Order now. The general terms "high context" and "low context" (popularized by Edward Hall) are used to describe broad-brush cultural differences between societies. Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). The differences between high-context and low-context cultures is one of the most challenging things to navigate and one of the most important and distinct differences that exists across cultures. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. For example, the head wobble (tilting the head from side to side) in India is a gesture that can convey a variety of meanings depending on the situation. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. However, there are some other characteristics also. Rules are not directly or explicitly written or stated. 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. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. Japan is a country with a high-context culture. (2014, May 9). 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]. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? (2012). 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). 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. Pages: 3. ), Hall, E. T.; Hall, M. R. (1990). The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . Class, Codes and Control. A simplified example mentioned by Hall is that scientists working in "hard science" fields (like chemistry and physics) tend to have lower-context cultures: because their knowledge and models have fewer variables, they will typically include less context for each event they describe. High context culture is common wherever there is a relationship between people. "Understanding cultural differences. A person's identity in a high context society tends to be based on one's roles and experiences within the group. 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 . Negotiators basically say what they mean. "[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. On the other hand, low-context culture does not have any such shared background. Relationships: The components of these cultures tend to value long-term relationships. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. 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 the tone of voice employed during speech. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Conflict Styles and HighLow Context Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Extension. With this regard, America culture is a low-context . Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. (2014, December 10). People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. Strategies to work effectively with people from high context and low context cultures Follow these 4 key strategies to communicate effectively across cultures: 1. 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). Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. Conclusions are explicitly stated. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. After you have finished with this lesson, you should be able to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. In, Meyer, C. (2017). classifications are discussed below. Ironically, contexting is most frequently discussed in terms of directness, yet empirical studies nearly all fail to support this relationship. Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. These include specific forms of body language, the social or familial status of an individual, and the tone of voice employed during speech. Moving from high-context communication to low-context communication or vice versa is challenging for students. Bernstein, B. We will write a custom Report on Communication Culture: Hall's High and Low-Context Model of Culture specifically for you. [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. 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. Besides cultural context, personal experiences and preferences also shape communication. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. Low context can describe situations, environments and cultures. Sage Publications. (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. Anchor Press/Doubleday. [32] Since all sets of cultures differ, especially from a global standpoint where language also creates a barrier for communication, social interactions specific to a culture normally require a range of appropriate communication abilities that an opposing culture may not understand or know about. [25] Pleasure, affection and inclusion were the highest motives for communication in both cultures, and control was the lowest for both cultures. Intercultural Communication on Websites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. High-context cu. (2013)[2]explain the concept of cultural context: Cultural context is a concept developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall. - Effects & Types, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Definition, effects & Types, Trepanning: Tools, Specialties & Definition, What is Pseudoephedrine? Oxford University Press. The GLOBE Project Overview & Behavior Styles | What is the GLOBE Project? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. The study suggests that in high-context cultures, such as China and Korea, people tend to be more socially oriented, less confrontational, and more complacent with existing ways of living compared to people from low-context cultures like the US.[23]. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. Eye contact, for example, which is encouraged in North America, may have ambiguous meaning or be considered disrespectful in certain high-context cultures. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Researchers today are using it greatly to study different cultures all over the world. The following are illustrative examples. Due to this shared understanding, high-context cultures are slightly more informal. [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. Verbal message is direct; one spells things out exactly. 3. We'll also look at how they're different and what that means for your work in global business. Culture and Interpersonal Communication. Japan and China are some of the best examples of high-context cultures, in addition to Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and many nations throughout Africa and the Middle East. These are some important high-context culture characteristics to look out for. Body language, tone of voice, and personal status are a few notable characteristics that are valued in a high-context culture. In a high-context culture, emphasis is placed on interpersonal relationships rather than personal achievement. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. - Uses & Side Effects, What is Amitriptyline? Your email address will not be published. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. 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. 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. 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. Anchor Press/Doubleday. The results found that U.S. participants used communication for pleasure more often than Mexican participants. 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). Trust must be developed before business transactions can begin. 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. Low and High Context Culture. [23] For example, Native Americans in the United States have higher-context cultures with a strong sense of tradition and history, compared to general American culture. 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. In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet have many relationships. Individuals in such cultures must hear or read a direct order, point, etc for it to be taken as valid. Examples of a low context communication cultures include The United States, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Germany. 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.
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