Ray Birdwhistell
Encyclopedia
Ray Birdwhistell was an American anthropologist who founded kinesics
as a field of inquiry
and research. The term
kinesics
was originally coined by Birdwhistell, and he also proposed the term kineme.
Dr. Birdwhistell was born in 1918 and died October 19, 1994. He was raised and went to school in Ohio
. He graduated from Fostoria High School
in 1936, and was very involved by being part of the history club, debate team, journalism, and school plays. Birdwhistell attended the Miami University of Ohio, BA,(sociology) Ohio State University, MA (Anthropology) and University of Chicago
, where he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology
. Afterwards he taught at the University of Toronto
(Ontario), University of Louisville
(Kentucky), and the University of Buffalo (New York) and Temple University [Philadelphia, (ref. daughter, Jill). From 1944 to 1948 he worked with G. Gordon Brown and Edmund S. Carpenter, who were in the same department as him at the University of Toronto. For some years he was affiliated with the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and Temple University
in Philadelphia, where he worked with Gregory Bateson,PhD, Adam Kendon, Albert Scheflen, MD, and others to develop an interactive approach to the study
of mental illness
. From 1969 until he retired in 1988, Birdwhistell taught at The Annenberg School for Communication, at the University of Pennsylvania
.
He was influenced by his mentor
's views, Margaret Mead
(1901–1978) an anthropologist, and the work of David Efron in the early 1940s. Birdwhistell became interested in kinesics
by analyzing the way people interacted in films. He observed how people unconsciously transmitted information
through facial expression
s, postures
, and eye movements.
The film, TDR- 009, was a result from his productive collaboration with film maker Jacques D. van Vlack. TDR-009 is an eighty minute, 16 mm, black and white sound film of an English pub scene in a middle class London hotel. Birdwhistell and van Vlack observed behavior
of listeners in relationship to speakers during the film.
Birdwhistell wrote Introduction to Kinesics, Kinesics and Context, and encyclopedia entries and essays. His first book Introduction to Kinesics was published in 1952, but he is more known for his second book Kinesics and Context.
Kinesics
Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures — or, more formally, non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.-Birdwhistell's work:...
as a field of inquiry
Inquiry
An inquiry is any process that has the aim of augmenting knowledge, resolving doubt, or solving a problem. A theory of inquiry is an account of the various types of inquiry and a treatment of the ways that each type of inquiry achieves its aim.-Deduction:...
and research. The term
Terminology
Terminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that in specific contexts are given specific meanings, meanings that may deviate from the meaning the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. The discipline Terminology studies among other...
kinesics
Kinesics
Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures — or, more formally, non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.-Birdwhistell's work:...
was originally coined by Birdwhistell, and he also proposed the term kineme.
Dr. Birdwhistell was born in 1918 and died October 19, 1994. He was raised and went to school in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He graduated from Fostoria High School
Fostoria High School
Fostoria High School is a public high school in Fostoria, Ohio. It is the largest high school in the Fostoria Community Schools district. Their nickname is the Redmen. They are currently members of the Northern Buckeye Conference....
in 1936, and was very involved by being part of the history club, debate team, journalism, and school plays. Birdwhistell attended the Miami University of Ohio, BA,(sociology) Ohio State University, MA (Anthropology) and University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. Afterwards he taught at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(Ontario), University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
(Kentucky), and the University of Buffalo (New York) and Temple University [Philadelphia, (ref. daughter, Jill). From 1944 to 1948 he worked with G. Gordon Brown and Edmund S. Carpenter, who were in the same department as him at the University of Toronto. For some years he was affiliated with the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia, where he worked with Gregory Bateson,PhD, Adam Kendon, Albert Scheflen, MD, and others to develop an interactive approach to the study
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
of mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. From 1969 until he retired in 1988, Birdwhistell taught at The Annenberg School for Communication, at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
He was influenced by his mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
's views, Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
(1901–1978) an anthropologist, and the work of David Efron in the early 1940s. Birdwhistell became interested in kinesics
Kinesics
Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures — or, more formally, non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.-Birdwhistell's work:...
by analyzing the way people interacted in films. He observed how people unconsciously transmitted information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
through facial expression
Facial expression
A facial expression one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur...
s, postures
Human position
Human positions refers to the different positions that the human body can take.There are several synonyms that refer to the human position, often used interchangeably, but having specific flavors....
, and eye movements.
Birdwhistell pointed out that “human gestureGestureA gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body...
s differ from those of other animals in that they are polysemic, that they can be interpreted to have many different meanings depending on the communicative contextContextContext may refer to:* Context , the relevant constraints of the communicative situation that influence language use, language variation, and discourse summary...
in which they are produced”. And, he “resisted the idea that “body languageBody languageBody language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously....
” could be deciphered in some absolute fashion”. He also indicated that “every body movement must be interpreted broadly and in conjunction with every other element in communication”
The film, TDR- 009, was a result from his productive collaboration with film maker Jacques D. van Vlack. TDR-009 is an eighty minute, 16 mm, black and white sound film of an English pub scene in a middle class London hotel. Birdwhistell and van Vlack observed behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
of listeners in relationship to speakers during the film.
Birdwhistell wrote Introduction to Kinesics, Kinesics and Context, and encyclopedia entries and essays. His first book Introduction to Kinesics was published in 1952, but he is more known for his second book Kinesics and Context.