Understanding Nonverbal Communication: A Semiotic Guide

by Marcel Danesi

The human body is a primary source of meaning-making, with the body conveying over two-thirds of our messages. But how can we understand these physical communicative cues? How are they being expressed and exploited in new media and multimodal online and mobile interaction?

Offering an in-depth guide to help you investigate and understand real and virtual nonverbal communication using semiotic theory, this book assumes little previous knowledge of semiotics or linguistics. With in-depth, comparative case studies, each chapter deals with a traditional aspect of nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, touch, and gesture, before extending the discussion to new media and cyberspace.

Explaining the issues step by step and supported by exercises, directed further reading and a glossary of key terms, Understanding Nonverbal Communication provides you with all the tools you need to understand how nonverbal communication unfolds in all kinds of contexts, and the kinds of messages that it makes possible.

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2021

About the author

Marcel Danesi (b. Marcello Danesi, 1946) is a current Professor of Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto. He is known for his work in language, communications, and semiotics; being Director of the Program in Semiotics and Communication Theory.

He has also held positions at Rutgers University (1972), The University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1988), the Catholic University of Milan (1990), and the University of Lugano.

He is the Editor-in-Chief of Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies and is a past-president of the Semiotic Society of America.

Reviews

[A Crawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Nonverbal Communication: A Semiotic Perspective," (2021), Marcel Danesi, professor of Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Toronto, a semiotician with over five decades of experience, explores nonverbal communication (NVC) through the semiotic lens. Published by Bloomsbury Academic, the book is organized traditionally, dissecting NVC channel by channel—such as facial expressions, hand gestures, proxemics and more. While organizing chapters by individual nonverbal channels is the standard within this field, it notably underscores the bimodal relationship between behavior and language – an infrequent original decision – and emphasizes cultural influences, though it less frequently addresses biological aspects.

The reader of this review will find here a balanced assessment of strengths and weaknesses of the book, concluding with two antagonizing arguments in favor or against reading the text, ultimately servings as heuristic guides for deciding if it is personally valuable.

Danesi's work is commendable for its extensive reference to both historical and contemporary researchers across various disciplines, providing a generally coherent and comprehensive view on NVC by relying on an extensive list of diverse references. The inclusion of numerous anecdotes about the development of NVC in scientific research enhances understanding of its significant outcomes. Particularly valuable is the compilation of language metaphors related to nonverbal behavior (e.g., "my lips are sealed"), which represent an original contribution to the field. The final two chapters, focusing on extended nonverbal communication and human-machine interaction, introduce novel content that, despite their unconventional arrangement, enrich the traditional NVC narrative.

However, certain elements within the book are of concern for the discerning reader. Danesi occasionally applies terminology loosely, such as his use of 'haptic' to describe non-touch-related gestures and 'microexpression' to denote all facial expressions, not just those fleeting ones lasting less than a quarter of a second. More critically, his claims on lie detection—such as the difficulty of lying with open palms and the assertion that one cannot control certain behaviors—are unsupported by robust evidence. Furthermore, Danesi mentions that pupils contract during romantic interest, contradicting established physiological responses where pupils dilate. The perpetuation of the debunked myth regarding personal space bubbles and the dismissal of biological influences on perceptions of beauty are additional points of contention. The frequent use of detailed taxonomies, while intended to clarify, occasionally complicates the narrative without enhancing understanding. One more confusing decision is the reliance on the word 'code', highly ingrained in the field, but applied here to refer to 'rules’ within nonverbal communication, standing against consensus but with no apparent conceptual intention behind it.

Danesi aims to make this book accessible to undergraduates and lay audiences, a goal articulated in the introduction with his claim of using a "non-technical style." However, if he had used simpler explanations, his approach wouldn’t have fallen short on clarifying complex concepts. While Danesi offers several insightful observations that distinguish his work from other NVC texts authored by communication scholars, potential readers should be aware that alternative textbooks might provide clearer explanations and more consistent or robust theoretical organizations.

In summary, while "Nonverbal Communication: A Semiotic Perspective'' provides unique insights through its semiotic examination of NVC, readers seeking a more structured and scientifically rigorous exploration of the topic might consider other resources. Danesi's book, however, remains a noteworthy yet unconventional read for its distinctive approach and contributions to understanding the semiotic aspects of nonverbal behavior in an original, organized way with a non-traditional selection of contents.