Culture and Interpersonal Communication. Communicating with high-context cultures can require you to focus on politeness strategies that demonstrate your respect for readers and listeners. Identify your style Before implementing effective communication practices across cultures, identify your own style: 18 Examples of Low Culture. Wurtz, Elizabeth (2005). In. 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. [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. 2. [2], Website design among cross-cultural barriers include factoring in decisions about culture-sensitive color meanings, layout preferences, animation and sounds. 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. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. In a low-context culture, the onus for communication lies with the speaker. [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. The Self in a Social Context: Help and Review, Figure-Ground Perception: Definition & Examples, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, High Context vs. Low Context Characteristics, Introduction to Social Psychology: Help and Review, Research Methods and Ethics: Help and Review, Social Cognition & Perception: Help and Review, The Self: Executive and Organizational Functions & Gender and Cultural Differences, Introspection and Self-Awareness Theory in Psychology: Definition & Examples, Self-Perception Theory: Definition and Examples, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Education: Definition & Examples, Two-Factor Theory of Emotions: Definition and Relation to the Misattribution of Arousal, Social-Comparison Theory: Upward vs. . This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). Negotiators basically say what they mean. Hall identifies high-context cultures as those in which harmony and the well-being of the group is preferred over individual achievement. In low-context cultures, communication tends to be more direct and to the point. Hofstede, G. (1984). Sourabh Yadav (MA) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), Bureaucratization (Sociology): Definition, Features, Origins, Stereotype Content Model: Examples and Definition. 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. 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. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. For example Japan, which has a very high context culture, uses both polychronic and monochronic time. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Russia is a high context country with a culture that revolves around collectivism and interdependence on group relationships. 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. Nonetheless, the contexting model simply cannot be described as an empirically validated model. Meyer defines low-context cultures as cultures where people communicate and receive messages at face value. [5]. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Give some examples of cultural differences in the interpretation of body language. Establishing relationships is an important part of communicating and interacting. 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. Class, Codes and Control. [26] The terms high- and low-context cultures are not classified with strict individual characteristics or boundaries. They rely less on the shared values/assumptions of the group and the context of the situation. What are the effects on the communication process? Power Distance Index & Examples | What is Power Distance? Examples of high-context cultures include China, India, and many non-Western societies. This is in direct contrast to low-context cultures, in which information is communicated primarily through language and rules are explicitly spelled out. 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]. High-context cultures rely heavily on non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, etc. 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). Meanwhile, in a high-context culture, nonverbal cues and unspoken background . Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 18. While some cultures are low or high . "[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. [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. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. In his model, context refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambiance surrounding an event. [36], Individualistic cultures promote the development of individual values and independent social groups. High context culture is common wherever there is a relationship between people. We know that the way in which we say things at these gatherings is more important than what we say. In, Meyer, C. (2017). [30], Hall links language to culture through the work of Sapir-Whorf on linguistic relativity. - Dosage & Side Effects, Anxiolytic: Definition, Medications & Dependence, What is Citalopram? ", "Communication: intercultural communication. 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. High Context vs. Low Context (Internet) Example of McDonalds Internet site: High: Families shown, lots of people on the website ads Low: You, your choices, easy to navigate High Context vs. Low Context (Law) High: Traditions are the laws Low: Rules and order are spelled out. Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. References Gudykunst, W. B., & Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). Kim Dunghoon conducted a study to test the major aspects of high-context versus low-context culture concepts. Individuals in such cultures must hear or read a direct order, point, etc for it to be taken as valid. (The pedestrians example) Sourabh Yadav is a freelance writer & filmmaker. For example, while the United States is a low-context culture, family gatherings (which are common in American culture) tend to be high-context. China, Japan, Turkey, and Mexico are some countries that lean towards high-context. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. In contrast, low-context websites had lesser animation and images, focusing instead on the information. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. 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 . 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. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. 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. 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. Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. 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. This allows individuals of different generations to communicate through a shared set of values, which, in turn, provides stability to the culture. Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall first discussed high-context culture in his 1976 book titled Beyond Culture. A few predominantly high-context cultures include Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. In other words, people communicate explicitly in low-context cultures. 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. Instead, they depend on the explicit code of the words and written rules to convey meaning. 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. [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. [12] Typically a low-context culture will be less close-knit, and so individuals communicating will have fewer relational cues when interpreting messages. I feel like its a lifeline. Within high-context cultures, people rely on their networks of friends and family, viewing their relationships as part of one large community. Guffey, M.E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). Cite this Article in your Essay (APA Style), Privacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsDisclaimerAccessibility StatementVideo Transcripts. According to Hall's theory, Chinese and Korean samples represented higher-context cultures while the American sample represents lower context. Ironically, contexting is most frequently discussed in terms of directness, yet empirical studies nearly all fail to support this relationship. Examples of High Context Small religious gatherings, party with close friends, family functions, dining out with family or friends, and sleep over at friend's place, etc. 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. Note: Comparison of low- and high-context cultures reprinted from Business communication: Process & product (p. 64) by M.E. 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]. Furthermore, cultural aspects such as tradition, ceremony, and history are also highly valued. High context cultures include Japanese, Arabs and French. Asia, Africa, Latin America, and central Europe are predominantly countries with a high context culture. Type of paper: Research Paper. Ramos, D. C. (2014). Low-context cultures tend to be logical, analytical, action-oriented, and concerned with the individual. classifications are discussed below. The continuum pictures how people communicate with others through their range of communication abilities: utilizing gestures, relations, body language, verbal messages, or non-verbal messages. The theory of High and Low Context Cultures puts how people communicate in a dimension. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. For example, Hall describes how Japanese culture has both low- and high-context situations. Low context can describe situations, environments and cultures. 