Body Language
The recent observation of how men and women relate to each other was really fascinating as it was obvious to notice the affliative and power cues' that Janet Mills speaks off in Body Language Speaks Louder Than Words. Although body language can be clearly differentiated between the two sexes, whilst conducting the observation, I noticed that there is other categories that also have a certain behavioral patterns particular to that category.
I conducted my observation at the MTB Coffee Garden from 11:40 to 12:10 on the 18 March 2004. Body language seems to be fairly unconscious behavior yet it does follow some trend. I noticed that men react in similar ways and women react in similar ways. These actions do not seem to be noticed unless the behavior of either of the sexes is outside the normal behavior. I was intently watching a group of five girls and three boys and trying to distinguish their specific body language when all I could notice was the fifth girl, who was last to arrive at the table. She was sitting at the table legs out-stretched and her hands hanging loosely at her legs. This was most interesting as her body language was traditionally masculine. The boys at the table were sitting this way as well, which Janet Mills refers to as power cues'. I found this interesting as I only noticed her as her body language was out of the norm. this clearly illustrates the point that Janet Mills makes.
"These sex differences are socially learned and publicly performed but are relatively unconscious in both the sender and the receiver -until someone breaks the rules or norms" (Mills quoted by Ferrante:1992)
If the fifth girl were sitting like the other girls, legs crossed and hands lightly placed over her lap or around her face, she would have fitted in unnoticed, however her strong masculine gestures led me to single out her immediately.
The men at the coffee shop definitely had more aggressive body language than the women. They occupied
I conducted my observation at the MTB Coffee Garden from 11:40 to 12:10 on the 18 March 2004. Body language seems to be fairly unconscious behavior yet it does follow some trend. I noticed that men react in similar ways and women react in similar ways. These actions do not seem to be noticed unless the behavior of either of the sexes is outside the normal behavior. I was intently watching a group of five girls and three boys and trying to distinguish their specific body language when all I could notice was the fifth girl, who was last to arrive at the table. She was sitting at the table legs out-stretched and her hands hanging loosely at her legs. This was most interesting as her body language was traditionally masculine. The boys at the table were sitting this way as well, which Janet Mills refers to as power cues'. I found this interesting as I only noticed her as her body language was out of the norm. this clearly illustrates the point that Janet Mills makes.
"These sex differences are socially learned and publicly performed but are relatively unconscious in both the sender and the receiver -until someone breaks the rules or norms" (Mills quoted by Ferrante:1992)
If the fifth girl were sitting like the other girls, legs crossed and hands lightly placed over her lap or around her face, she would have fitted in unnoticed, however her strong masculine gestures led me to single out her immediately.
The men at the coffee shop definitely had more aggressive body language than the women. They occupied