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Text 1. Dressing the Truth
1. Before you read the article discuss together possible meanings for the
following expressions:
9 personal image management;
9 dressing for effect;
9 non-verbal communication;
9 appearances matter.
2. Read the article and make notes on what the author says about the
above expressions. Discuss your answers with the rest of the class. Decide
whether or not you think he would have agreed with the quotation B in ex.
3.5. Note anything he says which supports your opinion.
Most people say they wear what they do for practical reasons such as com-
fort or warmth. But the truth is more complex. Like it or not, our clothes are per-
sonal statements – and we might not always mean what they say.
Those of us who live surrounded by strangers – which in Britain in the 20th
century is increasingly the norm – have to develop our skills of non-verbal com-
munication in what the sociologist Irving Goffman has called The Presentation of
Self in Everyday Life. Just as people have differing abilities in most things, there
are obviously experts in this art – the geniuses of the street who can spot a genuine
Rolex or a pair of original Levi 501s at 100 yards. But it is also true that all of us
require basic skills to enable us to read the messages of the walking billboards
around us and, just as importantly, to select appropriate items for use in our own
personal image management.
These personal advertisements are not necessarily “legal, decent, honest and
truthful”. If asked to check out the claims made by our walking billboards, the Ad-
vertising Standards Authority would probably take most of us to court. We dress to
impress, to confuse and to deceive (if only ourselves). Whether we utilize the skills
of an undercover cop to blend into our surroundings or those of a pop star to stand
out, there is generally a considerable gap between what we project in our appear-
ance and the reality of our situation in life. It may be only when dressing for, say, a
job interview or a first date that we are aware of our capacity for visual deceit but
we are, in fact, at it all the time.
Dressing for effect is a game we all play. It is also a very serious business –
not just in the sense that the clothing and make-up industries are big business
(clothing manufacture is Britain's fourth biggest employer) but also because our
own personal, economic, social and romantic relationships so often derive from ef-
fective image management. Except for the minority of people who live out their
lives in small, rural communities where everyone knows everyone else, we inevit-
ably build our relationships upon a foundation of fleeting initial visual encounters.
It is a cliché that “Appearances Matter” but it is none the less true. At a party, on
the street, in the office, at a disco, when visiting a bank manager, verbal communi-
cation is only one aspect of our interaction – and frequently (perhaps surprisingly)
it is often the least important source of information. How many important relation-
ships in all our lives would have never developed to the verbal level if we had not
surmounted the initial hurdle of visual compatibility?
The other side of the coin is our ability to interpret the appearances of others
in order to avoid unpleasant or even dangerous encounters. On a dark, sparsely po-
pulated street the distant glimpse of a “doggy looking character” may make us
cross to the other side or even retreat in the opposite direction – often without justi-
fication. Our prejudices about appearances frequently interfere with our logic.
Muggers, pick-pockets, rapists and con-men rarely, in real life, look like the stereo-
types we expect. Usually it is only very subtle inconsistencies of style and manner
that are the clues we should look out for.
And if the interpretation of appearances is a complex game, the task of pro-
jecting to the world our own personal self-advertisement is no less so. Buying a
new wardrobe – or even a pair of socks - is no easy matter, but the choices we
make (yes, even in socks) are among our most important decisions. Many people
who have abundant skills at anything from computer programming to writing pop
songs are held back in life because they have never taken the time to develop their
skills of image management. Yet it is not difficult to do so.
The first point to grasp is that items of clothing, make-up, hairstyles, etc. are
symbols. Just as in learning the vocabulary of a foreign language, one has to learn
the meanings of these everyday style symbols. Unfortunately there are no dictiona-
ries of these things (their meanings are too ephemeral for that) but simply by tak-
ing note of what other people are “saying” with what garments, you can become
fluent enough to begin to evaluate what you are communicating through your own
appearance.
The messages which we think we are transmitting are often not the ones
which others actually read in our appearance. Get someone else to evaluate you.
Then, independently evaluate yourself and compare your appearance profiles.
