PROXEMICS

The study of the symbolic and

communicative role of the spatial separation
individuals maintain in various social and
interpersonal situations, and how the nature
and degree of this spatial arrangement
relates to environment and cultural factors.

Category/Classification of proxemic
values

Intimate Space
Personal Space
Social
Public

Diagram of Edward T. Hall's personal reaction

bubbles (1966), showing radius in feet

 Intimate distance for embracing, touching or whispering

Close phase less than 6 inches (15 cm)
Far phase 6 to 18 inches (15 to 46 cm)
Personal distance for interactions among good friends or family
members
Close phase 1.5 to 2.5 feet (46 to 76 cm)
Far phase 2.5 to 4 feet (76 to 120 cm)
Social distance for interactions among acquaintances
Close phase 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m)
Far phase 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m)
Public distance used for public speaking
Close phase 12 to 25 feet (3.7 to 7.6 m)
Far phase 25 feet (7.6 m) or more.

 In addition to physical distance, the level of intimacy

between conversants can be determined by "sociopetal socio-fugal axis", or the "angle formed by the axis
of the conversants' shoulders".
Sociofugal-sociopetal Axis: The word sociofugal means
discouragement of interaction, sociopetal implies
encouragement. Axis is the angle of the shoulder
relative to the other person. For example, if the
speaker is face to face then this is sociopetal. This
would encourage interaction where as sociofugal
would discourage it, i.e. being back to back
(www.proz.com).

Personal Distance is the term

applied by the animal psychologist
H. Hediger to the normal spacing
that non-contact animals maintain
between themselves and their
fellows.
The birds sunning on a log and
the people waiting for a bus
both demonstrate this
natural grouping.

The Intimate distance between

the two subjects clearly reflects
the aggressive and hostile nature
of their feelings at the moment

Three acquaintances
maintaining the far phase
of personal distance
from each other

Impersonal business is
generally conducted
at social distance,
varying from four to
twelve feet depending on
the degree of involvement.
People who work together
tend to maintain close
social distance in their
standing and seating positions.

Furniture arrangement in
public places has a distinct
relationship to the degree of
conversation.
Some spaces such as railway
waiting rooms in which
the seating provisions are
formally arranged in fixed rows,
tend to discourage conversation
(social spaces). Others such as
the tables in a European
sidewalk cafe, tend to bring
people together(social spaces)

Proxemic patterns are often

Excellent clues to cultural
Differences. These two French
Scenes , showing the crowded
Spacing of caf tables and a crowd
of persons listening to an outdoor
Talk ,indicate the French tendency
To pack together more closely
than do northern Europeans, English
and Americans and suggest the
resulting high sensory involvement
evident in many aspects of
French life.

Territory
There are four forms of human territory in
proxemic theory. They are:
1. public territory a place where one may freely
enter
2. interactional territory a place where people
congregate informally
3. home territory a place where people claim their
individual territory
4. body territory the space immediately
surrounding us