Proxemics is the study of measurable distances between people as they interact.

The term was

introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1966. It is refer to 'the study of how man uses space - the
space that he maintains between himself and his fellows and which he builds around him in his home and office'. It is the study of the ways in which individuals use physical space in their interactions with others and how this use of physical space influences behaviour of all concerned. In the words of Professor Hall, proxemics studies 'how man unconsicously structures microspace - the distance between men in the conduct of daily transactions, the organization of space in his houses and building, and ultimately the layout of his towns'. proxemics is part of culture and is guided and influenced by culture transmission. proxemics is the hidden dimension of human culture which we practise unconsciously all the time. it is impossible for man to divest himself of his own culture. Culture has penetrated to the roots of man's nervous system and it determines how he perceives the world.

Body spacing and posture, according to Hall, are unintentional reactions to sensory fluctuations or shifts, such as subtle changes in the sound and pitch of a person's voice. Social distance between people is reliably correlated with physical distance, as are intimate and personal distance, according to the following delineations:

Intimate distance for embracing, touching or whispering o Close phase less than 6 inches (15 cm) o Far phase 6 to 18 inches (15 to 46 cm) Personal distance for interactions among good friends or family members o Close phase 1.5 to 2.5 feet (46 to 76 cm) o Far phase 2.5 to 4 feet (76 to 120 cm) Social distance for interactions among acquaintances o Close phase 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m) o Far phase 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m) Public distance used for public speaking o Close phase 12 to 25 feet (3.7 to 7.6 m) o Far phase 25 feet (7.6 m) or more

At intimate distance, the presence of the other person is unmistakable and my at times be overwhelming because of the greatly stepped up sensory inputs. Sight (often distorted), olfaction, heat from the other person's body. Personal distance designates the distance consistently separating the members of noncontact species. It might be thought of as a small protective sphere or bubble that an organism maintains between itself and others. In the social distance, intimate visual details in the face are not perceived, intimate nobody touches or expects to touch another person unless there is some special effort. The boundary line between the far phase of personal distance and the close phase of social distance marks the limit of domination. People who work together tend to use close social distance. It is also a very common distance for people who are attending a casual social gathering. Impersonal business occurs at this distance. Public distance is well outside the circle of involvement. Several important sensory shifts occur in the transition from the personal and social distances to public distance. Colour Language Most of us know that different colour are associated with different behavior