10/24/2021; WEEK 6: RESPONSE TO PERSONAL SPACE DIFFERENCES

There are moments in our lives that we want to be alone. Sometimes, we also want to be with someone or to be in a group. This is called our personal space. Personal space is the region surrounding a person which they regard as psychologically theirs. It is like imaginary portable bubbles that we carry around ourselves, and their size is dependent on the density of the population of the places where we grew up. Personal space varies on factors like the anxiety that we have, our principles, or even our culture since personal space is partially culturally dependent. 

Some cultures are accustomed to crowding, like Japan. A situation that can support this statement is their scenario in transportation like buses and trains. Japanese people treasure their time so much to the extent that it is okay for them to be pushed inside the train so that they can fit in it. Some cultures want to be distanced from others, like Germany. In the Personal Space Differences Video, there is a story about a German girl who always shouts at a boy when that boy is near her backyard. That’s how intense a German would react if they feel that their personal space is being invaded. But, we should also keep in our mind that our personal spaces vary depending on levels. These are called Zone Distances. Based on the article Personal Space Ownership, there are four-zone distances.

zone distances

We should keep in mind that these zone distances can change depending on our culture, where we live, and to whom we interact.

Teachers should be familiarized with this subject. They must know that the personal spaces of their students are different from each other. Some anxious students have a wider ‘air bubble’ around them. Some confident students have less personal space. Understanding these concepts helps them not to misunderstand and respect their students. It could also help the teachers change her activities depending on her students’ personal spaces. Doing these things could help them maximize the learning of the students they could acquire and not compromise.