Nonverbal Communication in Starbucks Cafe
Emblems and Illustrators in Customer-Barista Interaction
The first place where nonverbal communication was observed was the Starbucks Cafe. The observation was conducted during the lunch break when many students chose a cafe to drink coffee. The first thing that could be noticed when observing nonverbal communication was the use of emblems.
The visitors of the coffee shop did not actively gesticulate with each other; the barista was the one most active in handing out orders. Emblems are nonverbal signals with a verbal equivalent or direct verbal translation (White & Givens, 2021). These deliberate movements of the body are easily translated into speech (White & Givens, 2021).
The most commonly used barista emblem was the “ok” gesture after listening to an order. This gesture should be fast, automated, and used in regular customer service. When communicating with the barista, visitors used nonverbal illustrations that allowed them to emphasize and increase the meaning of words (White & Givens, 2021). When ordering drinks, many people showed two fingers if they needed two drinks. This trend is most likely associated with the desire to be heard by a large crowd of customers.
Affective Display and Spatial Behavior Among Visitors
The most commonly displayed nonverbal communication concept that attendees used with each other was effective display. This model of nonverbal communication is associated with the expression of explicit primitive human emotions (White & Givens, 2021). The main recognizable expressions were surprise and interest. Since the social time of all those in the coffee shop was limited, this facilitated quick conversations in which only the most essential information was concentrated.
The use of space can be characterized as social: visitors feel comfortable in a small space. Social space implies slightly closer contact than public space (White & Givens, 2021). The features of the observed nonverbal communication are explained by the informal atmosphere, the limited conversation time, and the institution’s small space.
Nonverbal Communication in a Business-Sector Restaurant
Territoriality and Communication Styles Across Social Roles
The second object in which nonverbal communication was observed was a small restaurant located in an office block. A distinctive feature of this restaurant is the high workload during the lunch break. Most visitors adhered to the official business style in appearance and communication. According to the communication style, visitors could be divided into partners, colleagues, and friends.
The first group had business conversations while being more focused on food. In this type of communication, territoriality is of great importance. It is a nonverbal communication term that refers to how people use space to communicate ownership or occupation of territories (White & Givens, 2021). This is especially evident in the position of the hands at the table; each person tries to take more space unconsciously. When communicating with colleagues and friends, territoriality took on less importance.
Public Distance, Eye Contact, and Emotional Restraint
Regardless of the relationship between the communicants, the type of communication in a restaurant can be characterized as public. Space in nonverbal communication refers to the distance between people during their communication (White & Givens, 2021). No one expressed violent emotions, did not enter into bodily contact, and did not gesticulate. All people at the tables communicated calmly and measuredly and were concentrated on eating.
It has also been observed that most communicated people avoided prolonged eye contact. This aspect of nonverbal communication is essential, as it influences how the other person relates to the speaker (White & Givens, 2021). By the looks of it, those in the room did not need to use eye contact to measure disposition. The explanation may be that those present could have had distant interpersonal relationships. The low severity of nonverbal communication emphasized the conversation’s general restraint, silence, and lethargy.
Nonverbal Communication in a Medical Center Setting
Artifacts and Paralanguage as Indicators of Social Identity
The third place in which the features of nonverbal communication were observed was a multidisciplinary medical center. The observation occurred during a large crowd at the end of the working day. Communication in such a place occurs either between people who have come to the reception together or inline between strangers to take their turn. Since communication is little expressed, artifacts representing elements of a person’s appearance are essential for understanding nonverbal communication (White & Givens, 2021).
From the study of external artifacts, it becomes clear that many visitors are middle-aged or elderly, belonging to the middle class. Paralanguage in nonverbal communication can be expressed in the tone of voice and the general manner in which a person speaks (White & Givens, 2021). In the situation under consideration, the communicators speak quietly and calmly without pronounced intonations.
Personal Space and Proxemic Behavior in a Clinical Environment
In the medical center, great importance is attached to the use of space since most people do not know each other and do not come into close contact. From the point of view of proxemics, the use of space is a characteristic sign by which one can determine the features of human behavior when building communication (White & Givens, 2021). In the medical center, the importance of personal space is observed, which implies the isolation and distance people are in.
Everyone who takes their place in line should sit at a distance from the already seated person. Even in the communication of familiar people who came to the center together, there is great restraint in the manifestation of signs of familiarity. Nonverbal communication in the medical center is predominantly restrained due to people’s respect for the privacy of strangers. Gesticulation, tone of voice, and intention in posture are weakly expressed as people observe the seriousness of the atmosphere in this place.
Reference
White, J., & Givens, D. B. (2021). The Routledge dictionary of nonverbal communication. Taylor & Francis.