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The integration of gesture with speech production is described, and the various ways in which—in conversational settings—gesture functions in relation to spoken discourse are discussed. Cultural differences in gesture use are outlined, and the possible relationship between these differences and language differences, on the one hand, and the microecology of social life, on the other, are considered. Conventionalization in speech-associated gestures and in gestures that can be used without speech is discussed. Various kinds of "gesture systems" and sign languages used in speaking communities (alternate sign languages) are described along with their relationships to spoken language. Fully autonomous sign languages, as developed among the deaf, are briefly considered in regard to how signs and signing may be related to gestures and gesturing.

Gesture is intimately entwined with human language and thought. It is a tool for communication as well as cognition: conveying information to interlocutors, orchestrating interaction, and supporting problem-solving and learning. Over the past 25 years, the community of scholars interested in gesture has grown from a specialized group to a multidisciplinary community incorporating gesture into a wide range of topics. This article aims to capture and continue that growth by introducing readers to some of the most intriguing findings and questions in gesture research. It adopts a four-field approach, integrating multiple literatures and introducing work from outside anthropology. It defines key terminology and reviews five areas that have undergone significant recent growth: the integration of gesture with speech, gesture as communication and cognition, gesture's role in learning and language development, cultural variation in gesture, and the role of gesture in language origins. Taken together, these areas demonstrate that gesture is entangled with language, thought, and identity, starting in early childhood. This tangle has deep evolutionary roots; indeed, gesture may have been part of the human story from its start.

Gesture in Naples and Gesture in Classical Antiquity. Andrea de Jorio. Adam Kendon. trans. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000. 517 pp.

This volume presents the results of a series of studies carried out by the author focusing on the role of posture and gesture in interpersonal communication. The first section of the book sets these studies in the general context of non-verbal communication research; in addition, previous research on posture and gesture is reviewed in order to highlight the particular issues which were chosen as the focus of research reported here. In Part II, six experiments are presented concerning the extent to which posture communicates information about listener emotions and attitudes. The seven studies r

This landmark study examines the role of gestures in relation to speech and thought. Leading scholars, including psychologists, linguists and anthropologists, offer state-of-the-art analyses to demonstrate that gestures are not merely an embellishment of speech but are integral parts of language itself. Language and Gesture offers a wide range of theoretical approaches, with emphasis not simply on behavioural descriptions but also on the underlying processes. The book has strong cross-linguistic and cross-cultural components, examining gestures by speakers of Mayan, Australian, East Asian as well as English and other European languages. The content is diverse including chapters on gestures during aphasia and severe stuttering, the first emergence of speech-gesture combinations of children, and a section on sign language. In a rapidly growing field of study this volume opens up the agenda for research into a new approach to understanding language, thought and society.

The chapters in this book present several different perspectives on the phenomenon of gesture in its entanglement with media and politics, including the precarious plight of gig workers, new media and their specific uses in different cultures, protest movements, and the perpetuation of socio-economic crises over many decades; they highlight the quantification of work and leisure and ask which story gesture and art are telling about society and politics in the context of transformation driven by technology and media. Gesture is currently a hot topic across a variety of academic disciplines—politics, art, the media, technology—in spite of the fact that there is no clear-cut definition of the term "gesture." The focus shifts according to context and interests, as does the concept of what a gesture actually is. This book evolved from an intense interdisciplinary examination of gesture's topicality at the intersection of media and the political. Eight individuals with either art or research backgrounds formed the core of our artistic-academic research project, The Entanglement between Gesture, Media and Politics (EGMP). The formation of this heterogeneous group was precipitated by the following thesis: the significance of gesture beyond disciplinary boundaries can only be explored from a basis that has a breadth equal to that of the multiple voices of those who study and work with gesture. EGMP's two-year-long research process was nourished by influences from the arts, culture, technology, and academia. The core group worked in close collaboration—at times with international guests—to develop an exhibition and symposium that combined artistic practice, academic study, extensive materials and, above all, new approaches in dealing with the subject of gesture. There are several basic assumptions in the papers and theories presented in this book. Firstly, gesture is a clearly defined physical movement. Secondly, it is a movement that is easily copied, and acquires the status of a sign that is accorded cultural ...