Embodied Stereotypes: A Linguocultural Analysis Of Non-Verbal Representations Of National Culture

Abstract

Background: National stereotypes are powerful social constructs that significantly impact intercultural communication. While extensive research has focused on their verbal and conceptual dimensions, the systematic ways in which they are physically embodied and communicated non-verbally remain undertheorized. The field of linguoculturology provides a robust framework for investigating the deep integration of language, culture, and communication, yet a specific focus on the non-verbal codification of stereotypes is a notable gap.

Aims: This article aims to bridge this gap by analyzing how national stereotypes are represented and reinforced through non-verbal means. It seeks to show that stereotypes are not merely abstract beliefs but are actively performed and communicated through a culturally specific "bodily code" [2].

Methods: Drawing upon a theoretical framework that integrates ethno-psycho-linguistics [5] and linguoculturology [6, 7], this study employs a qualitative, multimodal discourse analysis. The analysis is performed on a corpus of video-recorded dialogic speech, focusing on the pragmatic features [8] of non-verbal cues.

Results: The analysis reveals a systemic correlation between specific non-verbal behaviors and prevalent national stereotypes. Findings indicate that culturally-defined "facial speech" [4] and gestural patterns function as key components of a coherent linguocultural code [3] for representing national identity. These embodied cues are shown to pragmatically reinforce in-group cohesion and the "image of the enemy" [1] in intercultural dialogues.

Conclusion: The study concludes that national stereotypes are deeply embodied phenomena, systematically encoded and expressed through a shared, non-verbal bodily code. This indivisibility of stereotype, body, and culture has profound implications for theories of intercultural communication, highlighting the need to look beyond words to understand the persistence and power of national archetypes.