Meet the Natives

Writer: Dr Luke Freeman

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Body language

A queue

There is much that an anthropologist can learn about a society by looking closely at body language. Body language is often so deeply culturally embedded that we display it without being aware. It may seem natural to look into somebody's eyes when talking to them but this is not universally so. In Madagascar, for example, this can be considered very rude and threatening.

As a multiracial society England today has a wide range ways of greeting people. Some shake hands, others do high fives, some kiss on the cheek, others avoid contact between people of different sexes. Just as there is no standard English body language there is also no standard English culture.

One place to observe body language in England is at the bus stop. It is a clichéd perception of the English that they line up in orderly queues. But recent anthropological research shows that this is not the case. Instead, passengers stand dotted all around the bus stop, leaving a few feet of personal space between each other. However, when the bus comes they tend to get on in the order they arrived.

Meet the Natives >