ANTH 281--The Quadratic Typologies of David McNeill--SPRING 2018, UNR

ANTH 281- Dr. J Ferguson-University of Nevada, Reno, Spring 2018


David McNeill's "Quadratic Typology of Gestures"

     Psychologist noted for his 4-category theory on gestures: Iconic, Metaphoric, Deictic and Beat.

The Iconic- Taking to task the "Emblem" subset in the Ahearn text (page 41) , the symbol of "Thumbs-Up" may well mean everything is OK. but it is also the sign used when a homeless person is standing on the side of the freeway and needs a ride. The Tennessean (Jan 18, 1992) has this to say about the "Thumbs-Up" gesture,
     "A thumbs up from pilots and astronauts means their mission will be a success But order a beer in Germany with a raised thumb and the bar-keep will bring you one brew. Use the same symbol in Japan and you'll get five beers."
     The article also mentions that the "V-for-Victory" sign was first flashed by Winston Churchill.
The Metaphoric-- Those with a background in Morse Code know well that the dot-dash combination for the letter "V" is dot-dot-dot-dash.  A metaphoric symbol was adopted to galvanize the Allies in World War Two to defeat Nazi Germany, and eventually evolved into the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
   
Background for the highly iconical-representational symbolism between Morse Code for the letter "V" and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony can be found in the article located at cmuse.org. The image above was found at that website.
The Deictic- Movie crime buffs will not hesitate to point out the all-too common gesture of the robber, hat pulled low over face when he walks into the bank and points an index finger hidden in the pocket of his trench coat and announces,
"Don't anybody move, this is a stickup!"
Of course the two events have to occur simultaneously, there can be no lag time and it is critical that the hand is in the pocket of the trench coat before entering the bank.
The Beat- The most unforgettable example of this gesture was Nikita Khrushchev at the United Nations on October 12, 1960 shouting "We will bury you!!" as he pounded a shoe on his desk.

(Image: http://www.sanantoniopeace.center/october-12-in-peace-justice-history-3/)
Personal use of gestures to illustrate an example as a speaker of North American English:
The Iconic- When describing various techniques I have observed in the classroom used by professors, I would note the operation of a remote for Power-point presentations by closing a hand to represent an imaginary remote and moving the thumb up and down to indicate the progression of slides. I would then position my fingers to represent holding an imaginary piece of chalk or an erasable marker as I moved it across an imaginary board to illustrate the lecture given the old-fashioned way, by use of writing notes directly onto the board.
The Metaphoric- Utilizing a pair of glasses, I might be in a dialogue with another person and when it came to an agreement, I might remove the glasses and say,
"I see what you mean."
Whereas a connection has been established between the removal of the glasses and the mutual  understanding, since the glasses represent the act of seeing. The action of removal is threefold: it might be done prior to the statement, in conjunction with or after the statement is made. Example:
"I see what you mean," pause briefly, then remove the glasses.
The Deictic- For recruits in boot camp, I would illustrate, while describing, the proper orientations for various military orders such as Attention!, Parade Rest!, At Ease!; and correct methods for pushups, sit-ups and other physical exercises.
The Beat- In a music class, I would take to task the use of a drumstick to tap out the complex tempo of Dave Brubeck's jazz masterpiece "Take Five."