Framework & Genre
How are gestures passed on from person to person? Gestures fall under a specific cultural genre of speech. Richard Bauman defines genre as "...a speech style oriented to the production and reception of a particular kind of text" (Bauman 2004, 3-4). Gestures are a nonverbal form of text and are reproduced whenever used when communicating. The basic gestures such as the thumbs up or peace sign are most likely learned from communicating with other people. But in the age of social media, learning gestures takes another step. The textbook provides some insight, Sims writes, "Digital technology has further broadened the field by opening an additional venue for cultural expression.
History
Outside of the genre and framework that gestures are placed into, certain gestures have changed over time. The most famous example is the peace sign, the middle and index fingers put into a v. What used to be a sign that symbolized peace, now is usually taken to say that someone is leaving, "peacing out". James Deutsch writes that "Folk gestures, such as the handshake and other forms of greeting, have waxed and waned among many different cultures" (Deutsch 2021). Modernity brings different changes to folk gestures, the gesture for "call me" is being phased out as mobile phones are no longer used in the same way. As a particular culture changes, so too may the gestures that are associated with it.
Many people, of all ages, genders, and races, interact on the Internet regularly, reading, responding to, and creating a variety of digital texts" (Sims 2011, 20). Now, people are able to learn what new gestures mean or how gestures they know mean different things in different cultures all within minutes. This new form of communication stretches the boundary of genre for gestures and dramatically expands the amount of reproduction for a particular gesture.
