An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. High Context vs. Low Context. For instance, a study has argued that both Japan and Finland (high-context cultures) are becoming lower-context with the increased influence of Western European and United States culture.[22]. An error occurred trying to load this video. . Many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit because most members know what . Unlike the linear communication style preferred in low-context cultures, high-context communicators may use spiral logic, circling around a topic indirectly and looking at it from many tangential or divergent viewpoints. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. High-context cultures rely heavily on non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc. succeed. Low-context cultures rely on explicit communication. These include specific forms of body language, the social or familial status of an individual, and the tone of voice employed during speech. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. (PDF) COMMUNICATING IN HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES COMMUNICATING IN HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES March 2016 Affiliation: Arizona State University State: In Progress Authors: Jay Klagge. Interaction. What is culture? Members of the culture place emphasis on interpersonal relationships. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. The hypotheses tested indicated the high-context culture in Mexico would provide different motives for communication when compared with the low-context culture of the U.S. Instead, they depend on the explicit code of the words and written rules to convey meaning. They also displayed pictures of individuals, while high-context websites foregrounded group pictures. For example, while the United States is a low-context culture, family gatherings (which are common in American culture) tend to be high-context. Meanwhile, in a high-context culture, nonverbal cues and unspoken background . A number of unique characteristics exist to make a clear distinction between high-context vs. low-context cultures and methods of communication. Hall, E. T. (1976). I feel like its a lifeline. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. "[27] This implies that communication is quite direct and detailed because members of the culture are not expected to have knowledge of each other's histories, past experience or background. [25] There were 225 Mexican participants from three different undergraduate universities in Mexico City and 447 participants from Kent State University in the U.S.[25] The case study looked into culture shock experienced by Mexicans studying in the U.S. High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. [38] By contrast, low-context cultures tend to change more rapidly and drastically, allowing extension[definition needed] to happen at faster rates. Message is carried more by words than by nonverbal means. Leaders in high-context cultures, such as Ethiopia, tend to communicate more implicitly, using more nonverbal communication and expressing more vague verbal messages (at least from the viewpoint of a low-context culture). The United States, on the other hand, is considered a low-context culture, relying largely on explicit verbal explanations to keep everyone on the same page. Data was gathered in India, Ireland, Thailand, and the United States where the results confirm that "high-context nations (India and Thailand) prefer the avoiding and obliging conflict styles more than low-context nations (Ireland and the United States), whereas low-context nations prefer the uncompromising and dominating communication style more than high-context nations."[16]. Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. By contrast, a low-context culture enjoys communications that take place most often through written or spoken (verbal) speech and rules are directly and explicitly stated. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. (2013)[2]explain the concept of cultural context: Cultural context is a concept developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. Family gatherings, religious congregations, and other social outings with a close-knit group of people are forms of high-context communications that take place regularly in most cultures. Both the speaker and listener act under the assumption that all relevant information has been explicitly stated. Cultural communications are highly important to understand for a number of reasons and the concept of high-context vs. low-context culture was first elaborated by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1976. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. This study is a result of a cross-cultural examination between students from the United States, a low-context culture, and Mexico, a high-context culture, to study the reasons people communicate in each culture. In this context, we will discuss those topics also. Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. [14] However, understanding the broad tendencies of predominant cultures can help inform and educate individuals on how to better facilitate communication between individuals of differing cultural backgrounds. In low-context countries, things need to be spelled out a bit more. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. A 2008 meta-analysis concluded that the model was "unsubstantiated and underdeveloped".[5]. The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . For high-context cultures, language is a kind of social lubricant, easing and harmonizing relations that are defined according to a group or collectivist orientation where we rather than I is the key to identity. Resistance in Turkey and India Between World Wars, The Role of Culture & Gender in Listening, The Role of Perception & Bias in Intercultural Communication, Introduction to Educational Psychology: Certificate Program, Educational Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Research Methods in Psychology: Help and Review, Introduction to Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Abnormal Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Social Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Introduction to Psychology: Tutoring Solution, Educational Psychology: Homework Help Resource, UExcel Research Methods in Psychology: Study Guide & Test Prep, Research Methods in Psychology: Certificate Program, Research Methods in Psychology: Homework Help Resource, Create an account to start this course today. Examples of a low context communication cultures include The United States, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Germany. low-context communication is "the mass of information is vested in the explicit code". Asia, Africa, Latin America, and central Europe are predominantly countries with a high context culture. people generally use. High-context cultures are built on a sense of shared experiences and history. However, there are some other characteristics also. 231 lessons. Intercultural Communication on Websites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures. Establishing relationships is an important part of communicating and interacting. Two Types of Reflective Writing Assignments, Additional Resources for Improving Writing, Consistency in comparatives and listed elements: Parallelism, Hofstede Insights country comparison tool, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oYfhTC9lIQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvqDv4vbEg, https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/42958_2_The_Cultural_Context.pdf, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Tend to prefer indirect verbal interaction, Tend to understand meaning at one level only, Tend to understand meanings embedded at many sociocultural levels, Are generally less proficient in reading nonverbal cues, Are generally more proficient in reading nonverbal cues, Communication in highly structured messages, provide details, stress literal meaning, Communication is simple, sometimes ambiguous, messages; understand visual messages readily, Define cultural context (Guffey et al., 2013, p. 64), Contrast communicate styles for low-context and high-context cultures (Meyer, 2017, p. 59), Explain how cultural differences can affect workplace communication (Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau, 2014). Since a high-context culture is based on fewer, deeper relations with people, there are many unspoken social rules and understandings within the culture. What is low context cultural communication? Examples of High Context Small religious gatherings, party with close friends, family functions, dining out with family or friends, and sleep over at friend's place, etc. Japan is a country with a high-context culture. [5], These concepts were first introduced by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1959 book The Silent Language. Communication is seen as a way of exchanging information, ideas, and opinions. Low-context and high-context culture are anthropological concepts that describe the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a cultures communication. This concept was introduced by Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist back in 1976. