Proxemics is the term coined by Edward Hall (1957) to describe the social use of space, and personal space in particular. Personal space is the area with invisible boundaries surrounding an individuals body. This area function as a comfort zone during interpersonal communication. It disappear in environments (elevator, crowd). As a matter of fact, Hall proposes four main distances represented below that are employed in American interactions. Moreover, each distance has a particular meaning, in terms of the kind of interaction allowed. Hall argues that those meanings depends on the culture. Hall also shows how distance constrains the types of interaction that are likely to occur, by communicating to participants as well as observers the nature of the relationships between the interactants and their activity.
Category
Approximate
distance
Kind of
interaction
Intimate
distance
up
to 0.5 meters
Comforting,
threatening
Personal
distance
0.5
to 1.25 meters
Conversation
between friends
Social
distance
1.25
to 3.5 meters
Impersonal
business dealings
Public
distance
more
than 3.5 meters
Addressing
a crowd