The Functions of Silence in India
Implications for Intercultural Communication Research
In this chapter, Nemi C. Jain and Anuradha Matukumalli provide an excellent account of the forms and functions of silent communication in India. They contend that, although it is often viewed negatively in the West, silence is interpreted as a sign of interpersonal sensitivity, mutual respect, a sense of personal dignity, affirmation, and wisdom in the cultural context of India. At the individual level, silence serves as the means for the individual soul to achieve union with the universal spirit in the Hindu practice of yoga. At the interpersonal level, silence is used in Indian social interactions to maintain harmony, ...
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