In the United States, for example, if we nod our head up and down, we mean yes, and if we shake it back and forth, we mean no. However, the same gesture can mean one thing in one society and something quite different in another society (Axtell, 1998). Probably all societies have nonverbal symbols we call gestures, movements of the hands, arms, or other parts of the body that are meant to convey certain ideas or emotions. It commonly conveys friendship and is used as a sign of both greeting and departure.

A common one is shaking hands, which is done in some societies but not in others. As the symbolic interactionist perspective discussed in Chapter 1 “Sociology and the Sociological Perspective” emphasizes, shared symbols make social interaction possible.

Some symbols are actually types of nonverbal communication, while other symbols are in fact material objects. Every culture is filled with symbols, or things that stand for something else and that often evoke various reactions and emotions.

What do the 4 elements symbolize