Mapping Human Gesture!

#gesture #anthropology #psychology #linguistics

Videographer: saeed_z1 on Instagram, Saeed Zoly, ‪@saeedzoly-o1o‬

Encuesta en español/castellano: https://cognitiveanthropology.wordpre...

What do our handshakes, nods, eye rolls, and shrugs really say about us in 2025? In this video, I'm diving into the fascinating world of nonverbal communication — inspired by Desmond Morris’ groundbreaking book, "Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution" and "Manwatching" — but with a fresh, updated lens.

Web of Stories: Desmond Morris 'Manwatching' - the most satisfying book I ever wrote:
   • Desmond Morris - 'Manwatching' – the most ...  

In this reflective interview recorded in 2014, zoologist, writer, and artist Desmond Morris recounts the origins and development of his pioneering work on human behaviour, particularly body language. At a time when the concept of body language was virtually unknown, Morris embarked on a monumental task to catalogue and analyse human actions—ultimately identifying around 3,000 of them. Although originally intending to compile an encyclopedic work, he was persuaded by his publisher to create a more accessible volume, which became the 1977 bestseller Manwatching.

The book marked a turning point, not just in Morris's career but in the popular understanding of nonverbal communication. Inspired by his zoological background and observational methods, Morris applied the lens of ethology—typically used to study animals—to humans, offering a fresh and systematic approach to understanding gestures, postures, and interpersonal space across cultures. The term “body language” entered mainstream discourse partly thanks to Manwatching, a fact Morris acknowledges with pride.

Austin Howard is pursuing a doctorate in linguistics. He specialises in the intersection of cognitive science, anthropology and language sciences, using fieldwork to elucidate the interaction of culture and cognition. He is an ardent fan of poetry, theatre and language-learning. Puns and all forms of humour keep his mind sharp and his spirits high. Austin is an avid collector and taster of teas and other infusions. His masters and internships were completed in the Netherlands (MA from Radboud University Nijmegen and subsequent research assistantship at Leiden University) and Austria (Austrian Academy of Sciences). His recent work has taken him from the edges of Anatolia to the rainforests of the Amazon.

我们的握手、点头、翻白眼和耸肩在 2025 年究竟传达了什么？在本视频中，我将带你深入探索非语言交流的奇妙世界——灵感来自德斯蒙德·莫里斯的开创性著作《姿势：其起源与分布》和《观察人类》——但通过一个全新、更新的视角。

ماذا تقول مصافحاتنا، وإيماءات رؤوسنا، ولفّات أعيننا، وارتفاع أكتافنا عنا حقًا في عام 2025؟ في هذا الفيديو، أغوص في العالم المدهش للتواصل غير اللفظي — مستوحى من الكتاب الرائد لدزموند موريس "الإيماءات: أصولها وتوزيعها" و"مراقبة الإنسان" — ولكن بعدسة جديدة ومحدّثة.

Что на самом деле говорят о нас наши рукопожатия, кивки, закатывания глаз и пожимания плечами в 2025 году? В этом видео я погружаюсь в увлекательный мир невербальной коммуникации — вдохновлённый новаторскими книгами Десмонда Морриса «Жесты: их происхождение и распространение» и «Наблюдая за человеком» — но с новым, современным взглядом.