Personal Space Differences

 

02/12/2022

Week 6 Response: “Personal Space Differences”

Personal space and all of its implications is a really fascinating topic to me. As an American raised in the western state of Oregon, I probably have a relatively large personal space bubble. I didn’t grow up in a large crowded city, but a smaller town with quite a bit of space. So, my cultural paradigm dictates a large personal space. I also think that while most of our spatial paradigms are determined by our culture at large, some are also determined by our smaller family culture. Some people are comfortable being more familiar at lower levels of relationships. For example, I have a co-worker who is what I call a “hugger”; he likes to greet with a hug. Once I realized that’s how he is, I was ok with it and I will hug him, but it’s not something I would be comfortable with initiating. Here is a funny example of personal space and ownership. My mom has a certain spot on a certain bench at church that she has staked out as “hers”. She sits there every week, and has for many years. The members of her ward have learned this, and no one usually sits in her seat. There have been a few occasions, however, when a new person or a visitor has taken it. If it’s a new person, my mom might have to get to church early several times so she can get the seat first and then over a few weeks, the new person will eventually “learn” not to sit there. I’m sure this is a pretty common occurrence in many family wards where people stake claims on certain benches. It is interesting, though, how we take ownership over certain spaces, even for short periods of time.

In the ESL classroom, how could personal space differences affect learning?  If a teacher and student have different spatial paradigms, one could think the other is being too familiar or inappropriate. Or, a teacher could put students into groups to work on a project, not realizing that some students may be uncomfortable if there hasn’t been enough time for them to become familiar with their peers. There could be misunderstandings among students if they take ownership over a certain desk or chair and then another student tries to sit there. As always, it is the responsibility of the teacher to be aware of these possible differences and misunderstandings. Being able to see the possible root of the problem will allow the teacher to more effectively solve it.

Comments

  1. AmaliaFebruary 12, 2022 at 5:18 PM

    Hi Amber, I like the story about your mom. We all have certain place that we feel our own.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lilian PerezFebruary 12, 2022 at 7:03 PM

    Hi Amber.
    I completely agree when you say that some personal spaces are determined by our family cultures. I would probable be like your co-worker hugging as a greeting. Great post.

    ReplyDelete

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