Denmark and Nonverbal Communication

Denmark much like the United States is considered to be and individualistic and low-context culture. Therefore, much of how they use nonverbal communication is like those of Americans. With this information I recruited the help of my friend from Denmark, Jannie. Jannie and I are more like sister, in fact she calls me her American sister and I call her my Danish sister. In recruiting her help she answered some questions I had, which will be discussed in this post. Even though Denmark and America are very similar, some of thier ways of using nonverbal communication is different. So lets' begin!

The first aspect of nonverbal communication I want to start with gestures. Jannie told me that for the most part our gestures are the same and have the same meaning. In doing a little more research I found that there are a few differences. In America we have all done or seen someone call another person crazy by circling our index (pointer) finger near the temple of our head. In Denmark this gesture is used to insult another driver while on the road. Another gesture is the O.K. sign we make when connecting our thumb and forefinger to make a circle. Here in America it is a good sign but like in other countries it is considered an insult in Denmark.

Next, make the "victory" sign with your hand. Was the palm of your hand facing outward or inward? If it was outward, than I think you will be okay in Denmark! When making that sign in Denmark, it is interpreted as a rude or obscene gesture if your palm is facing inward. Jannie told me that in Denmark pointing at someone directly is considered rude but to point in a direction is acceptable, much like the United States. In order to beckon someone, such as a waiter, you do so by using your index finger.

Another question I asked Jannie was about body movement, do the use their hands when they speak or use large arm movements to get a point across. Her response was that it depends on how extroverted you are. She said that usually people my wave at someone and smile but large gestures are not used. This found out is because in Denmark people do not do anything to draw attention to them. It is more important to blend in with the crowd then to stand out. As far as how you present yourself in public, one should not slouch because it is considered juvenile and shows lack of respect and laziness. Let me ask you a question, how do you enter the row of your choice at the movies? Do you turn your back to the people already sitting in that row or do you face them? I know I turn my back to them. Turning your back to someone with walking through the movie theater row is considered an insult; you should face them and have your back side facing the stage/screen.

In Denmark space and privacy are very important. In my conversation with Jannie she told me that when in the company of close friends and family is the only time when people are comfortable with people being in their personal space. In my research I found that even on the buses or when standing in large groups, people tend to act like no one is around them. They do not like their space to be invaded, especially from strangers. If you are having a conversation with a Dane, you would need to stand at least two arm's length away from them. In regards to their houses, they often are separated by large amounts of land or tall trees, bushes, or fences so that people can no see into their private property. In fact, even for me to go over to Denmark, it would be considered a privilege for Jannies mother to offer me into her home since she does not know me. Danes keep their homes very private.

The last thing I want to talk about is time. Like Americans, Danes have great respect for time. It is important to make appointments when meeting with them and even more important to be on time.

While at a quick glance we may seem much like the same country separated by an ocean, we are different! However, I do not think it would be hard for an American to adjust if they new these simple things to know!

Denmark: Public Behaviour. (2007, October 18). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from ExecutivePlanet: http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Denmark:_Public_Behaviour

Denmark. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2012, from Kwintessential: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/denmark-country-profile.html

Dinesen, J. M. (2012, March 28). Danish Nonverbal Communication. (C. Rohde, Interviewer)

Hog, E., & Johannessen, H. (n.d.). Culture of Denmark. Retrieved March 11, 2012, from Countries and Their Culture: http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Denmark.html

Cultural Values

While on the outside, the United States and Denmark may look much like same, they are many differences. However, first I would like to discuss how the two rate according to Hofstede. In our text book there Hofstedes five major cultural dimensions are discussed. I would like to look more closely to only four of them. Individualism/collectivism, Uncertainty Avoidance, Power Distance, and Masculinity/Femininity. I want to compare the two cultures of the United States and Denmark with these four dimensions. As well, I want to take a look at Halls high/low context.

