Introducing Sociology
Abstract
Nonverbal communication or body language is a way that people communicate many things about themselves to others. In this paper I will describe two people (whom I will call subject one and subject two from here on out) that I observed in different shopping malls on separate occasions and what their body language told me about each of them. I will also describe their performances (costume, props and manner) and what they said about the subjects.
Subject one is an older Asian male somewhere between the age fifty-five and seventy. He sits alone on a bench across the hall from the food court at around 2pm on a Tuesday. He wears regular no name blue jeans, a button up plaid shirt and what appeared to be inexpensive grey sneakers. His hair is well trimmed and frosted with gray. The man keeps checking his watch and starts playing with his cell phone.
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Body LanguageHe puts the phone back in his pocket and rubs his eyes. After about fifteen minutes of observation an African American teenager sits beside subject one on the bench. Subject one looks down and studies his hands which are sitting in his lap. Approximately sixty seconds after the African American teen sits down Subject one gets up and strolls around the food court then leaves the area. The performance and body language of subject one suggests that he is retired lower to middle class and is waiting for, someone perhaps his wife, to complete her shopping. He is also uncomfortable around the teen which is apparent by his staring at his hands and walking away after only sixty seconds.
Subject two is an African American woman between the age 18 and 25. She is well groomed with braids in her hair. She is wearing extremely tight...