Copyright 2023 Helpful Professor. Low-context cultures are less stable than high-context cultures as they are not founded upon any shared background. In high cultures, much of the communication is understood by the group either by non-verbal coding, which refers to common body language; distinct in-groups and out-group's, which refers to the cohesiveness of the group; and covert and implicit messages, which refers to what we refer . Typically a high-context culture will be relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. Hall and Hall proposed a "spectrum" of national cultures from "High-Context cultures" to "Low-Context Cultures. Because a low-context setting cannot rely on shared understanding of potentially ambiguous messages, low-context cultures tend to give more information, or to be precise in their language. Many aspects of cultural behavior are not made explicit because most members know what . [34], Restricted codes are commonly used in high-context culture groups, where group members share the same cultural background and can easily understand the implicit meanings "between the lines" without further elaboration. Type of paper: Research Paper. High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Table 2 shows a classification of countries in low and high context, their characteristics and the expected role . [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. As we discuss culture, we are making generalizations to create cultural prototypes. 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]. 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. Low-context culture refers to a culture that communicates explicitly. Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). They also are AT-CTI certified. Sage Publications. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. low-context communication is "the mass of information is vested in the explicit code". Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. Create your account. 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. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. Communication Differences in Low-Context vs. High-Context Cultures, Comparing Communication Styles in Low- and High-Context Cultures, Additional Resources for Determining Cultural Contexts, Ethnocentrism and Cross-Cultural Competence, Additional Resources for Understanding Trompenaars Dimensions, Three Prototypes: Dignity, Face, and Honor Cultures, Ethnocentrism, Culture Shock, and Cultural Relativism. Same as low context communication high context do have its own peculiarities like they talk in hidden meanings and often double meanings or coded information. Communicating with high-context cultures can require you to focus on politeness strategies that demonstrate your respect for readers and listeners. Culture also affects how individuals interpret other people's facial expressions. Asia, Africa, Latin America, and central Europe are predominantly countries with a high context culture. Examples of low context cultures include: Scandinavia; Germany, and the US. A high-context culture is one in which communication may be more unspoken rather than explicit - for example, much attention is paid to body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues in order to discern a speaker's meaning. High context is where the groups of people or societies in which individuals have had close links in the course of a long period. In anthropology, high-context culture and low-context culture are ends of a continuum of how explicit the messages exchanged in a culture are and how important the context is in communication. Yolanda has taught college Psychology and Ethics, and has a doctorate of philosophy in counselor education and supervision. Routledge. In contrast, high-context cultures use facial expressions, body language, and gestures in a nuanced manner. Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. It is important to note that while a nation or society may be widely considered a high-context or low-context culture, certain events occur in the opposite context regularly (such as family gatherings in the United States). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. High-context defines cultures that are usually relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. The High Context / Low Context cultural dimension is a broad and far reaching theory which touches on many aspects of cultural communication including verbal and non-verbal messaging, internal and external locus of control, inward and outward reaction, cohesion of groups, people's bonds and commitments, as well . For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? Create your account, 10 chapters | High context cultures are more common in the eastern nations than in western and in countries with low racial diversity. This is in direct contrast to low-context cultures, in which information is communicated primarily through language and rules are explicitly spelled out. 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. Settings and cultures where people come together from a wider diversity of backgrounds such as international airports, large cities, or multi-national firms, tend to use lower-context communication forms. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. A high-context culture is one in which communication may be more unspoken rather than explicit - for example, much attention is paid to body language, facial expressions, and other non-verbal cues in order to discern a speaker's meaning. Relationships are easy to build, can start very quickly but end just as soon. The high and low context cultures in this concept refers to how important contextual cues are in interpreting a message. [14] Groups that are able to rely on a common background may not need to use words as explicitly to understand each other. An understanding of external cultures also leads to a better acceptance of diversity, a reduction in confusion and anxiety from misinterpreted communications, and a more effective means of intercultural collaboration. In the United States, Native Americans and Hawaiian islanders are also considered high-context. By contrast, a low-context culture is characterized by information being communicated primarily through spoken language, as well as rules being explicitly and directly stated. It describes the level of explicit information and the importance of context in a given culture, indicating the range of communicative abilities (verbal messages, gestures, etc.) They are considered less direct, and they put a lot of weight on gestures and body language to draw significance from messages. Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. London: Routledge. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. 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. [6] Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. The study collected three samples from different cultures - the US, China, and Korea - with 96 business managers surveyed in the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers in the Korean sample. Interaction. Low-Context Culture Communication & Examples | What Is Low-Context Culture? For example, for someone who is older and more experienced within a society, the need for social cues may be higher or lower depending on the communication style. Cultural differences in advertising and marketing may also be explained through high- and low-context cultures. What is high and low context culture examples? [30] Many singular cultures that are large have subcultures inside of them, making communication and defining them more complicated than the low-context and high-context culture scale. Your email address will not be published. Verbal message is explicit. In. 