CHAPTER ONE

 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This chapter, which is the first of this study, aims at establishing a foundation for the study. It consists of the background to the study, statement of the problem, presentation of research questions, hypothesis and objectives of the study. It also includes the presentation of the scope of study, and definition of some key terms.

1.1 Background to the study

Communication is one of the many social issues that have plagued the minds of scholars and communicators in particular.  Because as social beings that we are, there must be interaction. Communication is dynamic with wide processes of ever changing roles of sending and receiving information, ideas, and emotions. Over the years, a lot of research has been made and is still being made in an attempt to provide a generally acceptable meaning of what communication truly is. With the available data so far, it is safe to say that, communication is the process of passing information and ideas from one person to another through various means. The genesis of communication is far-fetched as the creation of mankind itself. Human beings and animals have always communicated, only the means through which they communicate continue to evolve.

 Leyton (2011) defines communication as the process of transmitting information and common understanding from one person to another. Communication has evolved from the use of Messengers, letters, drums, gongs and much more to microphones, speakers, radio, text messages, television. The importance of communication as a major aspect of human interaction cannot be over emphasized. It plays a major role in impacting us socially, economically, politically, and culturally.

Communication goes beyond spoken words, which brings us to another dimension “nonverbal communication”. Nonverbal communication is simply conveying meaning without use of words either written or spoken. It encompasses all the information and ideas which we derive from body movements, gestures, postures, facial expression, eye contacts, sound, silence and pictures as well. According to (Raj and Koh (2012), nonverbal communication surpasses other forms of communication because it is void of spoken and written language but inclusive of illustrations.

 Science has proven that human beings react more to nonverbal communication signals than the spoken words, and a great deal of these signals are not intentional.( Burgoon Bullets and Woodall 1989) suggests that 65% of communication rely on nonverbal signals as a strong conveyance of meaning, cable to draw lines in relationships. Research on non-verbal communication and behaviour which began with the 1872 publication of Charles Darwin, known as the expressions of emotions in man and animals, affirmed that, a great deal of meaning can be conveyed with the use of facial expressions, gestures, appearance, sound, pictures, drawings and artifacts.

It is impossible to exhaust every nonverbal signal used in communication, however there exist some universally used nonverbal signals amongst man, animals and plants. for instance, people smile when they are happy and frown when they are sad, dog’s wag their tails when they are happy, cats put back their ears when they are sad. Plants spread their leaves when there is enough moisture and shrink them when there is none. Waggoner and Pallas (1994).

 Nonverbal communication is not only used to Communicate but also reinforce the sent message hence the famous “saying action speaks louder than words” communication whether verbally or non-verbally is not void of misunderstandings. In the case of verbal communication noise acts as a barrier in communicating effectively.

 Non-verbal communication can easily be misinterpreted, when the process is across different cultures. To Marcell et Al ,(1997). Culture is a group or community which we share common experience that shape the way we understand the world. According to  Ridwan and  Sze (2012). The weakness of nonverbal communication is profound in its cultural biases and sensitivity to intercultural difference does restrict its usage and subsequently debar effective communication.

In a world so dynamic as ours, different factors help to shape the way we interpret and react to certain things, and culture is one of them. (Eliot, 2011) suggests that non-verbal communication is greatly influenced by the culture it is associated with.  As a result of a varied range of cultures in the world there is bound to be misunderstandings as one thing in one culture may mean something else in another culture. And this is evident with the Germans who consider a public show of emotions like smiling to be unacceptable, which accounted for the failure of the original Barbie doll with a “toothy smile”. This explains why women turn to cover their mouths when laughing, however this does not necessarily mean they are less friendly than the Americans who smile often showing off their teeth. Similarly, a close look at Hong Kong will reveal that a license plate number 8 is unlucky while the number four (4) is associated with death and this accounts for the absence of room four in many hospitals moreover in China, 8 is considered very fortuitous and Prosperous.

 When we look at African countries, and Cameroon in particular, avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect especially in professional and family settings however in North and Latin America eye contact is important to convey the concept of equity amongst individuals, it also shows one is paying attention.

A close Look at Cameroon will reveal a gap between the people in terms of culture as a result of the existence of over 240 tribes under three main ethnic groups of the Bantus  and Sudanese. All of which have contributed to the development of the society and the growth of the country’s culture. Amongst the many tribes, is the Bakweri of the Bantu ethnic group and the Bangwa people speaking Nweh all in the South West region. Cameroon is a melting pot of ethnic groups with diversity in terrain, and culture. This amalgamation of traditions and customs of the indigenous people has led to Cameroon being referred to as Africa in miniature. Nonverbal communication is greatly influenced by culture, and Cameroon is obviously not an exception judging by the existence of over 240 tribes with approximately 250 languages. Thus a practice in one ethnic group might mean another thing in some other ethnic group.

