Eye contact is a way of communicating with others˳ Depending on which cultural situation an individual is in, eye contact gives out different signals˳ Appropriate eye contact levels differ from culture to culture˳
Diverse Eye Contact Cultures:
America: Visual contact is encouraged in the United States of America˳ If you look at someone in the eye, while speaking to him or her, you come across as confident, trustworthy and interested˳ Frequently glancing away from the person or refusing to make contact can signal low self-confidence, disinterest and a suspicious character˳ However, in Mexico, eye contact sustained too long is viewed negatively and suspiciously˳
Europe: In most areas of Europe, looking into a person’s eyes while conversing is seen as a mark of respect˳ However, this is brief contact˳ In many areas, consistent contact may be negatively viewed˳ In England, some amount of contact is necessary, but too much makes people uncomfortable˳ In other areas such as France and Spain, visual contact customs are similar to those in America˳
Middle East: Middle-Eastern societies, largely Muslim, require less contact than those in the European and American societies˳ Many cultures have laws dictating that women should not make visual contact with men˳ However, intense visual contact between two people of the same gender, usually men, signals sincerity and a plea to believe˳
Asia, Africa and Latin America: Here, sustained contact can be perceived as a challenge or affront to authority˳ Students are not encouraged to hold visual contact with teachers, children with parents or inferiors with superiors˳ This is simply to show respect and not disinterest˳
Eyes are the windows to the soul and thus, visual contact is a powerful means of communication˳ To avoid misunderstandings, one must know the culture he/she is interacting with and accordingly has to adapt the eye contact˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Eye-Contact-in-Different-Cultures&id=4079251
