Silent Language Complexity American & Asia - marketing [1of3]

Abstract


This paper will serve as a general overview on the consideration of silent language complexities by comparison against a backdrop of American & Asia culture (and to a lesser degree, though with an intended focus, marketing). Please note that while the topic itself is subtle and nuanced, that is not to say such topic can be contained in a paper of just a few pages. Indeed, there is enough fodder here for modest book.



Introduction

Given the fungible arena that is nonverbal and silent language as an expression of culture, let us take a quick look, just by reference, at the seemingly innumerable ways these manifest. Based on this author's previous research and experience, please imagine a cube made up of cubes to represent a three-dimensional matrix.

On one axis (for the purposes of this illustration we will call this the width) we find the countries that constitute Asia (along with a few other configurations and the US). Pan Asian (and beyond), Region Specific – (with attendant notes), Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China (The People's Republic of), East Timor, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea North (DPRK / The Democratic People's Republic of) & South (The Republic of), Laos (The Lao People's Democratic Republic), Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan (Islamic Republic of), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (Republic of China), Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam. There is the underlying potential for differentiation based on this dimension alone, for this axis inherently expresses marketing factors such as geography, and its own configurations of temperature, proximity to water, mountains, arable land, natural resources and commodities etc. However, taken as a whole, at least to this axis is relatively fixed by the number of countries, which we’ll be using as shorthand to refer to the various cultures (and the non-language expressions that is the topic).

The reader now imagines a skyscraper breaking through clouds below. We have already established one side (that number of windows) of a skyscraper easing into the distance as the width, or countries. As for the height, however, the skyscraper breaks off at the bottom as the unseen to represent the never-ending configurations of human expression and interaction. Someday a sociologist may take this on, and for now, here is a small taste of the direction for you to consider. Proximity … Talking – alone, one on one, multiples, Standing – alone, one on one, multiples, Sitting – alone, one on one, multiples, Lying – alone, one on one, multiples … Introductions … Casual – one on one, multiples, Formal – one on one, multiples, Negotiations – one on one, multiples … Fundamentals … Greeting – one on one, multiples

Please – one on one, multiples, Excuse me – one on one, multiples, Parting – one on one, multiples…. Such headers, sub headers and subordinates to those considerations, as referenced, truly could go on, seemingly forever.

On the third, or depth, axis the reader is somewhat spared. By contrast, this skyscraper side is relatively shallow, for it represents possible relationships. While there may seem to be, as an example, innumerable ways to love, until the other axes are better enunciated, relationships can easily be represented by such characterizations as intimate, family, friend, colleague, business associate, and stranger. If this seemed too easy, it was, for each of these characterizations has yet one other filter: superior, equal and subordinate.

To sum up the introduction, we have imagined a three-dimensional metric made up of the following three axes: country (or thereabouts), configurations of human expression/interaction and relationship. At once, this all seems so simple, while quite possibly unfathomable.