Read the short article on “Space Invaders” and answer the following questions.

• Why do you think people feel uncomfortable/aggressive when others are in their space?
• Has there been a time where you have felt uncomfortable or become aggressive when someone was in your space?
• How did you solve the conflict?

Use, bold AND define 2 key terms from Ch. 6 in your answer.

• 5 point for answering all questions in 5-7 sentences
• 5 points for using 2 key terms, defining terms and bolding them
• 5 points for responding to 2 peers with 5-7 sentences responses

Be prepared to respond to your classmates in one or more of the following ways:

• Build on something your classmates said.
• Explain why and how you see things differently.
• Ask a probing or clarifying question.
• Share an insight from having read your classmates’ postings.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Validate an idea with your own experience.
• Expand on your classmates’ postings.

Did You Know?

Space Invaders

What do road rage, street harassment, and mob violence have in common? They all are responses to perceptions that one’s space has been invaded.

Most articles on nonverbal communication and territory focus on how people “mark” their private and public spaces, such as when homeowners use fences to delineate their property lines or when students leave jackets on the seats they regularly occupy. Less often do we examine how invasions of space lead to antisocial behavior. However, like other animals, humans may respond aggressively when they believe their territory has been invaded.

A common type of space violation in the United States occurs when one driver cuts off another driver. When an individual pulls into the lane ahead and causes them to slow down, some drivers become angry. They may engage in acts of road rage, such as chasing after the offender, driving them off the road, or pulling a gun. Why would someone respond violently to a behavior that usually is only a minor inconvenience? People who do so typically have a strong sense of ownership over their cars and the spaces they occupy. They are likely to perceive that they have been disrespected and that the other person has willingly and arbitrarily invaded their territory. As a result, they feel the need to establish dominance over “their” space by responding aggressively.

Another regularly occurring response to perceived territory invasion is street harassment. Street harassment is a form of verbal or nonverbal harassment that has a sexual component. It is typified by debasing, objectifying, or threatening behavior designed to intimidate. Most women, and some gay men, have experienced it. How is this behavior a response to space invasions? Social control theory argues that street harassment is, at least in part, an effort on the part of many men to mark the public domain as their territory. In these cases, women without male partners are seen as violators of men’s territory, and street harassment is viewed as a way to discourage them from intruding into this space alone (Lord, 2009). This behavior appears to be successful. A majority of women report that they have changed where they walk or live to avoid street harassment.

Yet another response to space intrusions is mob violence. You may have wondered why peaceful protests so often devolve into aggression. In part, they do so because as the group becomes more crowded, each person’s zone of personal space become smaller, and as a result, people began to feel hostile. As the group continues to grow and personal space is rendered nonexistent, individuals grow angrier and less civil, which can lead to violence. Even peaceful demonstrations can become disruptive, and angry ones can become lethal.