ABSTRACT
Culture is the strongest determinant of tactility. Whether we greet each other with handshakes, hugs, kisses or with words alone, depends largely on the tactile mores of the people around us.
It is the majority culture of a society that most usually shapes the tactility of individuals and families. Exceptions to this occur when minority subcultures, such as closely- knit ethnic and religious groups, have tactile norms that differ from and supersede the norms of the dominant culture.
Subcultures may also be created through trainings and professions, a notable example being that of the arts. Students and graduates of arts trainings such as drama and dance form tactile communities within which interpersonal touch occurs to a far greater extent than within non-tactile mainstream Britain.
Indeed, of the societies included in this research, British culture was the least tactile of the ‘Anglo cultures’ (that is, Britain and areas of the world influenced by British colonisation), and Anglo cultures were in turn less tactile than most non-Anglo cultures. Of the latter, Mediterranean, South American, and certain African and Asian societies were most tactile.