The Cameroon culture is fascinating and admirable for its beliefs, values and unique practice’s, but it is being over shadowed by the two official cultures in the country, English and French, which results from a colonial past with Britain and France. Today, Cameroon is now Balingual, and every given sector of the country can be accessed with a good knowledge of one or both languages. This has led Cameroonians to believing that, a good knowledge of other cultures, and the messages they intend to pass across with various nonverbals, is not of any importance, Consequently ancestral culture in Cameroon continue to remain a mere fantasy.  This   gap in knowledge and interaction of different cultures, has paved way for disunity, tribalism and various misunderstandings, that if not well managed, can go out of hand. A close look at the war between the Bakweri headed by Kuva Lekenya and the Germans, will reveal that poor knowledge of the Bakweri culture on the part of the Germans is what orchestrated the war ( Edwin, (1960). The Germans misinterpreted a Bakweri witch proving ritual using “Kpwave” aimed at exposing witches and wizards, to be a deliberate action to kill natives, especially women. Mukum (2006).  Although Cameroon is still under the umbrella of French and English cultures, various tribes like the Bangwa, still hold steed fast to their ancestral believes and practices, hoping it should be given equal credit, respect, and understanding. But this is challenging because various tribes careless in understanding the ideas and meanings behind other cultures and their practices

In a world so dynamic as ours, we are shaped by different factors but culture is one of the strongest influence that acts on us and shape how we communicate and understand what is communicated to us, and failure to understand the different nuances of various cultures in Cameroon is the foundation for cross cultural collisions and a breathing ground for social ills like tribalism, favoritism, Discrimination, segregation, marginalization. This research therefore seeks to exermine the effectiveness of nonverbal communication cues used generally by Cameroonians particularly amongst the Bangwa and Bakweri tribes in communicating and understanding what is being communicated.

1.2 Statement of the Problem                                           

People  Communicate at every given second of their lives, with themselves, in homes,  communities, and even in silence. Human beings are  always communicating, even when they think they are not. Mother’s relay on the body language, facial expressions and gestures of their new Borns to understand when they are hungry, happy, sleepy, angry and scared. No matter how well we think we understand each other, effective communication is challenging, especially when it involves different cultures. Our culture has a major role to play on the choices we make, and our approach to certain situations. We rely on non-verbal communication cues to communicate and understand what is communicated to us. We all communicate with others all the time- in our homes, in our workplaces, in the groups we belong to and in our communities. No matter how well we understand each other, communication is hard.

Just imagine how often we hear statements like” she did not really understand what I meant to say. Culture is often at the root of communication challenges. Our culture influences how we approach problems and how we participate in groups and in communities. Cameroon is blessed with an Amalgamation of cultures, but there is a challenge in understanding the different nuances of each culture, understanding becomes even more difficult as a result of the limited use of language in vital traditional rights and ritual performances. The challenges involved in understanding the nonverbal cues used by different cultures is yet enough reason to make no efforts to understand our culture and that of those around us. Understanding how to interact with people in a way that appreciates their culture fosters unity and a sense of belonging. (Mbella 2005).  But what happens when we fail to understand the nonverbal communication cues used by other cultures to communicate certain ideas? All these problems have brought forth the need of an in-depth research of this nature for constructive social and  cultural reforms in this area of study.

1.3   Research Question

Based on the problem stated above, this study seeks to answer the following research questions which will be divided into general research questions and specific research questions.

1.3.1 General Research Questions

How effective is nonverbal communication across cultures in Cameroon?

1.3.2 General research question

• What are the various forms of nonverbal communication cues used by cultures to communicate?
• What are some of the challenges faced in understanding nonverbal communication cues across cultures?
• Can non-verbal communication be used effectively across culture
• What recommendations can be made to Foster the understanding nonverbal communication across different cultures.?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

This study will be guided by the following objectives, which are divided into general objective and specific objectives.

1.4.1 General objective

The main objective of the study is to examine and understand the effectiveness of nonverbal communication cues across cultures in Cameroon.

1.4.2 Specific objectives

To identify forms of nonverbal communication cues among Bangwa and bakweri cultures

To show the role of nonverbal communication used by different cultures.

To investigate the effectiveness of these nonverbal signals in passing across messages

To assess the challenges faced when communicating with other cultures non verbally

To make propose solutions to nonverbal communication across cultures in Cameroon.

1.5 Assumptions

There is no doubt that effective understanding of nonverbal communication is very challenging and almost impossible. This research work is based on the following hypothesis

Nonverbal communication signals differ with culture

There are some challenges when communicating non verbally across different cultures

The choice of nonverbal communication cues is influenced by culture.

1.6 Significance of the Study 

The issue of nonverbal communication has attracted a number of programs, discussions and publications, since the advent of a scientific research on nonverbal communication and behavior in 1982 which began with the publication of Charles Darwin known as the expressions of emotion in man and animals.

To researchers

Research in the present day entails studying. The work of other related literature to the topic, so as to improve on the efficiency and accuracy of both quantitative and qualitative data. this study stands as a better chance to providing resourceful material for other researchers carrying out studies on related topics and similar case study because it gives an understanding of nonverbal communication used by people from different cultures, including Bangwa and Bakweri.

To the government

The study will provide valuable information for governments and non-governmental organizations who are anxious to eliminate the communication barrier that exists between different cultures in Cameroon which is the root cause of many social ills like tribalism.

To students

It is the opinion of the author that this is a pioneering study exploring the gaps in nonverbal communication across cultures, with hardly any documentation on Cameroon. This be the case; the entire study will serve as an example for others wishing to study nonverbal communication in other cultures in Cameroon.