09:30 - 10:20 am: Contributed Paper Session 2

Developing a Definition of Nonverbal Slang

Timothy E. Martin Jr.

This abstract explains an attempt to produce a definition of “nonverbal slang” that can be applied as a lens through which to view nonverbal behavior and determine what displays might fit this definition. Establishing a definition can provide additional understanding into the degree to which nonverbal behavior might impact interpersonal interactions both positively and negatively. This paper develops the concept of “nonverbal slang” to assist in filling the current literature gap concerning specific nonverbal display’s influence within human communication and seeks to provide terminology by developing a definition that will promote further research in this area.

Keywords: communication, slang, nonverbal

Verbal Judo Training Module for Law Enforcement: An Ethnographic Perspective

Lorna F. Keathley et al.

This study examined Verbal Judo non-verbal and verbal communication tactics in a compliance-gaining context between a police officer and an individual who had been stopped by the officer. Verbal Judo emphasizes the use of both verbal and non-verbal communication by the officer with specific discourse structures aimed at the individual to obtain goals in compliance-gaining contexts. Verbal Judo incorporates the principle of nonresistance deflecting the other’s energies to obtain goals within a context. This study determined that Verbal Judo compliance-gaining procedures used in training videos should be tailored by law enforcement to the specific context and type of person (easy, difficult, sneaky). Successive repetition by officers (with matching non-verbal tone) of strategic Verbal Judo language when dealing with a difficult person is the key in diminishing conflict and minimizing escalation of conflict within the compliance-gaining context. Minimizing conflict in compliance-gaining situations between officers and individuals benefits law enforcement agencies, law enforcement officers, city and state governments, and the general public.

Keywords: Law Enforcement, Verbal Judo, Visual Ethnography

Motherhood as salvation: The experience of young Appalachian mothers

Betsy D. Dalton

This study explored the meaning of teenage motherhood to young Appalachian mothers using a phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews with 14 mothers between the ages of 18-22 from the southern central Appalachian region were conducted. Findings indicate that the experience of teenage motherhood can be described in terms of filling a void and the pervasive drug culture. Analysis of these findings indicates that the experience of motherhood is characterized by salvation. The salvation of motherhood is shaped by the emotional chasm it fills, as well as the protective barrier it provides between the mother and the drug culture surrounding her. Implications of these findings might include a need to examine the protective effects of motherhood from negative sociocultural forces among other subcultures. Also, the ubiquitous drug culture that surrounds young people in Appalachia should be taken into consideration when shaping policy and interventions for teenage pregnancy prevention.