Final answer:
Personal appearance is a key form of nonverbal communication for expressing identity, as it can reflect social standing and cultural values. Factors such as clothing, grooming, and adornments, alongside body language, play a role in how identities are perceived and communicated.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is often argued that personal appearance, which includes clothing, grooming, body markings, and adornments, is a significant form of nonverbal communication through which individuals create and communicate their identities. Symbolic interactionists highlight that our appearance can signal our perceived social standing, aligning aspects like housing, clothing, hairstyles, and personal style with indicators of social status. Moreover, there could be correlations suggesting that a person's hygiene habits reflect the cultural value placed on appearance, linking it to broader societal values and norms.
Body language, meanwhile, is recognized as an integral aspect of non-verbal communication contributing to impressions in social interactions, such as employment interviews as suggested by DeGroot and Gooty (2009). Thus, every aspect of how we present ourselves, from our skin embellishments with tattoos or makeup to our clothing choices, could arguably be seen as part of a complex web of communication that signals various aspects of our identity within a multiethnic, multicultural society.