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. In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet have many relationships. Most of the contexting categories simply have not been researched enough to make firm conclusions. [33] This significance follows into many situations such as the workplace, which can be prone to diversified cultures and opportunities for collaboration and working together. Instead, many cultures tend to have a mixture or at least some concepts that are shared between them, overlapping the two context cultures.[26]. A conclusion may be implied but not argued directly. Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. They tend to use more slangs, idioms and are generally high pace speakers. The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. High-Context Culture: Examples, Definition & Countries You can find his work on The Print, Live Wire, and YouTube. According to Hall's theory, Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents lower context. Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. 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. 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. [1] In low context, communication members' communication must be more explicit, direct, and elaborate because individuals are not expected to have knowledge of each other's histories or background, and communication is not necessarily shaped by long-standing relationships between speakers. Trompenaars' Cultural Dimensions Model & Examples | 7 Dimensions of Culture, Hofstede's Uncertainty Avoidance | Culture, Example & Index, Developing an Audience-Centered Presentation, Methods to Increase the Accuracy of Impressions, Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation | Hofstede, Culture & Concept, Cross-Cultural Interactions & Relationships in Agile Organizations. 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. Cultures where the group is valued over the individual promote. [5]:4223, Characteristics of high-context and low-context cultures, Examples of higher- and lower-context cultures, Overlap and contrast between context cultures, How higher context relates to other cultural metrics. An error occurred trying to load this video. In high-context cultures, language may be used to assist and maintain relationship-building and to focus on process. [30] The diversity within a main culture shows how the high and low scale differs depending on social settings such as school, work, home, and in other countries; variation is what allows the scale to fluctuate even if a large culture is categorized as primarily one or the other. By comparison, low-context cultures refer to cultures whereby most communications take place through verbal language and rules are directly written out or stated for all to view. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall first discussed high-context culture in his 1976 book titled Beyond Culture. A low-context culture is a culture in which people communicate explicitly. They often use written contracts and agreements to clarify expectations (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1988). High and Low Culture Report.docx - High and Low Culture Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. In other words, the relationship between directness and contexting based on traditional classifications of [high-context] and [low-context] cultures is particularly tenuous. An individual from Texas (a higher-context culture) may communicate with a few words or use of a prolonged silence characteristic of Texan English, where a New Yorker would be very explicit (as typical of New York City English), although both speak the same language (American English) and are part of a nation (the United States of America) which is lower-context relative to other nations. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. 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. [13] Not all individuals in a culture can be defined by cultural stereotypes, and there will be variations within a national culture in different settings. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. Create your account. ", "Communication: intercultural communication. In this context, we will discuss those topics also. Meanwhile, in a high-context culture, nonverbal cues and unspoken background . Contents show Low Context Culture Definition Edward T. Hall describes low-context culture as one in which: Conclusions are explicitly stated. According to Hall's theory, the Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents a lower context culture. A person's identity in a high context society tends to be based on one's roles and experiences within the group. 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. High and Low Context Cultures - Intercultural Communication (2013)[2]explain the concept of cultural context: Cultural context is a concept developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall. However, this type of segregation is not rigid, but takes the form of a gradient since the contextual base of a culture is not a quantifiable but relative concept. People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. Create your account, 10 chapters | The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. The Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice states that, "high context defines cultures that are relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. 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. He studied English literature at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. Ramos suggests that "in low context culture, communication members' communication must be more explicit. High-Context vs. Low-Context Communication - ToughNickel 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. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. Order now. Relationships are easy to build, can start very quickly but end just as soon. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. Context 1. . How Do Chinese and American Culture Compare - Medium Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. They also displayed pictures of individuals, while high-context websites foregrounded group pictures. Beyond Culture. Unlike low-context cultures, high-context cultures prioritize the group over the individual (Hofstede, 1984). Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): A graph which shows the level of context in various world cultures. It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. Cultures and communication in which context is of great importance to structuring actions is referred to as high context. Low context implies that a lot of information is exchanged explicitly through the message itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden.People in low context cultures such as the UK tend to have short-term relationships, follow rules and standards closely and are generally very task-oriented. Remember that culture is dynamic, and that every individual within a culture is unique and may not conform exactly to the general characteristics of that culture. 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. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. The answer is simple. The general terms "high context" and "low context" (popularized by Edward Hall) are used to describe broad-brush cultural differences between societies. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. In contrast, high-context cultures use facial expressions, body language, and gestures in a nuanced manner. Family gatherings and interactions with people from high-context cultures are two examples of scenarios in which Americans participate in high-context communications, largely because they are with close-knit groups of people who share similar values, rules, and norms. [12] Typically a low-context culture will be less close-knit, and so individuals communicating will have fewer relational cues when interpreting messages. High-context cultures, on the other hand, depend on both the spoken words and the context of the situationincluding the shared values/assumptions of the groupto convey meaning. Conclusion The dynamics of relationships within High and Low context cultures are very different. Body language, tone of voice, and personal status are a few notable characteristics that are valued in a high-context culture. Researchers today are using it greatly to study different cultures all over the world. Guffey et al. About The Helpful Professor [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. 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. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. High Context and Low Context - SlideShare Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). In high-context cultures, communication cues are transmitted by posture, voice inflection, gestures, and facial expression. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. 15 Examples of High Context - Simplicable Wurtz studied McDonalds online advertising in various countries such as Japan, Germany, the United States, etc. Anchor Press/Doubleday. 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. (1971). However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. Answer (1 of 2): Examples of high context countries include: Japan, China, and the Arab countries. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. PDF Negotiating Aross Cultures - Air University differentiate between high-context and low context culture examples [2] Collectivist societies prioritize the group over the individual, and vice versa for individualist ones. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Culture and Interpersonal Communication. Both the speaker and listener act under the assumption that all relevant information has been explicitly stated.
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