Question

What is the importance of cultural spaces to intercultural communication?

Answer 1

• Every living thing has a visible physical boundary—its skin—separating it from its external environment. This visible boundary is surrounded by a series of invisible boundaries that are more difficult to define but are just as real.
• These other boundaries begin with the individual’s personal space and terminate with her or his ‘territory’. This concept of physical boundary and territory can be defined as cultural space. Space is something that varies greatly from culture to culture. Depending on where you live, the amount of space or distance that is acceptable in social situations can be very different.
• All countries and cultures have “bubbles” or an amount of personal space that they regard as their own. This bubble of space is a valued barrier and if encroached upon by others can cause great discomfort or anxiety.
• Allowing a person to enter into our own personal space or territory indicates the type of relationship we have with that person. If we allow someone to stand close or touch us, it portrays one of familiarity or possibly intimacy; keeping our distance reveals something else entirely.
• Cultural spaces are important because we learn to communicate and interact with others with respect to their culture, we are learning how to fit ourselves into others' cultural spaces and recognizing the differences that different cultural spaces create.
• Cultural space is significant in this case of intercultural as it identifies people easily, show a sense of belonging, and promotes interrelations and cohesion. Cultural spaces are so important in the international communication because it remember us our values and to don't act against these values.
• Some cultures have big bubbles while others are smaller. Certain European cultures like Germany, Scandinavian countries and England have cultural space bubbles that are quite large where people keep their distance from one another
• Germans generally don’t touch when conversing and they usually reserve more intimate conversations to close friends and family where hugging and hand holding is considered appropriate.  
• In Saudi Arabia, cultural space is consistent throughout the country, but varies a bit between genders. Saudi’s tend to feel comfortable standing closer than an arm’s length apart from one another while in conversation.