<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><div>Hi, Amy. I'm sure you've read much more than I on this, but I just happened to be reading John Haviland's article on Gesture in the Blackwell Companion to Linguistic Anthropology this morning, in which he writes:</div><div><br></div><div><i>"Another pervasive ideology of gesture is inherent in the injunction “It's not polite to point.” Perhaps because pointing is indiscreet-perceivable, even by the pointee, whether or not the accompanying speech can be heard-or represents untoward attention, poor upbringing, or insufficient self-control, it falls into the clutches of cultural arbiters of value and good taste. (The Cuna “pointed-lip-gesture” has as one of its advantages, according to Sherzer (1972), that it is less obvious a way to point than using the hands.) </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>Moreover, if Roman orators sought to become more persuasive by choreographing their gestures, it is equally possible that the hyper-expressivity associated with gesture can be a motive for criticism and scorn: gesticulators are over-exuberant, too expressive, probably vulgar. Kendon uses the phrase “communication ecology”: a relation between “communicational style-and the role of gesture within this-” and “the ecology of everyday life ‘in public’“ (Kendon 1997: 117). He notes that “gesturing, like speech, is influenced by cultural values and historical tradition, and its usage is adjusted according to the setting, social circumstance, and micro-organization of any given occasion of interaction” (Kendon 1997: 117). Indeed, Kendon hints at an “ecological” account for the celebrated (or, conversely, notorious) prominence of Neapolitan gestures (Kendon 1995)."</i></div><div><br></div><div>My sense of pointing with the lips in Ojibwe (which seems generally the greatly preferred gesture) is that it is viewed as a less assertive and more discreet act, i.e., as a form of politeness that recognizes the integrity of the "pointee." The writings of Hallowell address lots of cultural perspectives that might create such a gestural economy of deference. But I admit total ignorance on this and everything having to do with these things.</div><div><br></div><div>Rand</div><div><br></div><div>On 3/6/13 7:54 AM, "Amy Dahlstrom" <<a href="mailto:a-dahlstrom@UCHICAGO.EDU">a-dahlstrom@UCHICAGO.EDU</a>> wrote:</div><div><br></div><blockquote id="MAC_OUTLOOK_ATTRIBUTION_BLOCKQUOTE" style="BORDER-LEFT: #b5c4df 5 solid; PADDING:0 0 0 5; MARGIN:0 0 0 5;"><div>Hello Algonquianists,</div><div><br></div><div>I'm a discussant at an upcoming conference on gesture, and one thing I </div><div>thought I would mention to the (extremely diverse) audience is the </div><div>practice among at least some of the Algonquian peoples of pointing with </div><div>the lips or with the chin, rather than pointing with the finger.</div><div><br></div><div>I would like to ask you all how widespread this practice is. And for </div><div>native speakers (native pointers? :-) ), do you have any intuitions </div><div>about why pointing with the finger is avoided? Would it seem rude to </div><div>point with the finger? Or inappropriate in some other way?</div><div><br></div><div>thanks in advance for any thoughts you can share!</div><div><br></div><div>Amy</div><div><br></div><div>P.S. if you hit "reply" remember that you are replying to the whole </div><div>list! :-)</div><div><br></div></blockquote></body></html>
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