The Self presentation skills of Malcolm X.

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Title: The Self presentation skills of Malcolm X.

My investigation is into the self-presentation skills of Malcolm X.

My hypothesis is to watch Malcolm X with an appropriate set of observation sheets detailing his verbal and non-verbal communication along with his relationship and audience.

Communication studies: The essential introduction (2001) defines self –presentation as daily interaction with the world, which are conscious attempts to influence other people.

The essential introduction (2001) Ervin Goffman offers the view that self – presentation is a extended form dramatic performance, which we prepare and at which we constantly work: ‘Life itself is a dramatically enacted thing’.

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Malcolm X’s non-verbal conscious though are extremely ‘heavy’ which suggest a kind of communicative competence instead of incontinence. His paralanguage is demanding (with an intonation which signifies commitment) to persuading his audience and aggressive (appropriate volume and emphasis) by rising his voice at important issue and lower his tone of voice at less important, his proximity is often close and persuasive. Malcolm uses his physical appearance such as height to intimate people which lack the understanding of Halls (1959) notion of personal space means many audiences are often intimidated. Clearly his physical appearance plays a major aspect in persuading ...

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