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. Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial expressions, eye movement, and tone of voice. As a result of these years of interacting with one another, the members know what the rules are, how to think, and how to behave, so the rules do not have to be explicitly stated. 9. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Examples of low-context cultures include Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States. 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. The results found that U.S. participants used communication for pleasure more often than Mexican participants. succeed. They assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything. Rules are not directly or explicitly written or stated. Members of high-context cultures usually have close relationships that last for an extended period of time. In contrast, low-context cultures rely on explicit verbal communication. Meaning is determined not by what is said but by how it is said and by how social implications such as the communicators status and position come into play. The Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice states that, "high context defines cultures that are relational and collectivist, and which most highlight interpersonal relationships. These experiences inclu. It is important to note that no culture is low-context or high-context in absolute terms but a mix of both. 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. 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. Therefore, it is necessary for more explicit information to be included in the message so it is not misinterpreted. 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. Oxford University Press. Examples of high-context cultures include Asian, African, Latin American, and some European countries. You can find his work on The Print, Live Wire, and YouTube. The American legal system, for example, relies on low context communication. Amount of Detail Expected - High-context cultures such as Japan, China, and France provide little details in their writing. 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. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. low-context communication is "the mass of information is vested in the explicit code". Explain the differences between high- and low-context cultures, giving examples of each. [1] "High-" and "low-" context cultures typically refer to language groups, nationalities, or regional communities. 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. 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. 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. Downward, Self-Monitoring, Ingratiation, and Self-Handicapping: Definition & Examples, Impression Management: Festinger's Study of Cognitive Dissonance, Post-Decision Dissonance & Counterattitudinal Advocacy, Attributions and the Correspondence Bias in Psychology: Definition & Dispositions vs. Situational Behavior, Effort Justification: Aronson & Mills Study, Examples & Applications, Self-Serving Attributions: Definition, Bias & Examples, Self-Regulation Theory: Definition & Strategies, High-Context Culture: Definition & Examples, Overjustification Effect: Definition & Examples, Social Epidemiology: Definition & Methods, Self-Promotion in Psychology: Definition & Examples, Mark Snyder's Self-Monitoring System: Definition & Scale, Involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder: Symptoms & Treatment, Attitudes and Persuasion: Help and Review, Attraction & Close Relationships: Help and Review, Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination: Help and Review, Applied Social Psychology: Help and Review, UExcel Psychology of Adulthood & Aging: Study Guide & Test Prep, Psychology of Adulthood & Aging for Teachers: Professional Development, Abnormal Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Life Span Developmental Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Research Methods in Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Social Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Psychology for Teachers: Professional Development, Human Growth & Development Studies for Teachers: Professional Development, What is Suicidal Ideation? 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. A first step in achieving this goal is to identify one's own culture before delving into the rigors of another. They have a Bachelor's in Air Traffic Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and minored in Aviation Safety and Homeland Security. Interaction. "[29] A similarity that the two communication styles share is its influence on social characteristics such as age, gender, social class and ethnicity. [6] How does her experience in Japan demonstrate what youve learned so far about the different dimensions of culture? Also remember that although cultures are different from one another, no culture or cultural characteristic is better or worse than any other. 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. As such, what is said is what is meant, and further analysis of the message is usually unnecessary. People have many acquaintances they have fewer close friends. The answer is simple. Conclusions are explicitly stated. 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 are collectivist cultures. 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). Anchor Press/Doubleday. Message is carried more by words than by nonverbal means. For example, families typically engage in high context communication whereby they can communicate much with subtleties such as a glace. High Context vs. Low Context High-context is that "most of the information is either in the physical context or initialized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message." (Hall). High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. These countries are quite explicit and elaborate without having prior knowledge to each member's history or background. 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. Discover high context culture examples, and identify the importance of high context vs. low context communication. This also means that low-context communication may fail due to the overload of information, which makes culture lose its screening[definition needed] function. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. On the other hand, low-context culture does not have any such shared background. Generally, the situation, people, and non-verbal elements are more important than the actual words that are communicated in a high-context culture. However, there are some other characteristics also. 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. 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. Relationships are easy to build, can start very quickly but end just as soon. Routledge. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? Devon has tutored for almost two years. For example, people in traditional high context cultures have been described as developing "shared identities." In direct contrast to low context behavior, in a negotiation, high context cultures communicate in High context cultures are more common in the eastern nations than in western and in countries with low racial diversity. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. 3. 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. Members of ingroups usually share many characteristics and experiences. The following are illustrative examples. Individualism may lead to communicating to all people in a group in the same way, rather than offering hierarchical respect to certain members. They also are AT-CTI certified. [22], The concept of elaborated and restricted codes was introduced by sociologist Basil Bernstein in his book Class, Codes and Control. This study, done by Kim Dunghoon, was to test the major aspects the high versus low-context culture concepts. 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. Whereas low-context cultures prefer more words (to a certain extent), high-context cultures prefer more images. 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. In comparison, the United States is perhaps the best example of a diverse and low-context culture. This makes high-context cultures difficult to navigate for those who do not understand the culture's unwritten rules. 1. In other words, the relationship between directness and contexting based on traditional classifications of [high-context] and [low-context] cultures is particularly tenuous. Table 2 shows a classification of countries in low and high context, their characteristics and the expected role . Teachers can illustrate the differences between high- and low- context cultures by providing examples of behaviors. Because of this, communication can change drastically from one generation to the next, creating communication gaps between parents and children. India and Japan are typically high-context, highly collectivistic cultures, where business is done by building relationships and maintaining respectful communication. In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . Moreover, their communication is often task-oriented and driven by rational decision-making, which can further add to their formality.. 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. 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).