Body-language and nonverbal communication

Archive
science

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

250 million children cannot read nor write – a scandal –

Results of newest surveys of the UNESCO on the issue of leteracy show that about 250 Million children can neither read nor write. This is a scandal in the world.

Being able to read and to write is a human right.

Writing about body language and nonverbal communication, believing that this a very important part of communication, I at the same time, especially being aware of these results, want to underline how important the competence of literacy is. It is a basis competence intensely connected with the competence of nonverbal communication.

The one cannot exist without the other.

Don`t ……………….forget this. Don`t forget to read, to write and to reflect what happens around you in the world.

especially with children. Children are our future.

“Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world.

The uses of literacy for the exchange of knowledge are constantly evolving, along with advances in technology. From the Internet to text messaging, the ever-wider availability of communication makes for greater social and political participation. A literate community is a dynamic community, one that exchanges ideas and engages in debate. Illiteracy, however, is an obstacle to a better quality of life, and can even breed exclusion and violence.

For over 65 years UNESCO has worked to ensure that literacy remains a priority on national and international agendas. Through its formal and non-formal literacy programmes worldwide, the Organization works to realize the vision of a literate world for all.”

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/

http://www.spiegel.de/schulspiegel/ausland/bild-861580-133463.html

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change (3) and  Palaver – Traditional African Decision making

Maybe you have heard about palaver. In Germany we understand palaver as talking this and that, small talk and things like this.

But: palaver in Africa is a very old, important communication model of social and political discussion/discourse. Psychoanalysts and ethnologists did a lot of research on that in the 1920s. Here is a short picture about palaver in those days.

“They sit under a tree and talk until ……………

Read More

 Change (2) and integration

Some days ago I talked about change, mergers and development in China and Europe. Today I want to line out another model of approaching change.

To begin with I want to remind you about how a merger usually functions in western countries.

Mostly there’s a strong partner and a weak partner. Mostly the strong partner tries to get the small partner (though often this is not addressed too directly and openly). Then, to make it short, management tries to find synergy effects, tries to reduce costs and to bring people together in a team or in a unit being convinced that if the employees are put together they will work together sufficiently and successfully.

As I told you already this kind of management fails in about 70-80% of those mergers.

If change develops like this, this process often …………..

Read More

Change and decision making: Traditional – modern- or how ???

Last week I listen to some experts at a symposium at Bochum University ( http://dbs-lin.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/osaforum/showthread.php?tid=452 ).  A management expert who had worked for different companies in China and in Germany and who nowadays supports companies as an intercultural consultant focused one special Chinese habits like this: China often keeps up traditional organizations and at the same time, so to say parallel to this, they begin with a new model of organization. He also explained that many of these Chinese projects follow the function of: Does it work out or not? If it works out, the new kind of organization can more easily be taken over and integrated in society or business. Instead of the other.

Many western people or organizations or companies will think differently about ……………..

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Barefoot Doctors of Rural China

When I for the first time, probably around 1975 or 1977, heard about the barefoot doctors in China I became curious to get to know more about this way of medical health care. When listening to some Chinese colleague at the Heidelberg Conference in 2011 I came across the deep necessity, especially nowadays, of such an alternative way trying to contact rural people and offering them basic medical health care.

I was told that most of the young people who, coming from the rural parts of China, ………….

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sex in the soul“ – what can your eyes reveale?

Of course you remember when the pupil widens or closes. Of course you know about the importance of this process in the eyes. But do you know why this happens? Do you know what it means?

About fifty or sixty years ago scientist believed that the process of widening or closing notes your sexual orientation. Gero from the Cornell University was convinced about the proof in his study on such eyes`reaction. He was convinced that the widening of the pupil shows if one is heterosexual or homosexual or …………..

Read More

 Systemic thinking: psychotherapy in China

The German-Chinese Academy of Psychotherapy DCAP organises qualified training in psychotherapy in China since more than 20 years. Collegues from Germany go to China to train there. And Chinese collegues from China come to Germany to be trained here and to work as psychotherapists. There is a very interesting study on basic differences in thinking on cultural boundaries, family structure / relationship and intervention. The results of this study are not only interesting for psychotherapists, but also to everybody who is interested in these issues concerning intercultural communication.

Please feel free ……….

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rising dragon around the dome of Cologne, or: what is cultural integration Part II

…..I realized the birth of this picturesque image I talked about earlier. This image reminded me of experiences which I had as consultant and coach in companies when they follow a fusion process. A fusion in business is based on an intercultural process. One company with its special culture joins, meets and unites with another company, with its typical culture. In contrast to official wording most of these processes are a non-equal-fusion.

Most of those fusions in business failed. They faile because of a wrong approach of understanding intercultural communication. Intercultural communication and integration in business often means: We put those two companies together, have a look, try to find out the most effective and efficient elements of structure and efficiency in order to build up the new company on these analytical results.

Intercultural communication and integration does not function like this. ……………….

Read More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cosmopolitan Chinese manager

Business is important as base, motor and motivation for intercultural communication and integration. In whatever way. Here is n early study on this process, still worth being read. 

“As China emerges as a major player on the international business scene, it is becoming increasing important for Western businesses to understand the work values and behaviors of the people in this large and regionally diverse country. Thus, the focus of this study is to identify work value differences across the 6 regions of China. In the process of developing these comparisons, we identify ……………..

Read More

How the body shapes the way we think

an interesting and convincing but also strange  approach to the issue of the importance of movement for developement and learning.

All of Pfeiffer`s projects contribute, one way or other, to the central theme of understanding intelligence. The central concepts which form the basis of the approach include embodiment (the physical realization of agents), morphology, system-environment coupling, dynamics, and material properties. Pfeiffer`s main research fields are biorobotics, learning and development, evolution and morphogenesis, and collective intelligence.

Pfeiffer and his collegues are convinced that movement and the ability to move are basic elements of intelligence. So, one could think that body language and nonverbal behaviour also are aspects of intelligence.

If you are interested just have a look at his book.

How the Body Shapes the Way We Think
A New View of Intelligence
Rolf Pfeifer and Josh C. Bongard
Foreword by Rodney Brooks

http://www.neuroscience.ethz.ch/research/computation_modeling/pfeifer

Read More