This-essay is   a7311042.htm   which is available  at the
web-site   www.essayz.com.   See more notes at the bottom.
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
By-Months                By-Years                 By-Words
Webs of Like-&-Un-Like ESSAYS <==> Like-&-UN-Like This-One
==========================================================
                          %NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION 731104

     A large majority of academic higher education focuses
very narrowly on verbal-communications ---  to the virtual
exclusion   of   an  awareness  of   other   channels   of
communication.     Painting,    sculptury,    photography,
ceramics,  music,   dance,   ballet,   and  athletics  are
sometimes  represented within academic institutions;  even
though  their dominant  focus is non-verbal.    Yet  there
seems to be a felt need to legitimize  them through verbal
analysis and exposition.   Verbal communication is clearly
regarded  by most within academia as the authentic way  to
understanding.     There   is  a  minority  that   regards
mathematics  and  higher levels of  symbolic  analysis  as
superior  to verbal communication and analysis,  but their
viewpoint is not prevalent.

     To  the  newborn  infant  the  dominant  channel   of
communication  is physical contact with its  mother,   the
mother  willing,   that  is.   Through  that  channel   of
communication  the mother may communicate the existence of
a  fail-safe  context  for exploration.   When  the  child
experiences  failure,  it may return for a reassurance  of
the  existence  of the fail-safe context  as  communicated
through  touching.    There  is at the same  time   verbal
language  that  may be used to communicate this  important
message.   The  verbal language,  however, is founded upon
the more primitive non-verbal means of communicating.   It
would  appear  that there are  inherited  instincts  which
serve   as   the  basis  of  a  great  deal   of   helpful
communication --- all non-verbal.   Touching is essential.

     In  our verbal-oriented society there is a pattern of
trying  to  substitute  verbal  messages   for   nonverbal
messages  ---   and no where more totally than in academic
institutions of higher training.   To some this is normal,
natural,   proper,   and  the definition of  what academic
institutions are  all about.  When  academic  institutions
were the pleasure of the few, rather than the necessity of
the  many,   such a view carried with it  only  relatively
minor natural consequences to society as a whole.  What of
today?

     If academic institutions are to serve the needs of  a
majority of the members of society, can they do so without
a greater awareness  of non-verbal means of communication?
Can  science  education be improved without regard for the
students'   dominant  modes of  communication---when  they
happen to be non-verbal?  'Tis food for meditation.

                         (c) 1999 by Paul A. Smith in
  GO:  essayz.com     "Search for Integrity and Honesty"
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)

==========================================================

Lines beginning with a percent sign are  KEYWORDS  for use
in ESSAY-System Searches.  Their terminal digits are dates
of writing in the format @yymmdd#, where @ =  a  means 99,
@ =  b  means 20, and # = is a within-date essay-count.

Links to date-adjacent essays are near  page top & bottom.

   
Find the following links by clicking on CENTER when CENTER
near  the top or bottom  of a web page of essayz.com
 
                    
               1. Go to HOME PAGE of essayz.com
            2. Find brief-essays via keywords
           3. Find brief-essay about ADDICTION
          4. Search-Helps related to ABOVE-LINK
 
            5. GoTo Action & Information Center
           6. Find Regular-Essays via Year/Month
          7. Find Regular-Essays via Word-Starts
              8. Find Regular-Essay about LOVE

This-essay is   a7311042.htm   which is available  at the
web-site   www.essayz.com.  These 5 lines echo top lines.
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
By-Months                By-Years                 By-Words
Webs of Like-&-Un-Like ESSAYS <==> Like-&-UN-Like This-One