Your Personal Space Bubble

It goes with you everywhere--your own personal space bubble. Of course, it's imaginary, and yet very real. In my last post, I discussed the concept of territoriality and how you all have various places that you consider yours even if they are not. Today, I'd like to discuss the related concept of personal space. Unlike territoriality which remains in one location and doesn't move when you do, your personal space bubble travels with you. You can think of personal space as an imaginary bubble that totally surrounds you and moves with you. How large the bubble is depends upon you and how comfortable you feel in close proximity to others. If you are not bothered being very close to others, your personal bubble is very small; if being close to others bothers you in any way, your personal space bubble is much larger. Only you know how big your bubble is.

Although there are individual differences in bubble size from one person to another, the greatest differences are probably cultural. That is, in some cultures (such as Latin American or Middle Eastern) people tend to feel comfortable in crowds and thus, their personal space bubbles are generally small. However, in other cultures (such as Asian or Scandinavian), where crowding behavior is less tolerated, the personal space bubble of individuals is typically much larger. In the United States, most of us have personal space bubbles of moderate size.

How do you know the size of your own personal space bubble? Just think about how you feel when you find yourself in the middle of a tightly packed group of people. If such a situation makes you feel warm and cozy, your bubble is probably quite small. If such a situation creeps you out and you can't wait to get some privacy, then your bubble is probably quite large. Most of us are somewhere in the middle.

What is the size of your personal space bubble?

(photos from http://home.xtra.co.nz and www.bob-baker.com)

That's My Territory!

Hey! That's my space! And I don't mean the Internet site. We often consider a certain chair or table or even a room "ours" just because we use it a lot or because we used it before anyone else does. It's human nature to stake out territory for ourselves where we can feel comfortable and somewhat at home. I often discussed this common behavior when I taught Nonverbal Communication at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I even saw it demonstrated in my classes each semester. Within a day or two of the beginning of the semester each student had seemingly settled into a particular desk. If one of them were to sit in a different desk, it would have caused confusion and possibly resentment from their classmates. Such behavior is a common manifestation of what researchers call territoriality. In fact, my students' territoriality about their desks made it easier for me to remember who they were: John was in the first desk in the row by the window, Mary was in the last seat by the wall, etc.

Territoriality refers to the common practice where we tend to assume the right to space just because we occupy it on a regular basis. (Territoriality differs from the concept of personal space, which is an imaginary bubble that follows a person around and determines how close or how far that individual will stand when interacting with others). People may take territorial rights over tables, chairs, or even parts of a room. One common territory for many individuals is their car. Groups may claim territoriality over larger spaces. For example, group territoriality can be seen when gangs take over entire neighborhoods. It can also be seen in the behavior of ethnic groups that settle in certain parts of a city.

How do you show your territoriality? Do you have a territory that you feel is yours--but really isn't?

(photo from http://www.mcsun.org/?p=937 and http://marieceleste.wordpress.com)

Let's Communicate and Coexist

As a long time Communication teacher I believe in the power of the spoken word. Although I don't think that communication alone will solve all problems--I do believe it is a key ingredient. I saw this emblem at Lola's Diner the other day and followed it over to Good Mourning Glory where I discovered that Diane is promoting the concept of coexistence with guest posts by bloggers from diverse religious backgrounds who will be sharing stories of their faith's various traditions starting on November 16.

What a wonderful idea, Diane! With so much strife in the world (religious, political, and otherwise), any opportunity for people to learn about each other's perspectives, for people to practice tolerance, courtesy, and respect for each others' viewpoints is one of the best ways of putting our communication skills into practice. This Communication teacher supports your efforts and hopes COEXIST (note how symbols for different religious perspectives are interwoven into the word "coexist"), a celebration of peace, is a huge success. Please drop by Diane's blog starting on November 16 and join me in learning about fellow bloggers' different traditions.

October Top Droppers

Here is a list of my Top Entrecard Droppers for the month of October. I really appreciate all those of you who visit Communication Exchange every day.