INTRODUCTION

Proxemics is a theory of non-verbal communication that explains how people perceive and
use space to achieve communication goals. Introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in
the 1960s, the theory emerged from studies of animal behaviour conducted in the 19th and
early 20th centuries. Just as animals use urine and physical posturing to define their territory,
Hall posited, so do humans use personal space and concrete objects to establish theirs.
Proxemics is one of five non-verbal communication theories, the others being semiotics (sign
language), kinesics (body language), haptics (touch) and chronic (time).

Core Concepts and Assumptions

In his book, The Silent Language, Edward Hall outlined the following ideas behind
Proxemics theory:
1. There are four types of distances people keep: intimate (0 to 18 inches), personal (18
inches to 4 feet), social (4 to 10 feet), and public (over 10 feet).
2. The distances outlined are those deliberately chosen by individuals. Forced closeness
doesn’t factor in proxemics.
3. Proxemics behaviour is learned mostly from observing others rather than from explicit
instruction, which is why personal distance and physical contact varies by culture.
4. The physical distance between communicators indicates the type of relationship they have.
Body angles, touch and eye contact further reveal the familiarity between people.
5. Americans generally prefer 18 inches of personal space.
Hall believed that proxemics could not only help illuminate relationships and communication
goals, but also explain other cultural and anthropological phenomena, such as the
organization of towns and living spaces. Furniture, walls, streets, buildings and fences are
arranged in ways that delineate one’s territory, whether for living, working or meeting others.
Territories are designed to provide comfort for their owners and produce anxiety within
intruders.

How has COVID-19 affected the way we communicate?

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Effective communication has always been the key to all healthy relationships. During the
mandatory quarantine, many individuals are working from home with little to no face-to-face
interactions, except with their families.
The most obvious changes are that most of us now have less face-to-face, in-person
interaction
with others, and when we are face to face, we are wearing masks,
We have less interaction overall with people outside of the people we live with, and we spend
more time on Zoom, Skype and other mediated platforms.”
Levine says, health-wise, social distancing is for the best overall; but social isolation is not
healthy in the long term.
“There is some interesting and important research on the effects of social isolation on
communication,” Levine said. “One impact is that, the less contact we have with other
people, the
more we become suspicious of other people. This can make others more defensive and lead to
a vicious spiral where isolation leads to suspicion, which begets defensiveness, which
reinforces
the suspicion and leads to further isolation as a self-fulfilling prophesy.”
A positive is that many are becoming better at using communication technologies, which may
be
more beneficial moving forward.
“My guess is many of us have had crash courses in Zoom these past few months,” Levine
said.
“Much has been written on Zoom etiquette, such as turning off your mic when you are not
speaking. I think Zoom happy hours or coffee breaks are a great idea. It is also very important
to respect other people’s comfort levels as well as their health. Following the basic rule of ‘be
considerate’ is probably more important than ever.”
In order to maintain a sense of normalcy, Levine recommends keeping in touch with your
friends
and community as much as possible.
“It is probably more important than ever to just stay in touch with people whether by phone,
email, text or old-fashioned letter,” Levine said.
Getting back to normal will probably be a slow process, but it is also important to remember
that what is “normal” changes over time even without pandemics. Social and digital media
are sure to remain important for the foreseeable future. But they will not replace face-to-face
interaction-CTED US IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION.

Since the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis hit, I’ve been surprised at how many phone and video
calls
I've made and received. In the last week I’ve had scheduled FaceTime dates, video
conferences
and received spontaneous communications that go on for an hour or more, something I
haven't
done since I was a teenager.
I’m not alone. With hundreds of millions of people under lockdown around the world,
telecommunication is going up. People I’ve spoken to have been connecting in new social
ways, hosting virtual bachelorette parties, happy hours and reunions with friends who haven’t
connected in decades. People have been hanging out on FaceTime while working on separate
projects (almost as if they were in a coffee shop), or even gathering callers to pray together in
a
nightly video Novena.
But what’s driving this upsurge in calls and what’s the impact, particularly on those who
aren’t
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comfortable chatting on the phone or over video? If you’re not a ‘phone person’, how should
you
handle the current rush to connect
Before corona[virus], we may have taken our social interactions for granted and been the
kind of
person who said: ‘I’m terrible at keeping in touch’. Suddenly, people are becoming aware of
how
important it is to stay in contact with their fellow humans. Whether it’s by phone or in
person, I
hope this will stick with us when we come out of the pandemic.”
Phone anxiety is an offshoot of social anxiety disorder, which is one of the most common
anxiety disorders,” says Jean Kim, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at George
Washington University who has written about phone phobia. “It’s characterised by people
feeling
fear in social situations; they have a flood of automatic negative thoughts and are self-
critical.”
Some people get thrown by different social cues on the phone, she says, while for others
being
out of practice because of the ease of text and email can also lead to anxiety when using a
less
familiar form of communication.
Tara Nurin, a freelance journalist based in New Jersey, grew up chatting on the phone but
then
developed anxiety about calls as email and texting took over. “It grew out of the fact that I
got
scared of small talk. I dread conversations that are like: ‘So, how have you been?’ It grew and
eventually stretched into a loathing of the phone.” Her reluctance to return calls annoys
family
and friends, she says, and she’s taken aback if someone calls out of the blue.
Now, however, she’s embracing video chatting, partly because it recreates an in-person
experience and feels more like designated social time. “It’s a time where my friends and I are
putting aside everything else and choosing to socially communicate with each other … Now
that
we can’t go anywhere, I’m super comfortable with it.” Could this help her with her
relationship
with phone calls in the future? It’s a definite possibility, she says.
Kim says we might be experiencing a kind of inadvertent exposure therapy. “As people
reality-test what they feared, they might find their friends like talking to them or nothing is
different when they speak to their co-workers from home, and it can be therapeutic.”
That we’re getting a lot more practise than usual could also help those who have previously
shied away from phone or video chats. Mikaela Levy, a doula who’s currently at home with
her
three kids and husband, says her 13-year-old son didn’t like talking to his grandparents on the
phone because he didn’t know what to talk about. Now that he’s doing distance learning and
video chatting with his friends, he’s become more comfortable with family catch ups.
But there are those who are starting to resent all the calls – or at least wish the new style of
communication came with defined parameters.
Teresa Lynn Hasan-Kerr, an English teacher in Morocco, considers herself an introvert and
hates
talking on the phone or via video. She dislikes the awkward small talk, the drawn-out
goodbyes,
the pauses online when the wi-fi lags. Now that remote work is forcing her to take calls at
home,
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she feels it’s intruding on her private life.

