Posture is about the way in which we position our bodies. Much of our early socialisation has taught us the importance of an erect posture, which means holding ourselves upright and straight to our full height. On the other hand slouching is associated with poor posture and implies laziness or slovenly behaviour. “ Sit up straight, shoulders back or chin up are the instructions regularly heard at home and at school. We associate an upright posture with people who are confident about themselves. The armed forces and the police are drilled into adopting this posture which gives them an air of confident authority.

Certainly we use posture as one means of indicating to another person our feelings of friendship or hostility. Certain postures such as standing with hands on hips can be construed as confrontational and hostile.

Good posture is something that can be learned. A technique was invented last century by an Australian actor, Frederick Alexander. He argued that adopting a good posture by becoming sensitive to the way in which we hold our bodies is beneficial to our physical and mental well being. Look at yourself in a full mirror from a variety of angles. It will indicate a good deal about your posture. Often a person’s bodily posture can provide an indication of how comfortable or otherwise they fel about the person they are next to.

Posture is also another aspect of our behaviour when we are together in a group. It is often possible to observe that people unconsciously imitate the postures of the people they are with, sometimes as a couple in larger groups. This process is known as mirroring or more grandly, posture congruence. An example of this is the way in which people cross their legs or fold their arms to mirror the postures that people in their immediate circle have adopted. Part of the function of such actions is to reinforce group identities and to suggest conformity within a group. Just as dress can be used to reinforce the cohesion of the group, so too can posture. This is perhaps another reason why drill is such an important element of training in the armed and the police forces.