Non-verbal and paralinguistic political communication in sport: an analysis of images of Springbok rugby

Abstract

ABSTRACTNon-verbal communication as a subfield of communication sciences has received increased attention in scholarly publications over the past few decades. Various scholars in the field, such as Real (1975), Ekman (1993), Lunenburg (2010), Garber (2011) and Krauss, Chen and Chawla (2015), emphasise the importance of non-verbal communication in generating, processing and channelling information. Not only facial expressions but also gestures and body language are deemed important. Studies by Real (1975) found that sport plays a crucial role in identity formation and the transmission of meaning and values. In South African sport, rugby-football in particular was used to reflect Afrikaner political prowess and masculinity, and the Afrikaner’s growing influence and dominance. As Salah, Sebe and Gevers (2012) indicate, non-verbal communication should be studied within the context that frames such communication; therefore, their multi-modal approach, used in conjunction with non-verbal communication, is vital for this discussion. In this article, the broader, more inclusive contextual approaches of Salah, Sebe and Gevers (2012) and Lunenburg (2010) are employed to analyse seven iconic photographic images which are steeped in the political dynamics of the period. After focusing on the theoretical aspects of non-verbal communication underpinning the study, the photographs are analysed as examples of impactful non-verbal communication.