high and low context cultures examples

A high-context culture is a culture in which the values, rules, and social norms are primarily communicated through the use of contextual elements (such as body language, a person's status, and tone of voice) and are not explicitly stated. classifications are discussed below. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. High-context cultures are collectivist cultures. Your email address will not be published. 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. Guffey, M.E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). Examples of high context cultures include many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, as well as some European cultures such as Spain and Italy. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? Meaning depends on what is said- the literal content of the message- rather than how it is said. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). After you have finished with this lesson, you should be able to: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Examples of a low context communication cultures include The United States, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Germany. What is culture? For example, it could be argued that the Canadian French language is higher context than Canadian English, but lower context than Spanish or French French. She found out that in high-context countries, the advertising campaigns used more colors, movements, and sounds to provide context. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. The following are illustrative examples. For example, a low-context communicator can say, "I am unhappy with this outcome and . Verbal message is explicit. According to Hall's theory, the Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents a lower context culture. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. 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. Moving from high-context communication to low-context communication or vice versa is challenging for students. The use of an elaborated code indicates that speaker and listener do not share significant amounts of common knowledge, and hence they may need to "spell out" their ideas more fully: elaborated codes tend to be more context-independent. 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. [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? In Low Context Culture it is normal to be self reliant and yet have many relationships. Conclusions are explicitly stated. Russians employ a communication style that relies on environmental, non-verbal, traditional, and symbolic cues when communicating. Not only is the page itself busier . Low-context and high-context cultures are the ends of a continuum portraying how cultures communicate. The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you 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. 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. for only $11.00 $9.35/page. Hall, E. T. (1976). Language may be used to achieve goals or exchange information. High Context Culture And Its Importance lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Explain the differences between high- and low-context cultures, giving examples of each. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall first discussed high-context culture in his 1976 book titled Beyond Culture. Create your account. In the 1970's, anthropologist Edward T. Hall coined the phrases "high-context culture" and "low- context culture.". [42] The images found on the websites used in the study promoted individualistic and collectivist characteristics within the low-context and high-context websites, respectively. Instead, they depend on the explicit code of the words and written rules to convey meaning. [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. For example, the Native Americans in the United States rely heavily on their tradition. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. 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. - Dosage & Side Effects, Anxiolytic: Definition, Medications & Dependence, What is Citalopram? The terms low-context and high-context usually refer to language groups or nationalities. Intercultural Business Communication by Confederation College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. On one side of the dimension, we have high context cultures, which depend on greater context when communicating. Want to create or adapt books like this? Ironically, contexting is most frequently discussed in terms of directness, yet empirical studies nearly all fail to support this relationship. Developing Cultural Intelligence in Corporations, Cultural Perceptions of Time in Organizations: Monochronic and Polychronic Time, Using CRM to Improve Marketing & Customer Acquisition, Comparing Communication in Cultures with High & Low Tolerance for Ambiguity. Hofstede, G. (1984). 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 Individualism may lead to communicating to all people in a group in the same way, rather than offering hierarchical respect to certain members. Anchor Press/Doubleday. 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 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]. I feel like its a lifeline. 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. 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. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. 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. Low-context cultures rely on explicit 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. They also displayed pictures of individuals, while high-context websites foregrounded group pictures. Hall is also credited for developing the idea of chronemics, or the study of the use of time during nonverbal communications. Devon has tutored for almost two years. A person's identity in a high context society tends to be based on one's roles and experiences within the group. 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. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. As we discuss culture, we are making generalizations to create cultural prototypes. [18], Therefore, higher-context cultures tend to correlate with cultures that also have a strong sense of tradition and history, and change little over time. Instead, many cultures tend to have a mixture or at least some concepts that are shared between them, overlapping the two context cultures.[26]. 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. Anchor Press/Doubleday. ", "Communication: intercultural communication. These experiences inclu. Messages can be contextualized by assuming that the audience would think in the same manner and will follow the underlying meaning implied in someone's speech or writing as a result of these common experiences. Examples of low context cultures include: Scandinavia; Germany, and the US. 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. [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. Beyond Culture. 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). Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. 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. Edward T. Hall describes low-context culture as one in which: most of the information is either in the explicit code or readily available elsewhere (Hall, 1976). https://helpfulprofessor.com/low-context-culture-examples/. 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[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. One approach to gaining such an insight is through the use of the high and low context culture framework, which was established by anthropologist Edward T. Examples of low context cultures are countries such as China, Brazil or Saudi Arabia. Rules are not directly or explicitly written or stated. A 2008 meta-analysis concluded that the model was "unsubstantiated and underdeveloped".[5]. Communicating with high-context cultures can require you to focus on politeness strategies that demonstrate your respect for readers and listeners. [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. Culture is a combination of our thoughts, roles, manners, values, etc. A few predominantly high-context cultures include Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. Getting the message across. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. Listen to business speaker Erin Meyer explain how cultural differences can affect communication. (2014, May 9). 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. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. 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. [42] In a case study conducted by the IT University of Copenhagen, it was found that websites catering to high-context cultures tended to have more detailed and advanced designs, including various images and animations. For example, while the United States is a low-context culture, family gatherings (which are common in American culture) tend to be high-context. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? Due to this shared understanding, high-context cultures are slightly more informal. Low-context communication is often seen in Western, more individualistic cultures (i.e., U.S., Australia, some European countries) where communication is direct, to the point, and one doesn't have to guess the meaning or intention behind what is being said. Croucher, S., Bruno, A, McGrath, P, Adams, C, McGahan, C, Suits, A & Huckins, A. Depending on the amount of information conveyed, cultures are classified as being high-context and low-context. Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. Wurtz studied McDonalds online advertising in various countries such as Japan, Germany, the United States, etc. In other words, the relationship between directness and contexting based on traditional classifications of [high-context] and [low-context] cultures is particularly tenuous. Unlike low-context cultures, high-context cultures prioritize the group over the individual (Hofstede, 1984). The situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. Researchers today are using it greatly to study different cultures all over the world. 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]. Low context can describe situations, environments and cultures. The cultural context. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. High-context cultures usually do not have rules that are explicitly written or stated. This can be quite confusing to an outsider, especially someone from a low-context culture who is used to communicating via explicit messages. The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. [25] Pleasure, affection and inclusion were the highest motives for communication in both cultures, and control was the lowest for both cultures. Type of paper: Research Paper. Sage Publications. [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. 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 ". (1971). Low-context communicators dont need to be provided with much background information, but they do expect messages to be professional, efficient, and linear in their logic. Topic: Culture, Context, Communication, Middle East, Business, Conflict, People, Relationships. When a part of these groups, a low-context individual may be more drawn to interpersonal relationships with others than focusing on their own accomplishments and do not require information to be elaborated because they maintain an understanding of group behaviors. But we can also use them to talk about smaller groups, such as corporate cultures or a specific setting like the airport. Bernstein, B. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. People within low-context cultures see their relationships much looser and the lines between networks of people are more flexibly drawn.[11]. What is a high-context culture and how does this communication culture differ from a low-context culture? [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 a low-context culture, the onus for communication lies with the speaker. In his model, context refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambiance surrounding an event. Negotiators basically say what they mean. 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). Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. Because directness may be thought of as disrespectful, discussions in high-context cultures can be circuitous, circling key issues rather than addressing them head-on. Asia, Africa, Latin America, and central Europe are predominantly countries with a high context culture. people generally use. Communication is seen as a way of exchanging information, ideas, and opinions. Context is less important than words. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. In the United States, Native Americans and Hawaiian islanders are also considered high-context. Answer (1 of 2): Examples of high context countries include: Japan, China, and the Arab countries. They rely less on context & non-verbal cues and instead convey meaning more directly. [35], The concepts of collectivism and individualism have been applied to high- and low-context cultures by Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede in his Cultural Dimensions Theory. Masculine vs. Feminine Cultures: Distinctions & Communication Styles. Ramos, D. C. (2014). Published: 2020/12/03. Initially, high culture rejects these outsiders but eventually embraces them or appropriates . 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. 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. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. 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.) [15] In contrast, scientists working with living systems need to include more context because there can be significant variables which impact the research outcomes. High-context cultures are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. (2014, December 10). Communication cultures differ societally between high-context and low-context cultures, a concept first described by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1976 publication Beyond Culture. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. High-context cultures: Much of the society's communication takes place through . For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. In, Meyer, C. (2017). These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." 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. The designation "high and low context culture" broadly refers to the way people communicate in cultures. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many Western countries. All the advice on this site is general in nature. [36], High-context cultures tend to be more stable, as their communication is more economical, fast, efficient and satisfying; but these are gained at a price of devoting time into preprogramming cultural background, and their high stability might come with a price of a high barrier for development. References Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). While some cultures are low or high . succeed. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. With this regard, America culture is a low-context . Instead, a comparison between cultures may find communication differences to a greater or lesser degree. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. Words: 825. 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). Intercultural Communication on Websites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures. 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. 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 refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. They place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close-knit community. Your message needs to be clear and precise. A number of unique characteristics exist to make a clear distinction between high-context vs. low-context cultures and methods of communication. Most of the cultural behavior aspects are not open for the reason that many of the members are aware of what to do and what thoughts to engage in. Order now. However, there are some other characteristics also. The terms "high context culture" and "low context culture" are used to define how people in various cultures communicate messages to each other. Trust High context cultures and situations may extend significant trust to members. Japan is a country with a high-context culture. In his work, "Beyond Culture", Hall described these two different types of cultural relationships as they applied to information. Verbal message is direct; one spells things out exactly. Once again we return to the differences between high-context and low-context cultures. It is important to note that no culture is completely high-context or low-context, since all societies contain at least some parts that are both high and low. Low-context cultures (including North America and much of Western Europe) are logical, linear, individualistic, and action-oriented. Low context is a communication environment that doesn't heavily rely on common understanding such as shared culture, experiences and norms.This can be contrasted with high context communication that relies on common background or understanding. [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. 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. 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]. 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. Eye contact, for example, which is encouraged in North America, may have ambiguous meaning or be considered disrespectful in certain high-context cultures. Cultural Perceptions of Communication in Organizations: Low Context and High Context. When individuals from high-context and low-context cultures collaborate, there are often difficulties that occur during the exchange of information. Russia is a high context country with a culture that revolves around collectivism and interdependence on group relationships. [2], Website design among cross-cultural barriers include factoring in decisions about culture-sensitive color meanings, layout preferences, animation and sounds. London: Routledge. Generally, the situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated in a high-context culture. High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. High-context cultures are more likely to be intuitive, contemplative, and concerned with the collective. [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 cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point.

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