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. High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. 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. succeed. High context communication cultures . Low context communication is more common in the English speaking world, whereas high context communication is more common in Eastern cultures such as Japan and China. For example, in one country a cow is seen as leather, in another one - as a deity and in another one as dinner. High-context cultures are more likely to be intuitive, contemplative, and concerned with the collective. Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? A low-context culture is a culture in which people communicate explicitly. Three samples were gathered from the US, China, and Korea, three different cultures. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. 18 Examples of Low Culture. [32] Awareness of miscommunication between high- and low-context cultures within the workplace or intercultural communication settings advocates for collected unification within a group through the flexibility and ability to understand one another. Your message needs to be clear and precise. [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. Typically a high-context culture will be relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. France is a high-context culture. References Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). 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.) Class, Codes and Control. 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. High-context cu. Your email address will not be published. - Effects & Types, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Definition, effects & Types, Trepanning: Tools, Specialties & Definition, What is Pseudoephedrine? The Nine Competencies that Characterize an IEP, Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Obstacles, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, Additional Resources to Help you Format your Paper in APA Style. For example, families typically engage in high context communication whereby they can communicate much with subtleties such as a glace. Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Characteristics of Low Context People behave according to rules Preference is given to knowledge sharing and transfer Relationships do not last longer On purpose relationships - Uses & Side Effects, What is Amitriptyline? Culture and Interpersonal Communication. Edward Hall is a famous theorist and anthropologist who has contributed a renowned theory of high- and low-context cultures to facilitate students, researchers . From each culture, 96 business managers were surveyed for the American and Chinese sample and 50 managers were surveyed from Korea. Japan is generally considered a high-context culture, meaning people communicate based on inherent understanding. Routledge. [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. 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. Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. As such, what is said is what is meant, and further analysis of the message is usually unnecessary. Sourabh Yadav (MA) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), Bureaucratization (Sociology): Definition, Features, Origins, Stereotype Content Model: Examples and Definition. Germany, Sweden, and the United States are generally classified as low-context cultures. Listen to business speaker Erin Meyer explain how cultural differences can affect communication. people generally use. The answer is simple. Emphasis on verbal vs. non-verbal communications, the existence of close personal space, emphasis on collectivism and ingroup learning and achievements, and the importance of interpersonal relationships are but a few of the most significant distinguishing factors. Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. Low-context cultures rely on explicit communication. Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. [10] In low-context cultures, relationships are not viewed as important figures to identity. An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. A few predominantly high-context cultures include Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. [2] Collectivist societies prioritize the group over the individual, and vice versa for individualist ones. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. High-context cultures are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. 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 Relationships: The components of these cultures tend to value long-term relationships. Verbal message is explicit. The designation "high and low context culture" broadly refers to the way people communicate in cultures. Carolyn Meyer (2017)[4]discusses the prototypes for communication in low-context and high-context cultures: Communicators in low-context cultures (such as those in Germany, Scandinavia, and North America) convey their meaning exclusive of the context of a situation. [33] Conversely, in cultural groups with low context, where people share less common knowledge or 'value individuality above group identification', elaborated codes are necessary to avoid misunderstanding. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. Conclusion The dynamics of relationships within High and Low context cultures are very different. The composite score also indicates a significant difference among the three samples at the .01 level. In. [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. ", "Communication: intercultural communication. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. 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 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. 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]. After completing this chapter, you will be able to: Now that we know, broadly, what culture is, lets discuss some ways to categorize aspects of different cultures. Wurtz found something similar while analyzing website design. A first step in achieving this goal is to identify one's own culture before delving into the rigors of another. 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. Hall notes a similar difference between Navajo-speakers and English-speakers in a United States school.[18]. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. [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. It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. [36], Individualistic cultures promote the development of individual values and independent social groups. (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. 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. Low-context cultures can seem slightly more formal due to the explicit & precise nature of their messages. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. If you want to appear polite, you need to be willing to greet strangers and thank . Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. High-context cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. Pages: 3. 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. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? Hofstede, G. (1984). Conflict Styles and HighLow Context Cultures: A Cross-Cultural Extension. 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. The GLOBE Project Overview & Behavior Styles | What is the GLOBE Project? Negotiators basically say what they mean. 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. What are the effects on the communication process? [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. [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. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. Strategies to work effectively with people from high context and low context cultures Follow these 4 key strategies to communicate effectively across cultures: 1. A conclusion may be implied but not argued directly. 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. 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). Intercultural communication. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. Low and High Context Culture. When individuals from high-context and low-context cultures collaborate, there are often difficulties that occur during the exchange of information. Low-context and high-context cultures are the ends of a continuum portraying how cultures communicate. The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. Cultural Perceptions of Communication in Organizations: Low Context and High 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. Kim Dunghoon conducted a study to test the major aspects of high-context versus low-context culture concepts. ", Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 23:13, http://db19.linccweb.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/rowmandasj/high_context/0, "Intercultural Communication on Web sites: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Web sites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures", "The Influence of High- and Low-Context Communication Styles On the Design, Content, and Language of Business-To-Business Web Sites", "The Influence of High-/Low-Context Culture on Perceived Ad Complexity and Liking", "Communication Style and Cultural Features in High/Low Context Communication Cultures: A Case Study of Finland, Japan and India", 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6793(199809)15:6<507::AID-MAR2>3.0.CO;2-A, "Communicational Features in High/Low Context Organizational Culture: A Case Study of Romania and Russia", "low-context and high-context communication", https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/dictmedia/communication_intercultural_communication/0, "Communication: intercultural communication", "Managing conflict in global teams: 4 keys to leveraging cultural differences in diverse teams", "International communication 101: staying on the right side of culture", "Individualism, Collectivism, High And Low Context", "Discovering cultural differences (and similarities) in facial expressions of emotion", "The Human Face as a Dynamic Tool for Social Communication", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=High-context_and_low-context_cultures&oldid=1141991389, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 23:13. In comparison, the United States is perhaps the best example of a diverse and low-context culture. Indeed, Vietnamese communication style has all the characteristics of highcontext cultures, such as indirect and digressive communication, use of few words, reliance on contextual cues, avoidance of the use of personal names, respect for long silences, and waiting politely until the other person has stopped speaking before taking turns. [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. All rights reserved. How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes? Guffey, M.E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). The ways by which humans communicate are based heavily on the context of what is being spoken, the individuals involved, and the setting in which the communication takes place. (2014, December 10). What is low context cultural communication? Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. About The Helpful Professor The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language . 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. For example, resemblance is a significant trait in cultures with a high level of context. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. 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 pedestrians example) Order now. Context 1. . Unlike low-context cultures, high-context cultures prioritize the group over the individual (Hofstede, 1984). The most prominent characteristics of high context culture is non-verbal communication, while for low context culture, it is obvious to have verbal and written communication. 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. 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. [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. [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. 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. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. Since North American business practices tend to follow low-context norms, most of us are more familiar with this system than we are with high-context cultures. The situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated. The law is important! High-context cultures are collectivist, value interpersonal relationships, and have members that form stable, close relationships. 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.