On a visit to Australia, then president George H. W. Bush offended the Australians when he flashed the two-fingered "V for victo
ry" sign to a crowd. Unfortunately, he flashed the sign with his palm facing himself and not the crowd. This is an example of how the use of __________, which vary from culture to culture, may lead to confusion or conflict if used outside of the user's culture.
1- Gestures, which are a form of nonverbal communication are ways of conveying a message without the use of words. They are used across the globe and each culture has unique gestures that convey different type of messages.
2- Gestures may vary across cultures: A gesture that in America may convey a positive or a neutral message, can be perceived as rude in a different context. For instance, in western cultures, sticking your tongue out is perceived as a mockery but in Polynesia this is considered a greeting and a sign of reverence.
3- In this case, then president George H. W. Bush was not aware that the gesture he used conveyed a different message in Australia.