Communicate Effective While Wearing a Mask

Rockville, MD use of facial coverings to help prevent the spread of covid-19 can present
challenges to communication, particularly for people who have difficulties in hearing. As
health officials encourage the continued use of facial coverings during the pandemic, the
American speech language hearing association has released guidance intended to improve
communication for all wears. Among the tips.
Consider using a covering with a clear panel over the mouth, or a clear face-shield when
appropriate. This can help to maintain the ability to read lips and observe facial expressions.
Before speaking, make sure you move the attention of the person with whom you are
communicating with. Face the other person directly with nothing blocking your view. Speak
louder and slower, without shouting. Use your hands and body language.
Move to a quiet place if possible. Ask the person if he or she understood what you were
saying, if not then state your message directly or write it down. For people who using hearing
aid or cochlear implant, ASHA advised choosing a musk with four string ties instead of
earloops. Secure your device with non-damaging material such as using tape or a clothes
headband. After removing your mask in a safe place, make sure the device is still working

How coronavirus has hit employment in G7 economies

Hundreds of millions of people could be left without work due to the impact of COVID-19,
the UN’s work agency warns.
Current G7 jobless totals vary widely, from 30 million in the United States to 1.76 million in
Japan.
Several European governments have softened rise in unemployment with generous wages
subsidies.
Since the pandemic hit, claims for unemployment benefits have soared in some countries –
notably the US – and by far less in others, for example, Japan.

Gender-based violence and COVID-19-“When we are silent, we allow these crimes to

multiply”

UN Women estimates that globally in the past 12 months 243 million women and girls aged
15–49 years were subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate
partner. As a result of the lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19, emerging
data show that such violence has intensified. In France, for example, reports of domestic
violence have increased by 30% since the lockdown started on 17 March, and in Argentina
emergency calls about domestic violence have increased by 25% since its lockdown started
on 20 March. Many other countries have reported such increases.
Recently, the Odnoklassniki social network, known as OK, hosted a broadcast for experts and
others to discuss how to survive lockdown and avoid family conflict and gender-based

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violence. The broadcast was seen by 1.7 million OK network users across eastern Europe and
central Asia.
“I live in Kyrgyzstan,” Ulzisuren Jamstran, a representative of UN Women in Kyrgyzstan,
said. “Here, according to the government, the level of domestic violence increased by 65%.
We see an increase in aggression against women and children in Kyrgyzstan, we see an
increase in suicides among children, even young children.”
Lyudmila Petranovskaya, a Russian psychologist, explained how isolation made good
relationships become better and problematic relationships become more problematic. She
emphasized that people need to be aware of the options if they are locked down with an
abuser. “People have to look for contacts, a hotline, call friends, try to find another place to
survive isolation. Staying with the abuser is dangerous. This threat is more serious than
coronavirus,” she said.
Julia Godunova, Deputy Head of the Board of the Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS,
spoke about studies in eastern Europe and central Asia that show that more than 70% of
women who survived violence do not seek help because of the perceived shame.
Dina Smailova, the founder of the #DontBeSilentKZ nongovernmental organization,
addressed female survivors of violence. “When we are silent, we allow these crimes to
multiply. I urge women not to be silent. Our movement is expanding, we are active not only
in Kazakhstan, but also in other countries of central Asia and beyond.”
The broadcast highlighted successful experiences around the world in responding to gender-
based violence. The example in Spain, where women in danger can visit pharmacies and use
a code word to alert staff that they need help, was praised. The role of the private sector was
also shown to be important—since many shelters are not open at present, hotels are stepping
in and providing shelter, either for free or at a minimal cost.
The broadcast was part of a joint initiative of the UNAIDS regional office for eastern Europe
and central Asia, the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education and OK,
in partnership with the regional office of UN Women for eastern Europe and central Asia.

