PROXEMICS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 2686 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
- “Man's use of space as an aspect of his culture ” (E.H. HALL, 1977, p. 248)
This notion includes “conversational distance, planning and use of interior spaces , town layout and the like”(Ibid)
HALL's concept is rooted in what he calls the “intrusion distance ” which is related to the physical and psychological reaction of an individual who feels discomfort, anger or anxiety when his/her “personal space” is invaded.
This is somehow the opposite of critical proximity (see hereafter). It seems however that, in human beings also, critical proximity may produce a sudden change of behavior , transforming them upon a critical threshold from individuals into elements in a crowd .
According to HALL, members of distinct cultures have slightly different ways to perceive critical proximity.
An intriguing point is the possibility that the strong social compression that results from the planetary population explosion during the 20th C. could lead either to unbearable psychological stress among people or contrarywise to the general acceptancee and tolerance of a reduced intrusion space.
The historical consequences for the whole of mankind could, in both cases, be impressive.
N. ORT gives another interesting definition of proxemics: “The semiotic aspect of territory in non-verbal communication ” (2001, p.153). This clearly implies that proxemics has its roots in animal behavior.