Functions of Nonverbal Behavior with Reference to Refugeeism: A Sociopragmatic Study

Volume 20 , Issue 2 , August 2019 , Pages 347-362

Authors

Rauf Karim Mahmood 1 ; Bekhal Abubakir Hussein 1

1 Department of English , College of language, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

DOI logo 10.17656/jzsb.10897

Keywords

Abstract

This paper is an extract from a Ph.D. dissertation entitled “A Sociopragmatic Analysis of
Nonverbals in Intercultural Communication: A Case Study of Refugees in Kurdistan Region.”
Nonverbal communication is universally important to enhance better human understanding and
cooperation. It has been widely proved that interpretation and comprehension of this type of
communication are crucial among diverse nations, cultures, and ethnic groups, in particular.
Nowadays, refugeeism has become a global phenomenon, and the refugee number has risen due
to armed political conflicts in Middle-Eastern countries. Kurdistan region is one of the critical areas
that have a long history with refugeeism. Kurdish people have become refugees; on the one hand,
the Kurdistan region has become a haven for refugees and IDPs of the neighboring areas, on the
other hand. Refugees face lots of political, economic, social and psychological problems. Also,
difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication increase their suffering. Thus, the demand for
communication reinforcement has become essential and urgent to treat refugees with better
nonverbal communication strategies. This paper attempts to explain the functions of nonverbal cues
in sociopragmatic refugeeism context.
The paper initiates by outlining some definitions of sociopragmatics, nonverbal communication,
and it goes on to explain the communicative functions of nonverbal cues. Examples displayed here
are from real refugee camps in Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The paper finds
out that the sociopragmatic refugee context has an outstanding impact on the usage of specific
nonverbal cues and their functions.

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  • Published at20 August 2019

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