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- Dosage & Side Effects, Anxiolytic: Definition, Medications & Dependence, What is Citalopram? 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 aim of this report is to evaluate the concept of different communication cultures through the application of Hall's high and low-context model of culture. Their communication is less-task oriented, and their decision-making is driven by relationships, shared experiences, and emotions. Examples of high and low context cultures It can be helpful to consider a few examples of high and low context cultures. A few relevant examples of differences in communication between low- and high-context cultures are found in Table 1. Communication is seen as a way of exchanging information, ideas, and opinions. 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. It relies on the straightforward use of language, without depending much on nonverbal cues. What is the role of such non-verbal communication in business relationships? Mostly, western cultures are low context cultures like the UK, Australia, and the United States. The same applies for the other characteristics in varied countries. While in high context cultures, communication is done primarily through nonverbal mediums and gestures, in low context cultures, information is vested explicitly so that there is no risk of confusion. London: Routledge. In contrast, take a look at the ads on the front page of Weibo, which is considered China's version of Facebook. For example, resemblance is a significant trait in cultures with a high level of context. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. For example, while the United States is a low-context culture, family gatherings (which are common in American culture) tend to be high-context. So the poor cow's life depends on the country, where it was born: whether it is going to be worshipped or to end up on someone's . An in-depth understanding of cultural norms is not required because the communication is explicit. 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]. Watch this video from international business expert Erin Meyer [1]. 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. However, no country is low-context or high-context in absolute terms; instead, there is a mix of explicit & implicit communication everywhere. High-context cultures include close-knit groups of people, while low-context cultures are generally more diverse. Anchor Press/Doubleday. Individualism and collectivism are related to low-context and high-context cultures, respectively. 2. 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. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. The low-context websites had multiple images of individuals, while the high-context websites contained images and animations of groups and communities.[42]. Guffey, M. E., Lowey, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2013). 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. (2013)[2]explain the concept of cultural context: Cultural context is a concept developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall. 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. There are strong distinctions made between individuals who are members of the ingroup and those who are not members in high-context cultures. Generally, high-context cultures prefer oral communications, while low-context cultures favor written communications. The preferred way of solving problems and learning is in groups. The tools are used to establish context by adding additional information as personal and social cues are not as presentable as they are in face-to-face negotiations. classifications are discussed below. The designation "high and low context culture" broadly refers to the way people communicate in cultures. We cite peer reviewed academic articles wherever possible and reference our sources at the end of our articles. Information has to be explicit and detailed for the message to be conveyed without distortion. 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. Learn more about our academic and editorial standards. What is an Interculturally Effective Person (IEP)? 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. Hofstede, G. (1984). Masculine vs. Feminine Cultures: Distinctions & Communication Styles. 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. [5], These concepts were first introduced by the anthropologist Edward T. Hall in his 1959 book The Silent Language. (2014, May 9). Goodwill Messages and Recommendations. Beyond Culture. Unlike low-context cultures, high-context cultures prioritize the group over the individual (Hofstede, 1984). 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. When it comes to emails, texts, and online messaging, low-context cultures use it to fire off quick, frequent messages. "[28] In such cultures, people are highly perceptive of actions. In low-context cultures, gestures and facial expressions are never the primary means of communication; they only serve to clarify or complement a point. (1971). [3] Low-context cultures do the opposite; direct verbal communication is needed to properly understand a message being communicated and relies heavily on explicit verbal skills. The USA and Australia are typically low-context, highly individualistic cultures, where transparency and competition in business are prized. Information is transmitted not through words alone but also through non-verbal cues such as gestures, voice inflection, and facial expression, which can have different meanings in different cultures. Cultures and communication in which context is of great importance to structuring actions is referred to as high context. [6] However, the concept may also apply to corporations, professions and other cultural groups, as well as to settings such as online and offline communication. Required fields are marked *, This Article was Last Expert Reviewed on January 24, 2023 by Chris Drew, PhD. [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. [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. Interaction. It can imply understanding or agreement, but it can also mean their conversea lack of certainty. People are comfortable standing close to each other. 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 cultures: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, India, and Saudi Arabia are some of the highest-context cultures in the world. Low-context countries, on the other hand, relied more on linear processes and verbal communication. Writing Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs, 38. This means that the members' identity is heavily rooted in groups, i.e., families and work units. Your email address will not be published. (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. The study identifies whether and how variables that characterize high- and low-context cultures are reflected on Web sites. The High Context / Low Context cultural dimension is a broad and far reaching theory which touches on many aspects of cultural communication including verbal and non-verbal messaging, internal and external locus of control, inward and outward reaction, cohesion of groups, people's bonds and commitments, as well . [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. The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. In a high-context culture, emphasis is placed on interpersonal relationships rather than personal achievement. 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. Members of high-context cultures are relatively comfortable interacting with others because a close-knit community has been formed, such as that of a family or religious congregation. [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. Anchor Press/Doubleday. Once again we return to the differences between high-context and low-context cultures. 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). In Mexico's high context culture, communication is . 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. 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. High-context cultures are built on a sense of shared experiences and history. A few predominantly high-context cultures include Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. Wurtz studied McDonalds online advertising in various countries such as Japan, Germany, the United States, etc. All articles are edited by a PhD level academic. "Understanding cultural differences. Since they value collectivism and interdependence, it makes sense that their communication requires an understanding of the communitys shared values. Getting the message across. 9. [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. Websites catering to high-context audiences had a lot of animation & images. On the other hand, low-context culture does not have any such shared background. High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time. High-context communications typically take place in a collectivist setting, or within a large group of people who share similar goals, values, or norms (ingroups). Guffey, D. Lowey, K. Rhodes, K., & P. Rogin. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness. [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. Hall and Hall proposed a "spectrum" of national cultures from "High-Context cultures" to "Low-Context Cultures. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All the advice on this site is general in nature. Typically a high-context culture will be relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. For example, if you have ever been to a family gathering, then you have experience with a high-context culture. [15] In contrast, scientists working with living systems need to include more context because there can be significant variables which impact the research outcomes. 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. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU. Effectively communicating within this culture, therefore, requires messaging that is perceived as objective, professional, and efficient. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Studentsshould always cross-check any information on this site with their course teacher. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Examples of low-context cultures include the United States, Australia, and many European countries. Some recognized examples include: Higher-context culture: China, India, Korea, Japan, other Asian countries, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Oman, and Yemen, African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, Latin America, the Pacific islands, France, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Russia. [30][32], Families, subcultures and in-groups typically favour higher-context communication. These problems can be separated into differences concerning "direction", "quantity" and "quality." 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. In other words, people communicate explicitly in low-context cultures. 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. Words: 825. Initially, high culture rejects these outsiders but eventually embraces them or appropriates . Three samples were gathered from the US, China, and Korea, three different cultures. Traditionally, Western cultures are known for being more individualistic or communicating with a low context style. They often use written contracts and agreements to clarify expectations (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1988). The verbal and nonverbal cues of low vs. high-context communication can be . High-context cultures are those in which the rules of communication are primarily transmitted through the use of contextual elements (i.e., body language, a person's status, and tone of voice) and are not explicitly stated. With this regard, America culture is a low-context . 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]. [38] By contrast, low-context cultures tend to change more rapidly and drastically, allowing extension[definition needed] to happen at faster rates. On one side of the dimension, we have high context cultures, which depend on greater context when communicating. In his model, context refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambiance surrounding an event. (2012). Verbal message is explicit. These experiences inclu. In comparison, the United States is perhaps the best example of a diverse and low-context culture. 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.