Extended Abstract: Shadow and Signal: The Historicity of Nonverbal Communication

At first glance, the historical origins and evolution of nonverbal behaviors may seem of little interest to those seeking to develop practical strategies for improving their nonverbal behavior. And when situated in a national context, such explorations run the risk of reinforcing stereotypes: the aloof French, the stolid British, the gesticulating Italians. But historicizing inquiry of this sort is a needed element in the too-often abstracted examinations of gesture and body language; it provides a useful avenue, in both academic and professional contexts, for addressing crucial and ongoing issues in communication involving cultural difference, power inequities, and moral choice.