How Has Corona Negatively Affected Our Way of

Communicating
Firstly there are different ways of communicating, the most affected one is
physical communication because we are no longer able to touch people, also
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studies have shown that 70% of the people read your lips to actually hear and
understand what one is saying, but now with masks on that is impossible.
People are now required to listen attentively of which other people are not very
good at as their attention span is short.
It has certainly affected the way in which we often communicate with our
families, friends and even lecturers who live in other provinces because we need
to use Internet, calls and video calls to communicate and that is an issue because
sometimes the connectivity is bad and we end up not talking as much as we
would like to. It has also affected our studies as Zoom, Microsoft teams and
other platforms of communicating with lecturers were introduced, some
students are left out and cannot catch up with school work and in some cases
other students actually drop out of universities/ colleges
As much as Corona virus has negatively affected almost everything including
the ways in which we traditionally or normally communicate, we are still taking
precautionary measures when communicating for example standing one or two
feet apart from other people, talking under the mask and the elbow greeting. We
are adapting to the new normal of communicating.

Effective communication has always been the key to all the healthy
relationships. During the mandatory quarantine, many individuals are working
from home with little to no face to face interactions, expect with their families.
A communication expert explains how communication skills have changed
during the Coivd-19 pandemic quarantine.
Tim Levine, Ph.D. chair and distinguished professor in the College of Arts and
Sciences Department of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham, explains how the novel coronavirus pandemic has affected the
way we communicate and its critical impact on our daily communication skills.
Most common change is the face-t-face. We have less interaction and we spend
more time on Zoom, Skype and the platforms.
Health wise social distancing is best overall; but social isolation is not healthy
in the long term.
‘’There is some interesting and important research on the effects of the social
isolation on communication,’’ Levine said. ‘’ One impact is that, the less
contact we have with other people, the more we become suspicious of them.
This can make others more defensive and lead to vicious spiral where isolation
leads to isolation, which begets defensiveness, which reinforces the suspicion
and leads to further isolation as self-fulfilling prophesy.
In order to maintain a sense of normalcy, keeping in touch with your friends and
community as much as possible. Getting back to normal will probably be a
6
slow-process, but it is also important to remember that what is ‘’normal’’
changes over time even without pandemics.

How Has The Ban of Alcohol And Cigarette Affected us

Negatively

, 1. Reduced violence
As Movendi International previously reported, weeks into the lockdown, movement
restrictions and the alcohol sales ban, police minister Bheki Cele reported on the positive
outcomes regarding violence reductions comparing to the same time period, last year.Crime
statistics revealed, between March 29 and April 22 last year compared with March 27 and
April 20 this year,
 Murder cases dropped from 1542 to 432 showing a decrease of 72% (1110 decrease),

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2. Reduced violent death rate
Reduced overall violence as reported by crime statistics goes hand in hand with reductions in
violent deaths since the COVID-19 lockdown and alcohol sales ban.
The rapid mortality reporting system developed by the burden of disease unit at the South
African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the University of Cape Town’s Centre for
Actuarial Research, report unnatural deaths in the country have halved since lockdown
measures and the alcohol sales ban.

3. Drop in trauma cases in hospitals

Hospitals in South Africa are reporting dramatic drops in trauma cases. Before the lockdown
and the alcohol availability restrictions in the country, modelling by the SAMRC suggested
trauma units nationwide saw about 35,000 weekly admissions. Since the lockdown and
alcohol sales ban SAMRC modelling suggests hospital trauma admissions have decreased
by 66%.

Minor Businesses Were Created

Streets venders are making a big amount of money during this Covid-19 pandemic. They
made face marks The Arrow face mask from Off-White, the designer brand founded by
Virgil Abloh, became the most searched menswear product online during the first quarter of
the year, according to the Lyst Index. No matter that the mask had been launched way back in
2019 for the Autumn/Winter season. In the time of Covid-19, the face mask has become an
essential accessory.

CONCLUSION
During this time of Corona virus what we have learnt as human beings is that life is precious
and we need each other in every step of life. we saw people losing jobs but started learning to
start their own businesses and learning new skills. we learned about personal hygiene and
living a healthy lifestyle since our lives was depending on it. we even learnt to work and
interact using online mediums.as much as we missed close contact interaction but we learnt
that there are other ways we can keep in contact. Even though a lot of families where together
and frustrated by being forced to stay together we were able to reestablish our relationships
with our loved ones. As we are slowly going back to close contact interaction we need to be
careful as we can find ourselves back to a place where we were not able to interact with each
other.