Are men aware of their behavior when they put their arm/hands around a woman's waist...

[MarshallV84]

I tend to touch shoulders or the mid-back when I go on a date with a woman I'm attracted to, If the date seems to go well. If she's cold or seems like she checked out I just bull****, keep my hands to myself and wait for the night to end. =)

I don't touch random people at 'social events' though.

[spelunker]

You know, it could well be that men know they are doing it or it could be subconscious. Oddly, not every move men make is sexual. For me the small of the back/waist touch on a woman is sort of affectionate in a sense. Sometimes it can be a silent way of saying that they look attractive (and not necessarily in a sexual way but more in an elegant, beautiful way). I also think that many women like touch in general as long as it is not aggressive or blatant...God knows they touch men all the time.

Frankly, I don't like a woman I am not attracted to/interested in hugging me. It happens all the time, I find it inappropriate because I was brought up in a family of non-huggers so hugs send a strong message to me internally. I sort of resent the fact that I have had to 'untrain' myself from what would be my normal reaction to a woman's hug. In general hugs are uncomfortable for me because they send a strong sexual message which I then have to repress, or worse try and figure out if it was meant to be one.

[G0DDESS]

They know what they're doing, and unless it's a family member or he is trying to softly usher you somewhere (like a nurse, waiter, etc) then he's likely attracted to you -- or at least feels comfortable enough with you to touch you.