Body Territory
The most appropriate way to think of body territory is "your bubble." Your body is your space and no one is allowed to invade your body without your permission. For instance, take into consideration the significant amount of stigma and law enforcement with invasion of that territory. Rape, assault, and harrasment are very much punished and the perpetrator is viewed in the most sour light.
In another frame of thought, we can see when we discuss personal spaces, different cultures, as well as different relationships, have their own assigned "distance." Similarly we can make the comparison to ones body territory. We are naturally inclined to "protect" our body. When we stand in line we don't stand to close to the person in front of us to keep a sense of comfort. In the most literal sense of protection we know to keep distance when someone is doing something dangerous near us.
It also noted how we adorn our bodies to signify a sort of protection. Punk rockers dress like punk rockers, business men dress like other business men so as to attract and detur the appropriate people.
Primary Territory
Primary territory refers to our "home." Our home can be our car, our office, our actual house, or any space that we consider primarily ours. Our primary territory is well protected in societies eyes, take for instance the violation of stealing or breaking and entering. When that territory is invaded often times there are legal or other ramifications. Our primary territory is so protected becuase it is most often "ours." It is viewed as something that we own and are allowed to do anything we'd like.
Our primary territory is often the place we are most comfortable. We can relax and be stress free, we can do as we please, ie singing in the shower! We can do things in our primary territory that we would never consider doing in public.
Secondary Territory
Secondary territory is not quite a public place where anyone is welcome but more of place where a norm in expected. For example, when you go to a elementary school, you expect to see children, teachers, and parents, anyone else would raise an eyebrow. That territory helps us protect ourselves from outsiders or those who shouldn't be there.
Another way to think of secondary territory is to expect the same group in the same place each time the location is visited. A bible study group has the same members every week and when a new member is there, it become overwhelmingly obvious.
It is important to point out how each place can be thought of as a different territory to different people. The assigned text brings up the best example I have come come across, the neighborhood bar is a secondary territory to it's regulars, a primary territory to it's employees, and a public territory to those customers who are just dropping in.
Public Territory
A public territory is a space that is open to anyone, there are no shocks in who is seen. There is little feeling of violation when you are in a public territory, because as opposed to protecting your territory you understand that the space is an open space. It's interesting to see however, that while public territory allows for significantly more freedom than other territories, there are still certain guidelines that are followed. Streets that are considered "rough" because they have a particular group of people inhabitating them are often avoided even though they are public streets. Public parks have rules that limit peoples activities or inhibit their terriotries. For instance you can't have rollerblades or ride bicycles on the sidewalks and you can't sleep on the benches overnight. Those rules while inhibiting are generally respected and usually followed.
Often times when a person is in a public territory, their body territory is quite prevalent. Take the picture of the park bench at the top of this post, there is an adequate amount of space between all except of of course for the couple who has less body territory inhibitions.
References:
Proxemics, personal space and territory [Web log message]. (2010, Janurary 28). http://designobserver.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/proxemics-personal-space-and-territory/;
Sussman, L. (n.d.). Nonverbal communication. Informally published manuscript, University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky. Retrieved from http://cobweb2.louisville.edu/faculty/regbruce/bruce//mgmtwebs/commun_f98/Introduction.htm
Igarashist, M., Stade, M., & Vriens, S. (n.d.). Proxemics in public space: Media technology projects. Informally published manuscript, Leiden Univerity, The Netherlands, Retrieved from http://www.maartenlamers.com/docs/have-a-seat-draft.pdf
Burgoon, J., Guerrero, L., & Floyd, K. (2010). Noverbal communications. (pp. 164-166). Pearson Education, Inc.
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