The first of Hofstedes dimensions I want to look at in regards to these two cultures is individualism/collectivism. Hofstedes conclusions are based on a study of 50 countries and then they were ranked based on his findings. With the United States and Denmark both being ranked in the top 9 most individualistic countries, we will focus on this similarity. One may be finding themselves thinking "What does it mean for a culture to be individualistic?" Individualistic cultures emphasize personal rights and responsibilities, privacy, voicing ones opinion, freedom, innovation, and self-expression these individuals put their interest over the group’s interest. We all know that when we were growing up our parents always told us to "be yourself, don't be like everyone else" "think for yourself". We were pushed in school and sports to be competitive. This is emphasizing the individual. Hofstede points out that there are four important components of individualism. One being that the individual is the single most important unit. Second being independence is stressed over interdependence. Third being that individual achievement is rewarded. The last being that uniqueness is a paramount value.

The second dimension that we will look at is another similarity between the two countries, Uncertainty Avoidance. Uncertainty avoidance is how well people deal with the unknown. They can have a high uncertainty or low uncertainty avoidance. Denmark and the United States both fall under the low-uncertainty division. With this it means that both are comfortable with accepting the new or the uncertainty inherent in life. They are not uncomfortable with uncertainty and are very tolerant of the unusual. They are open to new people and ideas. Much like with the individualistic aspect of the culture, they do not depend much on experts but rather on themselves. They are less constrained by social protocol and dislike the hierarchy structure. The United States may not have as low of uncertainty avoidance (being number43) and the 51 ranked Denmark, but the two fall close enough together that it is just about the same in both countries.

Next, we will discuss the power distance dimension. Power distance measures the way in which different cultures approach and accept inequalities between individuals in society. Once again there are two groups in which a country can fall. High-power distance or low-power distance. High power would mean that there is a large cap in the gain. People are not considered equal and everyone has their rightful place. Low-power distance means that believe that equality in society should be minimized. This is where the two countries grow a little further apart. Denmark falls once again in the 51st place. Meaning that they are among the lowest power distance. While the United States is still considered to be low-power distanced we fall 38th. These two countries are considered to have minimal power distinctions, they are considered to see hierarchy as an inequality and people in power positions try to not seem as powerful as they are. In both countries, people are to be treated equally. There is to be a strong middle class and violence is rare. In Denmark people to don’t showcase their ranks or achievements, but rather try to live and act as they are the same as others. In the United States however, people may interact with subordinates, they don’t not care to showcase their success. You will see the rich living in neighborhoods with large houses on the country clubs golf course or on their own private property with a house 10 times the size of many of their subordinates. That is why I stated that the two countries are a little further apart in this category.

The last of Hofstedes dimension we will discuss is the masculinity/femininity. With this dimension, the two countries are very much different. First let us talk about the United States. Here in the United States it is emphasized that one must 'fight' for one’s self. I say fight because to me it seems to be a word that represents the masculine characteristic, aggressive. The United States is considered to be a masculine dominate culture. We expect men to be assertive, ambitious, and competitive. They are to strive for material success and to respect whatever is big, strong, and fast. The gender roles are very well defined. As the text states, "Assertiveness and the acquisition of money and things (materialism) and emphasized and often take precedence over interpersonal relationships". While at the other end of the scale falls Denmark. Denmark is considered to be feminine, which puts emphasis on good relationships and co-operation, charity, and modesty. In Denmark nurturing behaviors are stressed for both men and women. This causes the gender roles to overlap. Family and safety are very important values. They consider failure to be an accident not a disaster as it would be in the United States.

Edward Hall examined cultures similarities and differences on perception and communication, than he put them in to one of two groups. The first group is high context and the second is low context. High context communication is one which most of the information is already in the person, very little is in the coded, explicitly transmitted part of the message. While with low context communication the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code. Both Denmark and the United States fall under the low context communication category. This means that people in these cultures want to gain background information each time they talk to you. This communication style is direct and explicit. Communicators in this context talk more, speak rapidly, and often raise their voices. It is considered important to speak up and say what is on your mind. Large vocabulary is admired because people can express themselves clearly and cleverly.

Works Cited

Cultural Values in Danish Advertising. (2002). Retrieved March 2012, from Limbi Straine: http://www.limbistraine.com/ro/cercetare/Gabriela-Sauciuc/3.Denmark-Hofstede-s-cultural-dimensions.html

Culture of Denmark. (2012). Retrieved March 2012, from Countries and Their Cultures: http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Denmark.html

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2010). Communication Between Cultures, Seventh Edition. Canada: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.