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you China, Japan, Turkey, and Mexico are some countries that lean towards high-context. These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." Communicating with high-context cultures can require you to focus on politeness strategies that demonstrate your respect for readers and listeners. Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. For example, the body language and methods of communication experienced by a group of close friends in a casual setting differs greatly from a group of peers presenting at a professional business meeting. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. We will write a custom Report on Communication Culture: Hall's High and Low-Context Model of Culture specifically for you. For an outsider, it is easier to enter into low-context cultures because one does not need to be aware of the shared history/values of the group. Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. High context is where the groups of people or societies in which individuals have had close links in the course of a long period. High-context cu. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. Hall is also credited for developing the idea of chronemics, or the study of the use of time during nonverbal communications. High- context cultures are often collectivist in nature and largely defined by group communications, as well as the development or promotion of ingroups, or groups that individuals may become loyal to. The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. Examples of high-context cultures include China, India, and many non-Western societies. On one side of the dimension, we have high context cultures, which depend on greater context when communicating. Bernstein, B. Your email address will not be published. Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. The following high-context culture examples are a few global cultures where these rules, as well as other characteristics of high-context cultures, apply predominantly: For additional context, a few examples of low-context cultures beyond the United States include Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark. High-context cultures also value group harmony above individual achievement. People within high-context cultures tend to be more aware and observant of facial expressions, body language, changes in tone, and other aspects of communication that are not directly spoken. From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. Low-context cultures (such as those in North America and Western Europe) depend less on the environment of a situation to convey meaning than do high-context cultures (such as those in Japan, China, and Arab countries). Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. Hall identifies high-context cultures as those in which harmony and the well-being of the group is preferred over individual achievement. High-context cultures are collectivist cultures. [41] One study on McDonald's online advertising compared Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the United States, and found that in high-context countries, the advertising used more colors, movements, and sounds to give context, while in low-context cultures the advertising focused more on verbal information and linear processes. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 In high-context cultures, language may be used to assist and maintain relationship-building and to focus on process. For example, families typically engage in high context communication whereby they can communicate much with subtleties such as a glace. [39][40] In high-context cultures, facial expressions and gestures take on greater importance in conveying and understanding a message, and the receiver may require more cultural context to understand "basic" displays of emotions. High vs. Low Power Distance Cultural Communications | What are High and Low Power Distance Cultural Communications? The answer is simple. Typically a high-context culture will be relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. Meanwhile, in low-context cultures, more explicit speech is needed in order to allow the listener to fully understand the message. (1971). Russians employ a communication style that relies on environmental, non-verbal, traditional, and symbolic cues when communicating. The difference between High and Low Context Culture is that Low Context Cultures (Individualistic Cultures) do not need a lot of additional (Contextual) information to engage in " communication ". Monochronic vs. Polychronic Communication Styles | What Are Chronemics? For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. Their communication is often indirect and requires a nuanced understanding, so outsiders might find it more difficult to enter their culture. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? Communication Research Reports. Meaning is determined not by what is said but by how it is said and by how social implications such as the communicators status and position come into play. Some common characteristics of high-context cultures include: Though the United States has a low-context culture, we have all been placed in situations that are considered high-context. Initially, high culture rejects these outsiders but eventually embraces them or appropriates . Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 18. Culture also affects how individuals interpret other people's facial expressions. High-context defines cultures that are usually relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. An experiment performed by the University of Glasgow shows that different cultures have different understanding of the facial expression signals of the six basic emotions, which are the so-called "universal language of emotion"happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger and sadness. Croucher, S., Bruno, A, McGrath, P, Adams, C, McGahan, C, Suits, A & Huckins, A. People have many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. Edward Hall is a famous theorist and anthropologist who has contributed a renowned theory of high- and low-context cultures to facilitate students, researchers . The results found that U.S. participants used communication for pleasure more often than Mexican participants. They rely less on context & non-verbal cues and instead convey meaning more directly. London: Routledge. In high context cultures like Native American tribes, Japan, China, and Arabic countries, communication is curvilinear, and often what is left unsaid is just as important than what is, and there is more flexibility with time and looser schedules. "[17] On the other hand, he identified countries such as Germany, the United States and Scandinavia as low-context cultures. Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. This also means that low-context communication may fail due to the overload of information, which makes culture lose its screening[definition needed] function. [3] Low-context cultures do the opposite; direct verbal communication is needed to properly understand a message being communicated and relies heavily on explicit verbal skills. Individualism may lead to communicating to all people in a group in the same way, rather than offering hierarchical respect to certain members. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. Overall, this study provides further evidence to support the high versus low-context culture concepts with Chinese, Korean, and American participants. Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. High-context cultures include close-knit groups of people, while low-context cultures are generally more diverse. Low-context and high-context cultures are the ends of a continuum portraying how cultures communicate. The theory of High and Low Context Cultures puts how people communicate in a dimension. In addition, Hall identified countries such as Japan, Arabic countries and some Latin American Countries to practice high-context culture; "High context communication carries most of its information within physical acts and features such as avoiding eye contact or even the shrug of a shoulder. Want to create or adapt books like this? Beyond Culture. High-context cultures are those in which the rules of communication are primarily transmitted through the use of contextual elements (i.e., body language, a person's status, and tone of voice) and are not explicitly stated. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. [19] This has been expanded to further countries by Sheposh & Shaista. Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. Culture is a combination of our thoughts, roles, manners, values, etc. They assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything.
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