Blogg Seven: Intercultural Relationships - Gestures

As I was looking through some old photos of mine, I was surprised at the number of picures in which people were giving a thumbs up. Here are just a few that I came across.

Betsy is proud of her owl cookie.

"Wow, that turned out great!"

Brad is a big fan of security guards.

"Isn't he doing a fantastic job?"

Even the graffiti man gives the thumbs up.

"I love my cement life in the sewer!"

Me and my freshman roommates on my birthday.

"Games outside in lantern light are fun!"

I'm having a blast at my cousin's wedding.

"The cake? Yes, delicious indeed."

After talking about intercultural communication, including gestures and movement, in class this week and upon doing some of my own research, I realized just how ambiguous this signal can be outside my American culture context.

In Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, and Thailand, the thumbs up sign is an obscene gesture, equivalent to the use of the middle finger in the Western world. That’s offensive. Oops.

In the UK, specifically northwest England, thumbs up is used as a greeting or farewell, or even simple recognition, similar to a hand wave.

In parts of West Africa and South America, the thumbs up sign is a foul insult.

In Russia and Finland, the sign can mean “awesome” or “good” or “well-done.”

In Egypt or Israel, the thumbs up is interpreted “perfect” or “very good.”

In Italy, this sign can indicate something is “OK” or represent the number one.

In America, obviously the thumbs up signifies approval or congratulations, and overall happiness or contentment.

When traveling internationally, one must be aware of various gestures and their meanings in the context of each visited culture. I realize some of these pictures would be interpreted differently if viewed by a person from another culture. I will probably begin to be more conscious of my appearance and gestures when I take pictures in the future, simply as a result of this research.