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We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. The terms "high context culture" and "low context culture" are used to define how people in various cultures communicate messages to each other. Wurtz found something similar while analyzing website design. Examples of high context cultures include many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, as well as some European cultures such as Spain and Italy. In contrast, low-context cultures rely on explicit verbal communication. Although the concept of high- and low-context cultures is usually applied in the field of analyzing national cultures, it can also be used to describe scientific or corporate cultures, or specific settings such as airports or law courts. For example, resemblance is a significant trait in cultures with a high level of context. Meaning depends on what is said- the literal content of the message- rather than how it is said. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . Russians employ a communication style that relies on environmental, non-verbal, traditional, and symbolic cues when communicating. Members of ingroups usually share many characteristics and experiences. In a 2008 meta-analysis of 224 articles published between 1990 and 2006, Peter W. Cardon wrote: [T]he theory was never described by Hall with any empirical rigor, and no known research involving any instrument or measure of contexting validates it. Not only is the page itself busier . [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. The reverse holds true for High (Collectivistic) Context Cultures. This can be quite confusing to an outsider, especially someone from a low-context culture who is used to communicating via explicit messages. In a low-context culture, communication occurs through explicitly spelled out and defined words, and listeners just have to interpret spoken or written words as they are. With this regard, America culture is a low-context . [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. We'll also look at how they're different and what that means for your work in global business. In other words, high-context communicators attach great importance to everything that surrounds the explicit message, including interpersonal relationships, non-verbal cues, and physical and social settings. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. A first step in achieving this goal is to identify one's own culture before delving into the rigors of another. The terms low-context and high-context usually refer to language groups or nationalities. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? In a low-context culture, you would not expect to give or receive gifts . [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. In high-context cultures, there are often many opportunities for social and cultural context to explain speech, which reduces the need for words in all instances. Generally, the situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated in a high-context culture. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). Japan and other countries located in Asia, Brazil and other countries located in South America, African tribal groups and most countries located in Africa, A majority of the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, Describe Edward T. Hall's characterization of high-context cultures, Distinguish between high-context and low-context cultures, Explain the characteristics of high-context cultures, Recall the importance of ingroups to high-context cultures. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. It relies on the straightforward use of language, without depending much on nonverbal cues. 231 lessons. Because of this, many features of cultural behavior in high-context cultures, such as individual roles and expectations, do not need much detailed or thought-out explanation. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Ramos, D. C. (2014). In contrast, the use of restricted codes indicates that speakers and listeners do share a great deal of common background and perspectives, and hence much more can be taken for granted, and thus expressed implicitly or through nuance: restricted codes tend to be more context-dependent. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. If you want to appear polite, you need to be willing to greet strangers and thank . (2012). I feel like its a lifeline. Words: 825. High-Context and Low-Context Cultures: Understanding the Differences May 17, 2022 May 17, 2022 Reading Time: 5 minutes Read More High-Context and Low-Context Cultures: Understanding the Differences Low-context cultures tend to focus more on the individual than the group, which is why they value individualism and autonomy. Individualism may lead to communicating to all people in a group in the same way, rather than offering hierarchical respect to certain members. This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). Your message needs to be clear and precise. In contrast, a high-context language like Japanese or Chinese can use a high number of homophones but still be understood by a listener who knows the context. [4] The model of high-context and low-context cultures offers a popular framework in intercultural-communication studies, but has been criticized as lacking empirical validation. Websites catering to high-context audiences had a lot of animation & images. Communicators in high-context cultures pay attention to more than the words spoken they also pay attention to interpersonal relationships, nonverbal expressions, physical settings, and social settings. High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. Conclusions are explicitly stated. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. Japan is a country with a high-context culture. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. Meyer defines low-context cultures as cultures where people communicate and receive messages at face value. the study of body movement including gestures, hand, arm, and leg movements, facial expressions, eye contact, and stance or posture Low-context message a message where the message is encoded in the words used or in the verbal expression and not as much in the context Masculinity-Femininity [2] High-context cultures often exhibit less-direct verbal and nonverbal communication, utilizing small communication gestures and reading more meaning into these less-direct messages. In high-context cultures (such as those in Japan, China, and Arab countries), the listener is already contexted and does not need to be given much background information[3]. A number of unique characteristics exist to make a clear distinction between high-context vs. low-context cultures and methods of communication. Beyond Culture. 