Essays on Faux Pas

A very important issue in inter-cultural communication is the varied difference in the gestures and practices across cultures of the world. For Americans it is quite troublesome that the peace sign is actually taken as showing the finger in nations like United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. Actually, the palm needs to face outwards so that an individual is not mistaken in this context.

In the United States of America, thumbs up is taken as a common positive gesture, while in Iran the gesture as the worst possible insult and hence it needs to ...

There are different perceptions and ideologies among various cultures today. Faux Pas refers to acts that are socially inconsiderate or rude, and are not accepted by a community’s norms and social standards. There, however, are behaviors that may be socially awkward in one society, but do not seem socially offensive to another. Learning and appreciating such acts are an essential element, as it enables a person to adapt to different inter-cultural situations. The rapid globalization effect requires people to understand various cultural differences to avoid the incomprehensible behavior.

Some Asian countries consider stepping over someone as an anti-social behavior. People ...

The differences in gestures and practices across cultures of the world are a major issue in inter-cultural communication.

Quite troublesome for Americans is the fact that the peace sign is actually taken as showing the finger in countries like United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. To be exact, the palm should face outwards so that a person is not mistaken in this regard. While in India and Albania the people use nodding their heads up-down and right-left as signs for “yes” and “no” respectively, in Bulgaria, the gesture is quite different in comparison. In Bulgaria, shaking one’s head left to right means “yes”, while up and down means a “no”. In America and many other places, a ...