually.
      children when they are
      introduced?


2. Distance and Space Requirements
       People from different cultures have different space requirements. For example,
Latin Americans and Middle Easterners stand closer when they talk than do
Americans or Russians. In the United States people need to have greater distances
between them physically than do people in many other cultures. Although Americans
are often more affectionate and more likely to touch people they know, they have a
great need for privacy, especially in the presence of strangers. For example, when
Americans enter a bus, a doctor’s office, or a waiting room, they sit a least one chair
away from the nearest person, if possible. Conversation distance with superiors or
with those they don’t know well is about three to four feet.* However, intimate
conversations may be held as close as one-and-a-half feet apart. Because Americans
feel uncomfortable if someone stands closer, they will instinctively move away.
Countries do not have the same “rules” about how close to each other people should
sit or stand. Here is a chart that shows distance and space requirements and the type
of body language people use in America in different situations.




*
    Note: 12 inches = 1 foot; 1 inch = 2. 54 centimeters.

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