Do not expect the message which you are sending out to correspond to your
real life situation. The presentation of self is the act of creating a public fiction
about a character who happens to have your name. The only thing that matters is
whether the fiction which you project is the one which you want the world to read.
Comprehension
1. Look at the following description of a clothing style taken from the
article: “Trendy means anything which is in fashion”. Working with your
partner, look at the two lists below. One list contains classifications, like
“trendy”; the other contains definitions, like “anything which is in fashion”.
Match the classifications with the definitions. Sort them into pairs of oppo-
sites, e.g. hard and soft.
Classifications
1. Trendy means… 6. Traditional means…
2. Sort means… 7. Mind-dressing means…
3. Body-dressing means… 8. Conformist means…
4. Elitist means… 9. Egalitarian means…
5. Hard means… 10. Individual means…
Definitions
A.casual, pastel shades, muted patterns, fussy, fine fabrics, lace, floral prints,
frills, bows, suede, mohair and ribbons;
B.work clothes, army surplus, practical fabrics, donkey jackets, Dr Martens,
overalls, badges;
C.“normal” clothes which do not stand out and attract attention; anything
bought from a chain store that generally do the trick;
D.whatever is usually, unconventional, personal and distinctive;
E. expensive fabrics, bespoke tailoring, couture, hand-made shoes, the fami-
ly jewels, formal dress;
F. sportswear, dance clothes, muscle T-shirts, body-hugging stretch fabrics,
suntan;
G.tailored, sharp, angular, severe, minimalist, strong solid colours, bold
stripes, pointed collars, black leather, studs and metal trimming;
H.classic – anything which is timeless and does not date;
I. loose-fitting, carelessly assembled, slightly rumpled clothes which do not
show much flesh, briefcase bulging with books, spectacles;
J. Anything which is in fashion.
Answers: 1j; 2a; 3f; 4e; 5g; 6h; 7i; 8c; 9b; 10d.
2. When you have finished, look at the messages below. With your part-
ner, try to decide which classification goes with which message. The first one
is done for you.
1. The message is: “I’m efficient, businesslike, sharp, strong, aggressive, de-
cisive, urban, sophisticated and in control.” – Hard.
2. The message is: “I’m an intellectual, concerned with ideas not appear-
ances, reasoning, rational, thoughtful, civilized and introspective”.
3. The message is: “I’m a proud proletarian, salt of the earth, left wing, “Up
the workers”.
4. The message is: “I’m caring, nice, gentle, friendly, relaxed, innocent, pas-
sive and rural”.
5. The message is: “I’m special, unique, creative, one in a million”.
6. The message is: “I’m fit, sensual, instinctual, natural, intuitive”.
7. The message is: “I’m a team player, one of the boys/girls – average, con-
ventional and middle-of-the-road. I blend with my surroundings”.
8. The message is: “I’m a member of an exclusive coterie, not one of the
“hoi polloi”( hoi polloi = the common people, the masses).
9. The message is: “I’m up-to-the minute, going places, not stuck in a rut,
progressive and in with the in crowd”.
10. The message is: “I’m a pillar of the community – moral, upright, hon-
est, God-fearing, worthy, honourable and virtuous”.
So… which one are you?
1. Personal image management: Refers to the skills individuals develop to communicate non-verbally through their appearance. It involves selecting appropriate items to manage one's personal image effectively.
2. Dressing for effect: Describes the act of intentionally choosing clothing and accessories to make a statement or create a specific impression. It is seen as a game that everyone plays, influencing personal, economic, social, and romantic relationships.
3. Non-verbal communication: Emphasizes the importance of visual cues and appearances in everyday interactions. It suggests that appearances often convey more information than verbal communication, playing a significant role in initial encounters and relationship building.
4. Appearances matter: Highlights the significance of visual compatibility and first impressions in various settings such as parties, offices, or social gatherings. It suggests that appearances can impact the development of relationships even before verbal communication takes place.
The author of the article seems to agree with the quotation "Appearances Matter" based on the emphasis placed on the role of appearances in personal interactions and relationship building. The article suggests that visual cues and personal image management play a crucial role in how individuals are perceived and how relationships are formed.