My Personal Space In The African American Community

Personal space is something that is taught early on in the African American community. Our parents tell us to be mindful of other people’s space and not to invade it. We are also made aware of our personal space or “bubble”. If someone welcomes you in their person space or body buffer zone then there is no problem. However, entering someone’s personal space without an invitation is often seen as a sign of disrespect. People tend to react negatively when their personal space is intruded on by strangers.
My personal bubble/ body buffer zone is about arm’s length. Basically, it is long enough so if I stretch in any direction I should not be able to touch anyone. This measurement of space developed from my younger years in dance school. I was in dance school from the time I was five years old until I was eleven years old. In dance school they always had us stretch out our arms for distance and spacing. This was put in place to prevent anyone from getting hurt while we were moving around. The combination of this and my culture …show more content…
Friends can be told bluntly that they are too close. Most of the time my friends have the same idea about personal space. The only time this changes is if we are welcoming each other into our space. An example of this is a hug or reading something together. My family has the same understanding of personal space. However, if they get too close and it is uncomfortable I push them away. For example, my little sister might want to be too close to me. I normally will just shove her away. Strangers are normally when I use offensive displays in order to hint that they are too close. These actions are normally taken in private areas or in public places where there are other options. Public places that are crowded are the exception and do not have this personal space rule. In these scenarios, I understand that everyone’s personal space is invaded at this