Gestures
Wink Rosanne Smit, Yentl Snoek, Loes Tiemes
A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing only one eye. In a professional environment, the wink is often used as a mean to show that what is being said is meant in jest. Depending on the situation and the relationship between the interlocutors, a wink can also indicate a silent agreement between two people. Additionally, it is a way to establish contact and to reassure, to support a person in certain situations. A wink seems like a fairly innocuous form of non-verbal communication, but applied in a different culture setting, this gesture can mean something different and sometimes less innocent, as can be shown in the following three examples: •
During a vice presidential debate in 2008, Sarah Palin was unaware of the meaning of winking in a number of Asian countries. Her wink led to great commotion among Asians. That is to say, in many Asian countries, but also in Australia, winking is considered impolite.
•
In certain Latin American cultures, winking can also be interpreted as romantically or sexually suggestive.
•
A wink from parents to their children in West-Africa is a request to leave the room when a guest or adult enters. Should a child make no move to leave the room, winking is the way to make this clear.
44