Intimate zone

The intimate zone , even intimate distance called, is a term used by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1966 acquired its measurements of the specific gaps and the research field of Proxemics led. In humans, it refers to the area ( radius ) in which only people who are tolerated by it are allowed to approach. This distance is culture , society and gender specific .

everyday life

In everyday life it often happens that this protected space is unintentionally violated (for example in local public transport ). In such a situation, the person who violates this shelter becomes a non-person . Such situations can also lead to aggression and outbursts of anger, for example at large events, when a crowd is in a space that is too narrow (stadium, concert, etc.).

Cultural differences

Another aspect is the cultural differences in intimate distance: the intimate zone in Germany is around 20–60 cm around the person. In other countries, however, the distance can vary and be up to 1 m. In Arab countries, the intimate distance between men is less than in Europe. For example, men in Germany have a lower tolerance for penetration into the wide intimate zone than in Arab or South American countries.

Social position

People with a high social status demand a larger intimate zone for themselves.

Status differences in distance behavior are also evident in children. The behavior of adults towards children is inconsistent. On the one hand, a child is denied its own intimate zone if, for example, a strange adult pats him on the head; conversely, in order to protect against child abuse, it is important that children learn that they do not have to tolerate unwanted contact.

See also

• Sales psychology
• Motor skills
• Intercultural Competence
• Interpersonal communication
• Individual distance

Web links

Wiktionary: intimate zone  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Linus Geisler : The right distance .
• Nicolai Shiravsi: Privacy . on: altenpflegeschueler.de
• Stiehl: body language in class . ( Memento of January 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 14 kB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt : The biology of human behavior - outline of human ethology . Piper, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-492-02687-7 , p. 437.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Birgit Preuß-Scheuerle: Praxishandbuch Kommunikation: Appear convincingly, argue purposefully, react confidently . Springer, 2004, ISBN 3-322-84556-7 , p. 25.
3. ↑ Barbara Berckhan: The somewhat more relaxed way of asserting yourself: A self-assertion training for women . Kösel-Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-641-05085-6 , p. 84.