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. The situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. Because of this, communication can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Both often take many aspects of the other's cultural communication abilities and strengths into account. People have many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. So the poor cow's life depends on the country, where it was born: whether it is going to be worshipped or to end up on someone's . A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. Teachers can share their own experiences and examples with their students. Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in North America, Scandinavia, and Germany) depend little on the context of a situation to convey their meaning. Since understanding every culture has its level of complexity, it is hard for other country people to determine what is the state of culture of the country they visit as a traveller. Listen to business speaker Erin Meyer explain how cultural differences can affect communication. Pages: 3. All rights reserved. They often use written contracts and agreements to clarify expectations (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1988). Beyond Culture. A low-context culture is a culture in which people communicate explicitly. In these cultures, people may rely on body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to convey meaning, and may not always say exactly what they mean directly. In comparison, the United States is perhaps the best example of a diverse and low-context culture. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. 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. A case study was done on 30 Romanian and 30 Russian employees, to compare high- and low-context cultures, and results strongly suggested that Russia and Romania are both high-context cultures. Oxford University Press. 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. 18 Examples of Low Culture. Masculine vs. Feminine Cultures: Distinctions & Communication Styles. High-context cultures are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. 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From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. [38] By contrast, low-context cultures tend to change more rapidly and drastically, allowing extension[definition needed] to happen at faster rates. According to Watson, "the influence of cultural variables interplays with other key factors for example, social identities, those of age, gender, social class and ethnicity; this may include a stronger or weaker influence. Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. Sage Publications. The study tested 16 items, covering various aspects of the high-versus-low context concept, including social orientation, responsibility, confrontation, communication, commitment, and dealing with new situations. The following chart will compare the main differences between high-context vs. low-context cultures and a discussion of example cultures will follow: While nations such as the United States have many low-context situations, it is important to recall that all societies experience high-context events as well. High context cultures tend to build relationships slowly, and they are generally stable for a long time and are based on trust and loyalty. [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . Most notably, members of either culture must recognize and make an effort to understand the values and characteristics of other cultures so that miscommunications may be avoided. A high-context culture is a culture or society that communicates dominantly through the use of contextual elements, such as specific forms of body language, the status of an individual, and. Examples of low- and high-context cultures are those based in the following culture clusters: High-context cultures The Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster The Middle East Cluster The Latin Europe Cluster The Eastern Europe Cluster The Latin America Cluster The Southern Asia Cluster The Confucian Asia Cluster Low-context cultures The Anglo Cluster Generally, high-context cultures prefer oral communications, while low-context cultures favor written communications. In low-context cultures, communication tends to be more direct and to the point. The USA and Australia are typically low-context, highly individualistic cultures, where transparency and competition in business are prized. This makes high-context cultures difficult to navigate for those who do not understand the culture's unwritten rules. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. This allows individuals of different generations to communicate through a shared set of values, which, in turn, provides stability to the culture. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. The aim of this report is to evaluate the concept of different communication cultures through the application of Hall's high and low-context model of culture. On the other hand, certain intercultural communication skills are unique for each culture and it is significant to note that these overlaps in communication techniques are represented subgroups within social interactions or family settings. These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." Because low-context communication concerns more direct messages, the meaning of these messages is more dependent on the words being spoken rather than on the interpretation of more subtle or unspoken cues. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. Most of the contexting categories simply have not been researched enough to make firm conclusions. Culture and Interpersonal Communication. Instead, a comparison between cultures may find communication differences to a greater or lesser degree. [15] In contrast, scientists working with living systems need to include more context because there can be significant variables which impact the research outcomes. A few examples of high-context cultures include China, Japan, South Africa, Argentina, and Spain; While low-context cultures are found more dominantly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Message is carried more by words than by nonverbal means. Meanwhile, in a high-context culture, nonverbal cues and unspoken background . Sage Publications. It further attempts to draw parallels between face-to-face communication and communication on the web by looking at communication rules and patterns in high-context cultures and comparing and contrasting them to the . However, the concept may also apply to corporations, professions and other cultural groups, as well as to settings such as online and offline communication. In contrast, take a look at the ads on the front page of Weibo, which is considered China's version of Facebook. What are the effects on the communication process? 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 ". For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. 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). [20][21], Cultural context can also shift and evolve. Three samples were gathered from the US, China, and Korea, three different cultures. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation.
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