The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Children's Gestures in Sweden

På svenska

Author

  • Mats Andrén

Editor

  • Cornelia Müller
  • Alan Cienki
  • Ellen Fricke
  • Silva Ladewig
  • David McNeill
  • Sedinha Teßendor

Summary, in English

What are Swedish children’s gestures like? How do they change over time in development? How do they relate to spoken language? Is there anything particularly Swedish about them? These questions are all discussed in this paper. The main message is that the overarching patterns of gestural development in Swedish children are similar to what has been found in studies of children in other cultures, but that conventionality — in the sense of culturally established forms of conduct — is a pervasive and somewhat underestimated aspect of children’s gestures. Finally, a distinction between different levels of conventionality is presented — typified and normative conventionality — that makes possible a more nuanced discussion of cultural aspects of gesture.

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Pages

1282-1289

Publication/Series

Body Language Communication

Volume

2

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

De Gruyter

Topic

  • General Language Studies and Linguistics

Keywords

  • conventionality
  • language
  • children
  • gestures
  • development

Status

Inpress

Project

  • Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)