Personal Space: Sacrosanct Rules Of Social Behavior

Book Task

Personal Space

Topic 2

Robbin Bott

4/12/2016

Thou shall not transgress thy neighbor's personal space. It's among the most sacrosanct rules of social behavior. But how do these invisible bubbles of space surrounding each of us come to exist in the first place , and why does it feel so icky when they overlap?

First, how big are these bubbles? According to the American anthropologist Edward Hall, whose 1960s research on the topic still stands today, you're actually enveloped by bubbles of four different sizes, each of which applies to a different set of potential interlopers.

The smallest zone, called "intimate space," extends outward from our bodies 18 inches in every direction, and only family, pets and one's closest friends may

This bubble is created in our childhood and varies depending on the location you grew up in. For example, someone who grew up in the country side or on a farm is used to having lots of space to themselves, therefore, their bubble would be significantly bigger than someone who grew up in New York or New Delhi where the population is denser and everywhere is more crowded. A few years ago in Spain they decided to add extra seats in class rooms as the population was growing instead of expanding the schools, the result was catastrophic as the students not only could retain less information but became significantly more violent by the invasion of personal space and started fighting each

The Intimate Zone is the most important zone of all as it is only reserved for a select few of people, including parents, love partners, children, family and very close friends. The proximity chosen by people is also dependant on who the other person is. Only love partners or our children for instance, would be allowed to engage in close physical proximity (15 cms or less) especially in the hip area as opposed to a distant family member. Anyone who is not meant to be in the Intimate Zone and enters it will cause physiological changes (such as increased heart rate) in our body as we will feel threatened.

• Friend Zone: This is about 45 cms to 1.2 meters (18 to 46 inches). This is the distance that we reserve for social gatherings such as parties, friendly interactions, etc.

• Social Zone: About 1.2 to 3.5 meters (4 to 12 feet) this zoning is reserved for strangers we just met, acquaintances and anyone we interact with that we haven't established a relationship